Portable autocompressors are quite in demand, especially since today they differ significantly from foot-type mechanical pumps designed for tire inflation. In stores, such equipment is presented in the widest range, how to choose a car compressor for tire inflation will be described below.
When is an autocompressor used?
In the life of any car owner, situations where the presence of a car compressor for tire inflation in the arsenal becomes a vital necessity happen quite often. With it, you can pump up not only a flat tire, but also the same inflatable boat or dokatka. It is easier to do this not manually, but with the help of an effective device, which you can choose, armed with the knowledge and information that the auto pump rating contains. The scope of such compressors is actually much wider and involves painting, operating pneumatic tools, etc. However, if we talk about ordinary motorists, then, of course, we are talking more about household autocompressors, the price and quality of which are optimal - they are used specifically for pumping deflated wheels.
Not everyone understands how rational such an acquisition would be, given that most cars are initially equipped with a foot pump. In fact, practice shows that it still makes sense to overpay, and the point here is not even the comfort of use, the main advantage of a compressor for car tires is performance - it is it that acts as the main factor.
You begin to realize the importance of this moment when you repair wheels yourself using a repair kit, and also, if it becomes necessary to use tubeless tires. Naturally, in this case, one cannot fail to note the efficiency of the inflation process, which is also of no small importance, and therefore one should resort to comparing autocompressors.
What are auto compressors
A conventional tire inflation compressor is the most common type, such a device is compact in size and can even be powered by a cigarette lighter. The main advantage of this type of equipment is ease of transportation with a rather impressive power. Its disadvantage is the inability to use in combination with a spray gun and a pneumatic tool. For this purpose, special industrial compressors are more suitable, powered by a 220 V household network, which can be operated in a car service or an ordinary garage. It differs from a conventional autocompressor in its impressive dimensions and increased noise level during operation.
Tire inflation compressor design
At the moment, in specialized stores you can find two types of compressors used specifically for tire inflation - these are piston and membrane models. In both cases, there are pros and cons, and therefore everyone chooses the best car compressor for himself.
Piston
The design of such devices is similar to that used in internal combustion engines, the only difference is that the piston acts as an element for compressing air with the required pressure, while it is driven by an electric motor. The quality of fitting of all parts in such equipment matters, as well as the design of the connecting rod, for the manufacture of which alloy steel of excellent quality is used. When purchasing a piston compressor, you should pay attention to those models that are presented by well-known manufacturers, cheap Chinese ones are recommended to be avoided, reviews about car compressors are also important, you should definitely pay attention to them.
You should immediately prepare yourself for the fact that a high-quality piston compressor for tires is not cheap, but it stands out for its excellent performance and impressive power, and therefore you can inflate the wheels with it with a pressure of up to 8 atmospheres.
Membrane
Such autocompressors, designed for tire inflation, differ from piston analogues in their simplest design. In order to create pressure and pump air, they use a special membrane made of high-strength material. It carries out reciprocating movements, for which an electric drive is used. Such compressors are distinguished by increased reliability, since their design is simple, however, the presence of a membrane does not allow creating and maintaining high pressure for a long time. Membrane pumps inflate wheels with a pressure of up to 3 atmospheres - this, of course, is a lower parameter than in the case of piston models, however, this is quite enough for car owners, TOP auto compressors of this type can also be found on the Web.
Which car compressor should you choose
When choosing the right equipment for a car, it is necessary to determine the requirements that apply to it:
- maximum power and performance - focusing on these criteria, it is necessary to soberly assess how many atmospheres the wheels will actually be inflated;
- dimensions - it is important to understand that the size of the device depends on its power;
- design - you should initially decide whether the car owner will have enough of the opportunities that membrane models offer.
When thinking about which compressor to choose for a car, it is worth, first of all, to really evaluate the power characteristics. Too expensive models are unlikely to be useful if the equipment is planned to be used exclusively for inflating passenger car tires.
Again, you should be wary of the statements of individual manufacturers that offer high-power compressors at reduced prices - very often Chinese manufacturers are positioned this way, whose products are not of high quality. There are many parameters of the compressor equipment itself, but the main ones that you should pay special attention to are:
- pressure - this criterion, taking into account physical limitations, cannot exceed 8 atmospheres - this fact must be taken into account without fail;
- performance - a characteristic that is measured in liters per minute, the larger the diameter of the car tires, the more efficient the compressor should be;
- type of power supply - such equipment is powered both from the cigarette lighter and from the battery, for which additional clips are used - "crocodile clips". It is believed that battery compressors have more impressive power, but are not so convenient in operation.