Air Compressor is commonly used equipment in both industrial sector and non-manufacturing sector. According to A Sourcebook for Industry, multiple industries require the use of air compressors. For example, Automotive, Food, Chemicals, Textiles as well as agriculture, or mining as well.
Therefore it is quite necessary to have the knowledge of maintaining the machine perfectly. And for different tasks, you might need to increase or decrease the CFM of the compressor for improved efficiency. In this article, you will know the step-by-step methods of How to Increase CFM of Air Compressor.
What is an Air Compressor CFM?
An air compressor is a machine that uses pressurized gas or air and delivers potential energy with the help of an electric motor or gasoline engine. Since the converted energy supply is related to air, so there must be a standard unit for it. CFM is the unit. Cubic Feet per Minute or CFM refer to the airflow of the compressor.
So that 7CFM means the compressor will deliver 7 Cubic Feet of air in one minute. As different air tools are used for different tasks, CFM ratings indicate what tools will be powered by the compressor. To function properly, every tool needs to meet the specific requirement of CFM and PSI also. While using the tools, you have to decide which requires the highest CFM and which requires the lowest.
Is a Higher CFM better?
As I mentioned earlier, the CFM value refers to the air volume it will supply. The higher rating of a compressor will indicate that the motor is more efficient and the air it will supply will be greater than the other. But as different air tools require different CFM, it will not work properly if the need is low but you keep working at higher CFM.
The higher CFM will not improve the quality of the work the tool is doing. Instead, you need to properly understand what the requirements of your air tools are which you will work with the air compressor. For example, operating trenchless piercing tools or air knives requires higher CFM because they need more air to work efficiently. On the other hand, die grinders, impact wrench, or tire inflations needs lower CFM
Moreover, how you are operating your tools is another aspect to determine the CFM. If you are working continuously while triggering the air tool, you will need more air power as a higher CFM. Likewise, if you are working on any DIY projects and having a break once in a while, you can operate the tool in low CFM. To get rid of the confusion you can follow this air tool consumption chart to know the CFM rating of your air tools.
How To Increase Cfm On Air Compressor
Before discussing the methods of How to increase CFM on Air Compressor, let’s know about another term that is related to CFM. The pressure of an air tank in a compressor is determined by PSI. If you apply one pound-force over one square inch area, the resulting pressure will call 1PSI or Pounds per Square.
Now let’s dive into two easiest methods to surge up CFM:
Solution #01: Reducing Pressure in Air Tank
If you take a look at the working procedure that an air compressor follows, you will find that it follows three simple steps.
Air intake>Building tank pressure>Supply of compressed air at certain CFM rating. Now, to understand the power of the compressor we can write:
Power = Pressure ✕ (Volume/Time). In this formula, Volume/Time indicates the CFM value. As we know already that every air compressor does have specific power in it. Therefore, if you lower the pressure, the output of airflow or the CFM goes up.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Dial the regulator of the compressor lower
Step 2: Less air will fill the air tank creating less pressure than before
Step 3: The higher flow of air or CFM output.
This method is easier and you can reach the maximum limit of the compressor. So, if the maximum limit is 5 CFM, with this method you can get 5CFM completely.
Solution #02: By combining one Compressor with another
The problem with the first solution is that it will not be able to give you any more CFM than the highest limit. Hence, in order to gain more power for heavyweight tasks, follow the steps given below:
Step 1: Using 2 hoses, connect two air compressors (7+3 CFM to get 10 CFM)
Step 2: Connect the separate hoses with another hose containing 3 holes
Step 3: Connect 2 holes with the input tank and the 3rd with the required air tool.
Finally, you can receive your required CFM supply for the tool you are working with. But one thing is to remember is that this method will work in the large industries where air compressors of different powers are available. If you are working on a small-scale project and do not have two compressors to reach your requirement, I think buying a new compressor will be wiser.
You can check out the highest Cfm Air Compressor Under $500 and find your preferred air compressor at an affordable price to reduce the hassle.
Frequently Asked Question
What is a good CFM for an air compressor?
Answer: It usually depends on the tools you are operating. But it ranges from 0 to 10 CFM for portable air compressors to heavier air tools related to suitable PSI.
Can I put 2 air compressors together?
Answer: If you are operating a high-demand air tool, you can put two of them together. By doing that you may get the required airflow you need. Follow the methods of How to increase CFM on Air Compressor for increased CFM
Will adding a tank increase CFM for the air compressor?
Answer: No, technically it will not do that. If you keep the air pressure lower in the tank, then you can increase the CFM. But if you are doing multiple tasks or working as a group of few people with the same compressor then adding a tank might help.
