Your cell phone camera can be as valuable of a tool as anything else in your truck! Recently we were contacted by a customer on the phone with a technical support issue on one of our oil less fire protection air compressors where, collectively, we were having trouble identifying the source of the problem. What… Read more …
We are asked with increasing regularity why a contractor can’t just use any old air compressor for a dry pipe sprinkler system. This is an issue we have covered thoroughly in our article “Do Not Use Retail Air Compressors for Fire Protection Applications” but there is a piece that we are often asked about that… Read more …
Internal, External and Why it is ALWAYS Recommended Before we begin on the titled subject understand that this article will focus on why we at General Air Products recommend a motor starter for overload protection with every unit. If you would like to know more about what a motor starter is please view our motor… 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 …
The pressure switch is your compressor’s control center. It regulates the compressor’s cycles and helps prevent overpressurization. Of course, correctly wiring a pressure switch air compressor is a crucial process. It ensures that your compressor and other components work safely and efficiently. Common Air Compressor Pressure Switch Wiring Mistakes To help you better understand the wiring process,… Read more …
Jump To: Standard Pressure Compressors Low Pressure Compressors High Pressure Compressors Standard Pressure Air Compressors General Air Products’ air compressors have two standard or factory pressure settings, depending on the type of compressor you select for your dry pipe system: 1.) Oil Less Air Compressors: After the initial system pressurization or fill, our OL &… 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 …