Compressor Room Sizing

you need to be able to service the unit, remove major parts like motors and compressors and pressure tanks. You must also plan for expansion in the future of the comlpany does well.

In general you can have a look at compressor rooms at other places and see, and ask the maintenance people there what problems did they have with their existing rooms.

From this you can create a design

To Basic101--

Simple answer, minimum of three feet between any serviceable component or electrical control and the nearest wall or surface. You need enough space to get in there and service the compressors.

Better answer: Many manufacturers will tell you how much clearance is needed for service work. Make sure that the access route is large enough to physically move a bad compressor or component out and another one in. You are not only moving the compressor or its components, but also the equipment or tools to lift and transport the same. Remember that they will probably be quite warm or hot while running, so a service person is not going to be very happy if getting to the equipment means getting burned from being too close to the equipment.

Regards--John M.

You should allow a minimum of 4' clearence between compressors-compressors-walls so you can service them. You have to have doors large enough to get the biggest unit in. But the toughest thing is are they air cooled? If so your biggest callenge is providing enough ventilation. If they are water cooled you will still need to provide ventilation for radiant heat and if your dryers are air cooled. Then you need to run your piping for ease of access with couplers placed if you need to isolate any unit be it compressor, dryer or filter group for repair or replacement. I would find space to keep any filters and oil withing the room as well as tools. Makes it easier to service them. I'm fighting a add-on system right now. My largest problem is ventilation designed for two 30hp units trying to keep up with two 75hp units. I would highly reccommend talking with your compressed air salesman and a HVAC person. They can help alot with foot print needs and ventilation needs. They also help when it comes time to pitch your idea to upper management.

I've also had a similar problem in a compressor room where the temperatures would get so high that the thermal protection would trip, bringing the compressors to a halt until the compressors cooled down. I spent months fighting with management to spend the dollars to fix the problem properly (they figure a 20 minutes break during the day was ok) and it took a complete failure of the most critical compressor to make them move. "...hate to say I told you so but...".

There should have been a dampered draw from the inside of the compressor room if it was compressing ambient air to alleviate this problem, or some air exchange

They ended up piping ducts from the cooling radiators to the outside. The temperature in the room dropped by 20 degC, something we had told my "heard-headed" manager from the very beginning.

Everything that has been said points you in the right direction. Plenty of room for access and maintenance - and cooling

In terms of compressor efficiency, it is important for the compressor to suck in cold air - even if this means ducting it from an ouside source.

Remember - a cool copressor is a good compressor.

Yes it does point me in a good direction ... Thanks everyone!

On the matter of the cold air, i've readed somewhere that the air at the intake should be cool but only to a certain point. If I remember well, 3 degree Celcius is a minimum.

I'm in New-Brunswick, Canada and today outside its around -20 degree without the wind so the outside air would be too cold.

Does it make sense?