What comes to your mind when someone mentions an air compressor? You always see them whenever you stop by at the gas station.
However, the uses of air compressors aren’t limited to garages and gas stations. They are used to perform different tasks, ranging from simple ones like driving nails into timber using a pneumatic nail gun to heavy-duty jobs like the demolition of buildings using an excavator.
Your home too is not left behind. Research by Statista found that about 65% of homeowners make their home improvements by themselves. As such, you no longer need to pay others to inflate your deflated tires, paint your walls, or fix your broken furniture.
You can perform all these by yourself if you own a portable home air compressor. Keep reading to learn more about this device and why you should have it in your home.
What Is an Air Compressor?
An air compressor compresses and stores air in a tank for use whenever needed. Once you use all the air inside the tank, the system pumps and store more compressed air into the tank again.
Air compressors come in different types. These are centrifugal, rotary screw, piston/reciprocating, and rotary sliding vane compressors. The stored energy is utilized by tools and machines that rely on kinetic energy, e.g., tire inflators and jackhammers.
An average air compressor uses electric power, but there are those that require diesel or petrol to operate. The air compressors are easy to maintain, and the frequency of maintenance depends on how often you use it.
The smaller air compressors at home are suitable for simple jobs. However, for larger construction projects, you will need a medium or a heavy duty air compressor.
Why You Should Have a Home Air Compressor
Below are ten ways you can use an air compressor for DIY tasks at home:
1. Spray Painting Your Walls and Furniture
Painting your room or any part of your home can be a complicated process if you are only using brushes or paint rollers. Brushes and paint rollers won’t cover much space and may leave marks on your walls.
A paint sprayer and an air compressor can cover more area at one time, making sure you get an even coat of paint on the surface of your wall or furniture pieces. But you have to pick the right paint and paint sprayer to do the job effectively.
There is no need to hire and pay a painter lots of money to revamp your home with a new paint job. Invest in an air compressor and spray gun, and you’ll save a lot of money on the project.
2. Woodworking and Carpentry Projects
Whether you are framing, roofing, or tackling any woodworking or carpentry projects at home, a pneumatic nail gun can move things along safely, quickly and more efficiently.
The pneumatic nail gun uses an air compressor and is capable of shooting nails into a wide range of materials, from thin wood panels to solid concrete blocks.
The advantages of this tool over a hammer include the following:
- It drives the nails faster than when you’re using a hammer
- Your fingers are safe from injury since you don’t need to hold nails in place with your hand as is the case when driving nails manually
- There’s no need to carry around nails since they are already inside the gun
- It has more power and can drive nails quickly into hard materials like concrete
- It is very accurate as the nail goes precisely where the tip of the nail is.
When using the pneumatic nail gun, take all the precaution to avoid injuries.
3. Inflating Vehicle Tires
You won’t have to go to the gas station to inflate your tires when you own an air compressor in your home. Even if you get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, you can easily use your portable home air compressor and a few other tools to inflate your tires.
If you don’t already own this device, check out the broad range of compressors for sale. When buying, go for one that’s made from highly durable material and is work compliant. Also, decide whether you need a diesel, petrol or electric powered air compressor based on the most readily available energy source.
4. Cleaning Electronics and Equipment
You can use an air compressor to efficiently clean different things such as furnace filters or even your entire home garage. When used under low pressure, the air compressor is excellent at cleaning the inside of electronics like a desktop computer, and TV and radio speakers
The device gets rid of the dust in the electronics’ internal system without damaging the system. All you need is to use a low-pressure setting.
An air compressor also helps you save on auto repair as it can assist you to efficiently change and clean different parts of your vehicle such as the bolts, sockets, and fuel filters. The device releases a powerful blast of air that removes dirt and dust build-up which are difficult to eliminate using the standard cleaning methods.
5. Stapling and Upholstering
You can use a pneumatic staple gun in construction to secure insulation, install roofing materials, hold wiring in place, and install carpeting.
Crafters can use the staple gun to upholster farm vehicles, design items of decor, and fasten picture frames and boards.
It is also a perfect tool for fencing your home. Since adding heavy duty staples to hold the fencing in place can be tiring and time-consuming, the pneumatic staple gun can do the stapling more quickly and efficiently.
6. Orchard Pest Control
If you have fruit trees which attract lots of pests, insects, and diseases, you need an air compressor to help you spray pesticides or treatment on parts of trees that are difficult to reach.
You only need to attach a spraying unit to the air compressor, and you can get the treatment to the hard-to-reach parts of your trees. This method is faster and more efficient than the use of manual sprayers.
7. Aerating a Fish Pond
Do you have a fish pond at home? Or are you thinking about converting your old pool into a fish farm? If so, you need an air compressor to run filtration systems or oxygenators to aerate the fish tank or pond.
The aeration process provides the required oxygen in the water for fish survival. The blowers offer precise and consistent air temperature your fish needs to be healthy and free from allergies.
The air compressor provides air via an inlet, with a diffuser at the bottom of the pond activating fine bubbles. Thus, it controls the air temperature in the pond.
In fish farms, the pneumatic conveying system automates fish feeding, allowing you to deliver fish food in an effortless, consistent, and low maintenance manner.
8. Treating a Domestic Septic Tank
If you are living in an area with no city-provided sewerage system, an aerobic septic system powered by an air compressor is a must. The tank’s aerator provides a constant supply of oxygen whereas the paddle at the bottom of the tank violently disturbs the effluent.
The disturbance distributes oxygen throughout the tank thereby providing optimum conditions for the microbes to digest the wastes.
According to EPA, the aerobic waste treatment system treats waste more efficiently than traditional methods. The discharge from the aerobic system can be treated and used to flush toilets or for domestic irrigation.
9. Getting Rid of Paint and Rust
Sandblasters can be connected to heavy duty compressors such as the wheelbarrow compressor. They are used to get rid of rust and paint that has been present on a surface for a while. If you have old or chipped paint on your wall and are unable to remove it, then it’s time to get hold of a sandblaster.
Similarly, sanders can be used to refine a classic car or to cover a recent mishap on the vehicle’s body. They can strip old paint and finishes from metal and smooth out the rough areas.
Also, you can use sanders to refinish your cabinet doors and give them a new, even look. This is more cost-effective than investing in new cabinetry.
10. Generating Extra Income
You don’t have to limit your portable air compressor for home use only. You can utilize it to earn some money. Rather than keep these tools idle at home when they’re not in use, you can use them to make money.
You can offer to inflate your neighbor’s car tires, paint their walls, staple their fences, and repair their furniture at a fee. Alternatively, rent the tools to your neighbors at a small price.
Ready to Invest in a Home Air Compressor?
A home air compressor makes life easier and more affordable by allowing you to undertake DIY tasks with ease. However, the device can cause injuries if you don’t handle it with care.
For example, a pneumatic nail gun can fire a nail into concrete or a piece of rock. Imagine what it would do if you misfire near people or animals. You must take precautions when handling and storing the tools.
Before you go, check out our home improvement posts for more tips on how to undertake DIY tasks in your home.
