Semi-OT - air compressors & noise reduction, Seeking the wisdom of the mighty list... Options

[campbellcj]

My wife's new business requires installing a mid-sized compressor, which in itself is no big deal and has been beaten to death in prior threads.

The catch is, this installation needs to be inside an office in a rather high-end medical building. We need to figure out a way to shield the compressor both visually and audibly from other clients inside the suite as well as other tenants and neighbors.

The visual part is no sweat as we can build a cabinet/closet. But, I assume it will need some airflow for intake as well as cooling purposes, so it can't be completely sealed up.

Will a small ventilated closet (similar to what some people's water heaters are installed in) lined with Dynamat or a similar material be adequate to damp most of the compressor noise? Or would the sound just escape thru the vents?

Also, are there certain "quiet" compressors that are designed for this type of application?

Lastly, I am thinking that if we get a large tank, we could somewhat lessen having to run the compressor frequently during business hours. With a large enough tank we could potentially run it on a timer at 8am before opening and refill at lunchtime if needed. Does this make sense?

Thanks a bunch for any tips. This is kind of a last-minute crisis.

[ArtechnikA]

...installing a mid-sized compressor...

...office in a rather high-end medical building.

Also, are there certain "quiet" compressors that are designed for this type of application?

what does mid-sized mean, cfm/psi wise ?

i did a quick Google search looking for silent compressors and found a few that were aimed at dental applications.

they're also used in the graphic arts field for powering airbrushes - do a Google search on "+silent +sirbrush +compressor" and you'll get several hits, including units sized for servicing many airbrush stations. i doubt they'll have pressures much over 60 psi, tho, although at decent airflow ratings.

personally, i just bought a PowerTank setup, which is a cylinder containing CO2 (15 lbs, in my case, i got the 'Large' one). i'll use this to power the airbrush during the winter, and air tools at the track during the summer. CO2 is pretty cheap so that may be an alternative...

silent compressors exist - they're pricey tho. if you need quiet, avoid anything claiming to be "oilless" as most of the new units are. i really, really didn't want an "oilless" compressor when i got one for the garage, replacing the 2HP Sears unit i left behind in NV, but it's literally all there was in the under 5HP 110V-powered units. makes a vibratory racket you can hear and feel clear through the house; i've thought of mounting it on a big inner tube ...