How to choose a compressor for a car: what to look for when buying - Setafi

What should a fragile woman do when there is not a single driver on the road, and the wheel has suddenly deflated. Or when it's hard to inflate with a manual car tire pump? It's simple - it's worth buying and constantly carrying a compressor in the trunk. About why a car compressor is specifically needed, what types of it, characteristics and much more - in our today's article.

What is it - an automobile compressor, a pump

A machine compressor is a device that automatically inflates vehicle tires. Autocompressors speed up the process of pumping wheels, plus they allow you to control the working pressure (so as not to overdo it, or vice versa - do not pump up weakly).

Imagine a situation: you are driving along the highway, when suddenly there is cotton in the car. You decide to stop and check what the problem is. As it turned out, the tire either burst or deflated, so you can hear the clear clicking of the disk on the asphalt surface.

There is no spare wheel at hand, but it is necessary to check the integrity of the wheel. We take out our compressor, and in a couple of minutes we have the result: the tire is punctured and needs to be replaced, or everything is fine - just a little lowered from the pressure drop. With a hand pump, you would do this for half an hour, or even more.

Additionally, you can quickly inflate a beach mattress, balls, toys and more with a pump.

To pump up the tire itself, you do not need much action: turn on the device to car power, check the pressure on the pressure gauge and connect the pump itself. We pump air to the mark we need.

How to Choose a Car Tire Inflator When You Don't Know the Right One

Among the main types of automatic pumps, it is customary to distinguish three:

• piston - the most common, inexpensive and productive;
• membrane - not suitable in winter; only for cars;
• rotary - one of the most expensive; are not required for the average driver, since the piston has enough functionality.

Compressor power is measured in liters per minute. You need to know this, since each model is designed for a specific size of the vehicle. For example, for a passenger car - from 35 l / min; for jeeps and buses - from 40 l / min. The larger the size of the car itself and the tires, the more work the pump needs to do in a given time.

Next, we will talk about how to choose a compressor for a car according to its type and technical characteristics. Believe me, everything is not as complicated as it seems at first glance.

Which car pump to choose: a detailed analysis

Consider all the basic characteristics of pumps.

Performance

As we said earlier, the indicator measures the performance of the device (the measure is liters per minute). The model is suitable only for a certain type of wheels. Previously, we did not indicate about trucks: here the indicator is the higher the better. You can take about 60-70 liters per minute, this is quite enough for large tires.

For small cars with 14-inch tires, this compressor option will be a simple overpayment of funds. A regular pump is enough.

The maximum that the system can pump

The value is measured in the same way, just manufacturers can indicate different markings (Bar or ATM). But it's the same unit of measurement, don't worry.

The measure indicates the maximum pressure of compressed air that can enter the inflation point. In the technical passport of the pump, or on the tires, a safe value is indicated, which should not be exceeded.

In the import passports of compressors, the marking is different: they indicate the starting value as the base (zero), while in domestic it is already assumed that there is a tire resistance - 1.8 Bar. The latter value more accurately determines how much we need to pump up.

For a small car, about 3 ATM is enough. For freight transport, the compressor produces 8-10 ATM.

What tires can the compressor pump

First of all, you need to know the volume of air for the required tire diameter. So you will definitely buy what you need, and not overpay.

The compressor wins over a mechanical pump, as it can pump wheels from 12 inches (children's bikes) to 26 inches or more.

What's with the manometer

The device on the compressor allows you to see how much pressure it supplies to a closed system. Without a built-in pressure gauge, you, as if without hands, can’t see how much you pumped up and how much more is required.

What are the manometers?

1.  mechanical - have two scales for measuring pressure and a working arrow. Since the arrow may move during long-term operation, there is a small error for used devices;
2. digital - the display of parameters is displayed. Sometimes, even up to hundredths of a bar. For convenience, you can also change the value of the measure (Bar, ATM, etc.). That is, you can measure pressure in those values ​​​​that you have already figured out or are at least familiar with.

Some models of digital pressure gauges have an automatic stop system. You can specify how much air to pump into the tire. And the pressure gauge will automatically turn off the pump when this parameter is reached. Thus, the system is automated and works even without your participation.

What affects the connection and length of the wire

This parameter determines how far the compressor can be pulled from the machine. With a long cable, you can reach any wheel. The optimal parameter is about 3 meters.

Regarding the type of connection, the pumps are connected in the following ways:

• through the cigarette lighter - for small devices with a voltage of less than 15 amperes.
• through the battery itself - withstands any voltage indicator.

Some compressors can be charged from the mains. And then freely pump up a couple of wheels without a direct connection to the power supply.

What characteristics did we miss when choosing a compressor? Tell us in the comments, we will gladly supplement our material with the real experience of users and experts!