A question that we are frequently asked is “How long would you expect a fire sprinkler air compressor to last?” The correct answer is – it varies… a lot. There are so many variables at play that will affect the overall service life of a fire protection air compressor in a dry pipe sprinkler system… Read more …
– No, we aren’t kidding you might need a 2 gauge wire. It is not uncommon for our customer service associates to get a phone call or email when an installer or designer reads the recommended wire size listed for our air compressors in the installation manual. The question usually sounds like this: “I’m installing… Read more …
Why do I need a Motor Starter on my Dry Pipe System Air Compressor? In short, to prevent this from happening: What you see here is a burnt motor on one of our LT Series lubricated tank mounted units. In this instance the air compressor was run with no oil, causing the pump to seize.
Why the heck is my compressor turning on and off, and on and off, and on and off?! Sometimes an air compressor will turn on and off rapidly in an unending fashion, this is an occurrence known as short cycling. The good news is that it does not mean that your air compressor is broken… Read more …
After reading our post “DO NOT USE A RETAIL AIR COMPRESSOR FOR A FIRE PROTECTION APPLICATION” David Walencewicz of P&J Sprinkler Company in Connecticut felt the need to share some pictures of a horrifying air compressor installation that he recently came across. We at General Air Products all died a little inside having looked at… Read more …
DO NOT USE A RETAIL AIR COMPRESSOR FOR A FIRE PROTECTION APPLICATION. The air compressors that we manufacture at General Air Products are specifically designed to meet the code set out by NFPA and therefore the demands of a fire protection application. The air compressors that many contractors buy “off-the-shelf” at a home supply store… Read more …
On October 6, 2011 we received an email from Teresa M. King, S.E.T. from Front range Fire Protection in Colorado, Terry asks: “Can you tell me why you recommend a tank mounted air compressor when there is an accelerator used in a dry pipe sprinkler system?” In short, yes we can. I’ll refer to Ray… Read more …
On September 28th, 2011 we were asked this question by Chris Redmond, PE at Redmond Engineering & Design in Michigan: “I have specified and used General Air for years and have recently come up with a dilemma. An AHJ states that the air compressor must meet NFPA 13 requirements (2007 Section 7.2.6.2) that the air… Read more …
We received an email from Tim Toth of Able Engineering in Oregon regarding the amount of oil that should be added to one of our LT Series, tank mounted lubricated compressors. Tim asks: “I am trying to locate the oil capacity information for the LT620100B compressor, can you supply that information?” Before we get into… Read more …
On May 17, 2011 we received an email from Bruce Hall of Advanced Fire Protection in North Dakota. Bruce was looking for clarification on the requirement of an air maintenance device. Bruce asks: “Do your riser mount air compressors need to be installed with an air maintenance device to meet NFPA codes?” Ray DeCecco, our… Read more …