Does Tank Size matter Air Compressor?

If you are in the market for an Air compressor, the thing that will most confuse you is probably the tank size. But does that even matter? Does the tank size matter in Air Compressor? Well, it kinda does and today, we are going to explain this to you.

First of all, let us tell you that tank sizes are available in multiple shapes. Some of them look like pancakes while some have tanks stacked on top of each other. Compressor tanks are huge and horizontal like a tube too. And some of them have wheelbarrow attached to it.

No matter what the shape is though, all tanks should have a manual drain present at the lowest spot in the tank. And this should be able to drain the compressor-generated water.

The actual shape of the Tank doesn’t have much effect on the air compressor itself.

Most compressors start when the tank pressure is at the lowest level in a pressure setting. When the compressor motor starts, it pumps air into the tank and when the tank reaches a high level, the compressor motor stops.

If you have a gallon of air tank and you are trying to shut off the compressor at 90 PSI when you try to stop the compressor you will have a gallon of air pressurized to 90 PSI. The actual in and out the pressure of the compressor will not likely be shown though.

The cubic feet of air on the tank is a number that we can get if we divide the gallon of the tank by 7.48. For instance, 1 gallon of compressor tank will have .137 cubic feet of air.

So, Is a bigger air tank better?

Yes, the general rule while buying an air compressor is that you buy the biggest tank that you can afford. A bigger tank means more air. Your time is also saved and you can get to work easily.

The job of a compressor tank is to store air. The most important thing to consider is to have a big enough pump to produce as much air as you need. Smaller tanks that have a size of 4 to 6 gallons are best for small home projects. For jobs that need more air such as spray painting, you will need a bigger tank.

Factors for Tank Size

If you require an air compression system that’s quick to refill then you might want to get a smaller Air compressor as it will be the best option for you. On the other hand, larger tanks are great for heavy-duty applications. The only thing you need to consider is that the longer the air compression process is, the more compressed air will you be needing. So, get an air compressor of the correct size.

Another thing to consider is the Efficiency of the Tank Size. The compressor’s tank determines the time that your air tools can run before your compressor shuts off because of a lack of air. If you use intermittent air-powered tools, you will not need a compressor with a large tank size.

But if your equipment and tools need a high volume of compressed air, it will be more than efficient for you to use a large-sized tank. In terms of actual options, you have plenty. You can get a Tank Size of 1 gallon to around 80 gallons. 

Also, check- Best Air Compressor Companies

                  Is 4.5 SCFM good ?