O/T Compressor in unheated garage

Thinking of putting my compressor in the unheated attic portion of my garage to save of floorspace down below. What problems will this cause during the cold winter months ??

Thanks

 

I'd be leery of cold starts. Most compressors run a straight weight oil, and I know how cold it gets "up north". Your drain valve will also freeze up unless you run it down into your heated area. Kinda ****s but I guess winter is coming fast!

 

slow starting...
I havent had any problems...
I have a 4cyl. quincy sitting outside... when its -30 it starts slow... but once its up and running no problems...

I didnt plan on having it outside,
was going to build a lean- but the contractor never came back.
its kinda funny I dont even think about it anymore- and it works great- nice having all that noise outside.

 

regarding the drain valve... there is no moisture in the air up here in the winter... its super DRY. Best time to paint.

 

Worked fine for me, I live in ohio and ran it all winter.

 

My buddy (gone now) had a compressor in his garage attic for 40 years and never had a problem from cold temperatures. The garage was heated (temp turned down when not in the garage), this might have helped. This was in the Buffalo, NY area so it did get very cold in the winter.

 

What kind of structure do you have in the attic? The vibration from a big two-stage could cause some problems over the long run.

 

I know a common practice for wells and outdoor compressor sheds is to put a light socket out there and put a 60-watt bulb in it and leave it lit all winter. Doesn't burn up a ton of energy, and keeps it a lot warmer than the outside air. My grandfather had a well pit in his machinery garage in illinois, and my dad's job as a kid was to peek through the grate cover and see that both bulbs were still lit. If one burned out, he'd have to change it. He had two in there as a back-up. It kept the water in the pit from freezing.

If it's in your attic, go to Home Depot and get some styrofoam insulation board and wall off a little room around the compressor. I just did something similar to this in my shop rafters, and even though it's summer here, in the morning I can look at the roof of my shop from my house window, and see the outline of the insulated area on the shingles.

-Brad

 

Our winters here average around 30 and can go down to 0 at night. I have a direct drive noisy 5 hp in a unheated shed. starts fine and it warms up the shed real nice. In the summer I leave the window open to help cool it.
I also have a 3hp belt driven two stage in a single car unheated garage and it also is fine in the winter, no problems at all.

I guess the water gets frozen in the bottom, but never had a fitting or drain valve crack from the ice.

Frank

 

I shine one heat lamp bulb on the oil sump area of my old 2 stage Westinghouse Le Roi division compressor and leave it on all winter. Keeps the oil warm. Be sure that what ever you use for heat can't move and touch flammmable material if it is in a secluded area of your building. JW

 

You can run synthetic compressor oil if you're concerned about slow starts in cold weather. Ingersoll Rand and Gardner Denver both market a synthetic compressor pump oil that works very well.

I've heard of people running Mobil One as well.

If it's going to be in a cool place, don't skimp on the wiring. Cold starts with thick oil can make the motor work harder on startup.

Belt drive compressors run a capacitor start motor which means they will draw about 3x their maximum amp rating for a few seconds while the starter windings are engaged. This will be e**agerated in colder weather as the motors works harder to get the pump turining.

If your wiring is marginal it may not supply enough current for a cold start in winter.

It would have to get pretty cold to really cause any problems and it would likely only be the first start in the morning that would be rough.

You might also want to consider installing an auto-drain valve. When the machine shuts down a solenoid pops the drain valve for a second to dump any ac***ulated water. Just plumb the drain down the wall and outside and you're good to go.

A compressor in the attic may get neglected when it comes to maintenance simply because it's difficult to get at. Don't forget to check the air filters, oil and drain the tank on a regular basis.

Shawn (I'm Shop Foreman in a tool repair shop)

 

In the last 40 years I've never had a compressor that was kept in a space that had heat 24/7. I never had a problem that could be related to temperature. My last compressor spent 15 years in the attic. I was more concerned about those 95 degree days that it was running trying to keep up with the bead blaster. Unfortunately my new compressor is too big to get up there.

 

Once it starts to get cold I have problems starting my compressor, it always pops the fuse after the temp drops below 32F. My solution was to put a magnetic oil pan heater on the side of the compressor 10-15 min before I want to use it. Once it warms up everything is fine.

Ron

 

the weight and vibration are the big worries,if this is a house garage im sure the rafters are not going to be strong enough,the cold wont be too bad of an issue unless your talking below 30 degrees but i would be concerned with the heat from summer,generally the airflow up in the rafters will be slim to none and will probably cook the pump.i install aircompressors for a living trust me i have seen it all........i think its a bad idea.