Pressure Switch Adjustment, what is..

by Kevin
(Calgary, Alberta, Canada)

Compressor Pressure Switch

Compressor Pressure Switch

I can't find a pressure switch that is pre-set to the manufacturers high/low setting on an older compressor I have.

I use 2 compressors in series with a rather elborate filter and air-drier setup.

until the pressure switch quit working on the one compressor, I had the high/low settings adjusted (downward) slightly so that they were perfectly balanced and supplied me with an ample volume of air to run some of my air tools that really gobble it up.

The closest switch I could find is still 20 lbs too high. I unplugged the compressor, drained the tank and popped the cover only to discover 3 spring adjustments instead of the 2 that I am used to. There are the usual 2 larger ones side-by-side, and then another smaller one off to the side. I was wondering if you can tell me what this one would be for?

I can't find any model number on this switch, it's a LaPlante, if that helps.

____________________
Bill says...

Kevin, I believe you can get info on Laplante Air Compressors and controls by contacting them here: sales@laplantecompressor.com

Next, if it were me running a dual compressor setup, I would have the pressure switch on the back up compressor set to cut in just below the cut in pressure of the primary compressor, and the high pressure cut out to be just below the cut out of the primary.

Reason being, if one compressor could keep up, the secondary wouldn't run at all, saving maintenance life.

Periodically, maybe every six months or so, I would switch them out.

If the secondary doesn't need to run to keep up, why have it run needlessly... if I understand your set up properly.

Cheers,

Bill






Comments for
Pressure Switch Adjustment, what is..

Click here to add your own comments

Aug 02, 2011
 RE: Pressure Switch Adjustment
by: Kevin

Bill,
thank you for the information and quick response. The reason I have the cut-in/outs sync'd is that I do body work and the air sanders eat up an incredible amount of air. With both compressor tanks topped up it gives me enough run time to do a section of whatever I am working on before the the compressors kick in which once they do, even with both 1.5 HP compressor motors running, the air will continue to drop, and in a very short time the operation of the tool will degrade to a point that I have to stop and wait for the air to catch up.
With the cut-in set lower on one compressor (as it was originally), the one compressor ran almost none stop. As far as I know, there's no back-flow prevention on either compressor, so the one with the low cut-in was working twice as hard as normal trying to keep both tanks full.

______________________

10-4. If both lead to a common air line to your tools, I would have installed a check valve in each line before the Tee.

B.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How?
Simply click here to return to Has pressure switch issue