new husky (campbell hausfeld) compressor; runs hot?

[Mike]

Hello, I purchased a new husky 60 gallon, 7hp air compressor, which runs on 220V. Today I let it run to 90psi and the top of the tank was HOT.

Does anyone else experience this symptom? Is it normal? I'd appreciate any feedback.

Thanks.

[Joseph Meehan]

Normal. Compress a gas causes it to heat up. Expanding it causes it to cool off, that's how air conditioners work.

Take a look at the cylinders on the compressor. They have cooling fins. That's because they are getting hot compressing the air and need to be cooled off or they will be damaged.

My diesel car starts without a spark. It does it by compressing the air in the cylinder enough to cause it to explode.

Don't worry.

[bighead]

Hi, yes thats normal. Air, or just about any other gas or liquid, get hot when compressed. If your compressor has tubing going from the compressor to the tank, be careful this can burn the heck out of you.

Roger

[Mike]

As you can tell my my email, I have a diesel truck also. I understand how they function as well as gas heating up under pressure. My old compressor was a little older, hence slower, and didn't heat up as much. Being the head is cast iron, it will "hold" heat more than aluminum. The fact that they use copper pipe from the head to tank concerns me. My old compressor was a steel pipe, but things today are cheaply made; what can you expect, right?

Thanks for the advice.

Mike

[jim]

when air is compressed it gets hot.. even with a small hand pump... the kind you use to pump up a basketball, you can feel the heat in the pump body.... or it might be the friction of the plunger in the pump???? either way its gonna get hot, just how hot?????? probably normal heat.. when you unpacked it you did add Oil??? if not then check it out before you burn it up without oil, unless its an oiless compressor......

[boonchalot]

Yes it's normal to heat up, as the pistons are in motion they heat up as they are compressing air it generates a lot of heat! Notice the decals on the compressor stateing not to touch hot surface.