A solution to a noisy “oil-less” Craftsman air compressor.

I learned that with air compressors, hearing it run before you buy it is important.  The new breed of “oil-less” units are much louder than what I was used to.

Since we have a ranch house with a basement, I had already plumbed power and air lines down to a corner for an older smaller compressor.  All that’s in the garage is a switch and an air outlet.  It wasnt that loud when it ran.

This new Craftsman unit, however, was so loud it scared the kids right out of the basement.  You literally could not have a conversation down there when it was running.  Something had to be done.

So I put my considerably bad cabinetmaking skills to the task, and made a large insulated box for the compressor to sit in:

I plumbed some dryer vent hose to the outside of the house so it could draw air OK.

We still get a low-frequency “hum” when it runs, but it’s nowhere near as objectionable - about as loud as the wash machine or sprinkler pump.