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This type is just one of a variety of styles of air compressors available to you.
First things first, however.
Don’t spend a lot of time examining the huge variety and styles of compressors available to you if you first don’t know the answers to the following questions:
If you have the answers to these questions, you will have narrowed the range of your search.
Then you'll look for units with the following characteristics:
Once you've determined your parameters, you'll start looking for the right kind of compressor.
So then, what is a Reciprocating Compressor?
Concept
A dictionary defines "reciprocate" to mean to move something alternately back and forth.
A typical reciprocating compressor for home or industrial use will contain a piston in a cylinder, or more than one piston / cylinder, depending on what it's purpose is and the discharge flow rates expected of it.
It's usually an electric motor will provide the energy to turn a crankshaft that causes the cylinder(s) in your compressor head to move "up and down"; in other words, to reciprocate.
As the piston rises it drives the volume of uncompressed air from the cylinder into a receiver or air tank. Since the air in the tank is at atmospheric pressure (14.7 PSI), immediately the pressure in the tank starts to rise. The air is being compressed!
On the piston return stroke a different valve opens and allows free air to move into the cylinder while the (usually copper) air line to the tank contains a one-way check valve to ensure that the air compressed into the tank, cannot escape back up into the cylinder.
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Once again, the piston inside the cylinder rises, “squishing” the air that's at atmospheric pressure into the receiver, and increasing the pressure in the tank.
Squishing! Hmmmm, now that's technical! :-)
Please note that receiver, air tank, vessel and air hog are all synonyms for the tank into which air is compressed.
This process is reciprocating, hence the name, Reciprocating Compressor.
As long as you’ve got the power turned on to the compressor motor, the piston(s) will keep reciprocating, and driving air into the receiver, increasing the pressure in there to the “cut out” pressure.
When the pressure in the receiver reaches the “cut out” setting, the pressure switch will open a switch, and the compressor motor will stop.
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Features / Comments
The size of the cylinder(s) on the reciprocating compressor, the number of cylinders, whether it’s a two-stage compressor, or double acting compressor, really only have a bearing on whether that particular style provides you the CFM you need, at the pressure you need.
For clarification purposes, a two-stage compressor is one that has two cylinders. The first provides preliminary air compression, and the second stage compresses the air from the first stage to an even higher pressure in the second before sending the air to the receiver.
When a compressor has more than two-stages, i.e.: a two-stage, double acting unit, or a two-stage 4-cylinder unit, you might hear it referred to as a multi-stage unit.
A double acting reciprocating air compressor is one that has a cylinder (s) that ingests free air and compresses that air as the cylinder piston moves in both directions, thereby delivering a higher volume of compressed air with each piston cycle than a single stage unit could.
Again, don't get hung up on the "buzz words" describing the Reciprocating, or the other types of air compressors you'll find listed in the Nav bar on my home page. You need to know how much air flow you will need for your short and your long term requirements, and at what pressure to ensure that you have enough compressed air capacity to operate your air driven equipment satisfactorily.
Knowing your air flow and compressed air pressure requirements will help you determine what the horsepower of the compressor you will need is because...
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Once you know the approximate horsepower, you can start finding the best value compressor that fills all of your needs.
Best value is subjective, of course. Do you mean in purchase price, a compressor with the lowest energy costs to operate, or the lowest longer term maintenance costs?
The intended use for your reciprocating compressor will help answer these questions. The person seeking a high-capacity air compressor to run a plant will have different priorities over the home, do-it-yourselfer, wanting a little air to blow dust from a woodworking project or using a compressed air driven brad nailer.
My research suggests that reciprocating compressors up to the 25 hp size are best priced in terms of purchase cost. Please see costs for more information about that.
Did you know that...
If you purchase a belt-driven reciprocating air compressor check the compressor’s v-belts for proper tightness. Loose drive belts slip which reduces your compressor's operating efficiency and wastes energy and your money!
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