Thoughts on mounting a compressor to a concrete floor

[John Cooper2]

Hi Guys

Getting ready to install a new to me compressor, it's 80 gallon upright so it's pretty heavy and don't expect that it would walk across the room.

I have thought about bolting it to the cement and the other option would be bolt it to some PT 2 x 6 or 4 x 6 and just let it sit on that.

It doesn't vibrate very much, but I think I want to get the metal legs off of the cement floor to prevent them from rusting.

Open to all thoughts / suggestions.

[Michael W. Clark]

I've got an upright, not quite that large, on a 2x4 (not PT) base. Nothing wrong with using PT unless the chemicals in it pose a corrosion issue with the mild steel compressor legs. I used regular 2x4s because it was what I had. It was actually an old dolly and I took the casters off the bottom and filled in 2x4s on the top so it has a solid top with two runners that sit on the floor.

Mike

[David G Baker]

I suggest using shock adsorbing mounts rather that a rigid type of mounting like 2x4 or 2x6 wood mounting. There is quite a bit of energy when a large compressor cycles. Not sure where to find them, I got mine from a surplus store. Another option is to place chunks of rubber tires under the mounting between the base and the concrete.

[Eric Porter]

Hockey pucks bolted to the legs work great, and they are cheap.

[Luther Oswalt]

John, here is what you need under each foot of the compressor:http://www.tptools.com/p/712,41_Rubb...ng-Blocks.html By the way this is a good site for anything you need for your Air Compressor etc.
Leo

[David Hostetler]

While that is more than double the size of my compressor, I can't say that is a "large" compressor comparatively as I have worked in shops with 240 gallon compressors in the past... Now those are big...

Bolting it down to the floor is actually not a great idea. If your motor is like most, it jolts a bit when it starts up, after time that can tear any anchor out of concrete, or even crack concrete. And this doesn't even address how the stresses can impact the live and safety of the compressor itself.

In the one circumstance where I had to help stand up an 80 gallon compressor in a shop, in order to get certified by the insurance company we had to meet the following requirements.

#1. Energy absorbing feet on the compressor. We used rubber automotive bushings with carriage bolts. I don't recall the sizes. A good alternative would be wood blocks with a thick rubber base (cut up piece of tire) epoxied to it, and carriage bolted to the compressor.
#2. Some sort of anti tip strap firmly attached to the building that can not slip off of the compressor. We ran a couple of eye bolts through bolt holes in the steel studs of the shop building, and a cargo / ratchet strap through the mount area under the motor / pump but above the tank. Hard to explain what that area is called, hope you understand...
#3. Energy absorbing barrier between the compressor and the occupied shop space. 3/4" ply encasement was sufficient.

I am sure this is overkill for a hobby wood shop, we did this stuff for commercial insurance purposes. But it will give you an idea...

[John Cooper2]

Like the hockey puck idea, will see if I can find some in california.

Think I might have some horse stall mat laying around. that stuff is about 1" thick rubber, attach it to some wooden feet and I think I will be in business.

Thanks for the ideas

[Ole Anderson]

Like the hockey puck idea, will see if I can find some in california.

Think I might have some horse stall mat laying around. that stuff is about 1" thick rubber, attach it to some wooden feet and I think I will be in business.

Thanks for the ideas

Hockey pucks make good spacers, but too stiff to absorb much vibration. I mounted my 20 gallon horizontal compressor to a support bolted to the wall, with vibration isolators from Grainger. Horse stall mat might work better than a hockey puck.

[Jim Neeley]

I have an Ingersoll-Rand 5hp 60gal compressor and they sell a kit specifically for this, including the rubber vibration isolators and the concrete anchor bolts. They'll also offer them for their 80 gallon units (probably the same).

I'm sure you can find cheaper alternatives but in my case, living in an earthquake zone, I want not only the recommended anchors but also rubber pads with the stiffness they recommend.

Just my $0.02..

[Michael W. Clark]

It didn't sound like you had a vibration problem in your original post. If you are trying to combat vibration, get what the manufacturer recommends, otherwise you may make the situation worse. I didn't have a vibration problem, so the wood platform works well for me, still no vibration problem. The platform also gives me more stability. Fastening the compresser to the wall is not a bad idea if its not anchored to the floor, they are quite top heavy.

Ditto what David said, this is not a "large" compressor. At one place I used to work, we had (2) 350HP Sullairs, (2) 4000 CFM Joy centrifugals, and (3) Hardy Tynes open frame recips (circa 1910) in the central powerhouse. We had probably a dozen more compressors scattered out through the facility as well. The foundations for the recips and the Joys were quite significant.

[Scott T Smith]

John, I've owned an 80 gallon 27 cfm compressor since 1997, which is probably similar to what you're working with. It has been installed now in 4 different shops. In three of the shops it was mounted to 4 x 4 wood blocks, in it's current location it is mounted directly to the slab with a rubber insulator (similar to the horse stall mat) between the compressor and the slab / blocks.

In all installations I used lead anchors in the slab, and ran lag bolts down into them to the point where they were starting to get snug, but no more. My objective in anchoring the compressor was safety; they can and will dance around a bit when they're running, and I did not want to have it moving around. Also, if for any reason I slipped and ran into it, I did not want the unit falling over on me (it's very top heavy).

If you plumb an automatic tank drain to it, you'll be glad that you did.

[ray hampton]

will a set of motor mounts from a wreck car or truck work for your air compressor

[Alan Schaffter]

Like Scott, I have an 80 gal., 7.5 hp (7.5 hp, yeh, right!) compressor. Its been mounted to two pressure treated 4X4s for over 10 years- not one problem, doesn't walk. 4X4's give you plenty of room underneath so you can add an elbow to the bottom of the tank and relocate the drain valve to where you can reach and operate it or attach an auto drain valve to it.