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This is quite an important piece of information to have when you are sizing your compressor.
Many compressors are not meant to run all the time. Some need to have a “rest period” of a certain percentage of operating time to give the unit time to cool down, which you want to have happen, to prevent breakdowns and to prolong the life of your compressor.
Usually, the duty cycle is expressed as a percentage of a certain time frame, that often being a 10 minute segment.
A duty cycle of 50% for a particular brand and model of compressor would mean that this particular unit could run for 20 minutes, and then must have a 20 minute rest period before it kicks in to compress more air.
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Although, my home compressor needed a 30 minute run, with the receiver drain open to atmosphere, just to break it in.
I therefore assumed (maybe a mistake...we’ll see?) that the duty cycle on my unit would be 30 minutes, and I take pains to ensure that if it ever runs for 30 minutes at a stretch, to shut it down and let it cool for that same amount of time.
Industrial compressor users are normally purchasing compressors through an industrial supplier or from the manufacturer, and the sales people for those firms are professionals. They should make sure that the buyer gets the right unit. Industrial compressors often have a 100% duty cycle, meaning they can run continuously without a cool down period.
The proliferation of “home” compressor outlets, and the upsurge in home and workshop use of compressors, could create problems if there is a need for a high volume of compressed air, and duty cycle isn’t taken into account when purchasing the shop or home compressor.
The sales persons at the non-industrial outlet possibly are not even aware of duty cycle, and this could cause problems if you are buying a compressor for more than occasional use.
Check carefully. A compressor that shows ample flow capacity for your air grinder, might run well beyond it's duty cycle when it’s being used on a big job at home, leading to maintenance issues which are easily avoided by being sure of the duty cycle before you buy!
The manual that comes with your compressor should indicate the duty cycle. Mine doesn't. If you're not sure, and plan to use your compressor for long periods of time, see if you can get the manufacturer's name from the store and email them to ask about the duty cycle for the model you are contemplating buying.
Leave Duty Cycle back to home page.
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