The answer to this question when it comes to powering a compressed air tool is that it really depends on what it is you want to operate.  If you have some tiny die grinder or very small air nozzle, the answer might be yes, it would work to an acceptable level.

Being a company that supplies compressed air operated tools for a wide variety of applications means we have product that spans a large range of air consumption requirements. And, to the novice user, it may seem like they can simply plug anything into any size compressed air hose and it should work, right?   Well, this is not so.

In many conversations I have with customers, I compare compressed air and its flow to electricity with the following concepts:
1. Pressure = Voltage
2. Flow (SCFM) = Amperage
3. Compressed air line size = Wire gauge
4. Restrictions to flow = Resistor
5. Receiver tank = Capacitor

The reason I attempt to draw the above parallels is that it seems more folks are familiar with electricity. So, we try to go from the known to the unknown.

By increasing the wire gauge (pipe size), eliminting the resistors in the system (restrictions) and including a capacitor in the circuit (receiver tank), you can make the overall function of the compressed air system and the end use items all work much more efficiently and effectively for your application needs.

If you find yourself stuck in an application where maybe you have less than desirable performance, give us a call or send us an e-mail. We will be glad to help walk you through the trouble-shooting procedure. Who knows, the solution to your problem might be as simple as removing that 1/4″ quick connect fitting from your compressed air line or changing an undersized hose.

Besides having a fairly wide ranging catalog of compressed air products, we do have lots of experience we can draw upon to help you understand the right mindset and direction to take when things may not go so well right off the bat.

Neal Raker
Application Engineer
nealraker@exair.com