Hydrovane pro's and con's

[howardm]

Hi,
Back when I was painting cars in the eighties I upgraded 3 times to a BIG piston compressor, drove me bonkers.!
Now I'm back hobbying and need air for sand blasting, paint spraying and a few air tools, obviously one at a time, I only have one pair of hands.

I fancy a hydrovane for it's quietness, I have understanding neighbours, but they will have limits and I am very nocturnal.

What size do I need as a serious hobbyist using pro tools.?
In my experience quoted cfm is vastly different to real world cfm.


thx
Howard

 

[tigler]

The important factor to look for with CFM spec is to ensure it's FAD, free air delivered.
Governing factor with a compressor used at home is mains supply. Practically speaking the maximum power you can use is 3kw or 3-4 hp. Even this will require a dedicated 16-20 amp switch fuse supply to avoid tripping the ring main MCB due to surge current. That effectively gives you about 12-15 CFM FAD max. There are some mini screw units available at that output which are better than Hydrovanes because they are more efficient and have no contact parts in the air end, they are more expensive though.

 

[NeilH]

There are pros and cons with every compressor.
the main pro of a hydrovane is the low noise. The main con I would
say is they are a lot more money to buy.

 

[brightspark]

5hp single phase motor is about the max u can run on domestic supply

 

[howardm]

Thanks guys,
I have put a "watch" on screw compressors on ebay.
I'm not in a too much of a rush just now.

Howard

 

[NeilH]

the servicing on screw compressors is extortionate.

they are suited to proper industrial use. (commercial i.e. factories, kwik fit etc)

for us normal folk who pay for stuff out of our own pocket then a hydrovane would have been more suitable.

 

[awemawson]

I use a single phase hydrovane for my workshop air supply and so far it has been very reliable. It's the biggest single phase one (??4HP) that's available. It's powered up 24/7 but I was VERY fussy testing my pipe runs for leaks before I left it to it's own! Even then I put a running hours meter on it to check it wasn't playing by itself at midnight.It is barely enought to run my cabinet blaster if doing extensive work, but I do have the luxury of a 140 cfm diesel road compressor just outside the workshop, and an external fitting to conect it when doing more than a bit in the cabinet (it's justification is for my big Hodge Clemco blaster)

 

[knoba]

My hydrovane is fairly quiet (residential & 240v). HV02RM. Good resale value. Reliable. Compact footprint with no external moving parts, Hassle free, Easy to service. Very little moisture in air lines, trap & filters. Quick to catch up...

I reset the cut-in / cut-out pressures @ 100psi / 150psi, respectively (was 75psi / 100psi), but allows for even higher settings than those.

No waiting with; 3/8" impact gun, 3/8" air drill or air chisel (the neighbours favourite). On occasion, I have to wait for it when using; 1/2" Impact gun, die grinders, DA & flatboard sanders (although; it depends on what one, demands of it).

It's running through several runs of 3/8" airline. Was only meant to be a temporary measure. 4 years later...

...very happy with it.