What Causes My Compressor To Vibrate?

Let's find the causes of vibration in your compressor.

Regardless of the type of compressor you have, vibration issues can be troubling for any business. The root of the vibration can stem from multiple sources, some internally and others externally. Understanding the cause of the vibration and how to resolve them will be critical in keeping your compressor in proper working order.

1. Check Your Mounting

Mounting bolts and brackets are one of the most common reasons for vibration of your machine. If the mounting is not stabilized correctly, the compressor will lack the steadiness necessary to operate free of rattles and shakes.

A few things to check for:

• Your mounting may be too loose. Even just one bolt or bracket is loose, the machines’ support could be weakened.

• Check the surface the compressor is on. Uneven, shaky surfaces do not offer the support needed.

• Simple wear & tear of your mounting components. If you see rust or if the brackets or belts are worn, it is time to replace them. Their strength and grip have diminished over time and aren’t providing the support needed.

2. Watch your Belts

Did you know your air compressor belt is one of the most critical components of the unit? The belt is used to regulate the speed and tension of the corresponding components into the compressors motor.

Most common belt issues are:

• Your belts need to be just right. Over-tightness leads to over-stiffness in the motor functions. With a loose belt, parts may move too fast or errantly, causing the compressor to vibrate.

• Simple wear & tear of your compressor belt. Cracked, dull, or hardened belts should be replaced immediately. A cracked belt could easily snap at any time, causing numerous other headaches.

3. Check The Legs

Good news, the most obvious of the problems is the legs on your air compressor. Your air compressor requires those four legs to stabilize the machine properly (this only applies to piston compressors).

• Watch for bent, rusted, damaged or unsupported legs on your compressor. Make sure your air compressors' legs are firm and set on an even ground.

4. Flywheel & Pulley System

The flywheel and pulley alignment rely on each other to function. If one is damaged or misaligned, neither will perform properly. This means the air compressor might vibrate due to the pulley/flywheel problems.

Check your pulley for the following:

• Just like your belts, pulleys need to be just right. Over-tightness restricts the flywheel from moving at the correct speed. Too loose, doesn’t correctly regulate the motions of the flywheel. Tip, use a light laser to check that everything is properly aligned.

5. Compressor Bearings

If your compressor begins making bearing noise and vibrating, this is a notable side effect of a problem with your bearings.

• Make sure your bearings are lubricated. If not properly lubricated, rust will form on the various metal from the friction. Also, do not over lubricate!

We are here to help!

Good news, a vibrating compressor can often be fixed.


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Who we are and how Ash Air can help your business!

Ash Air has been around in New Zealand since 1979, and we’ve grown into a nationwide company with international support and a reputation for quality and reliability.We look after all things compressed air for your business!

  • Reciprocating, Screw, air compressors
  • Vacuum pumps
  • Nitrogen
  • An extensive line of air treatment components

Ash Air's range of Chicago Pneumatic, Alup, Pneumatech, and Quincy compressors are used extensively around the world in industries ranging from oil and gas to food, automotive and farming, and we bring you these world class compressors here in the land of the long white cloud.Our technicians are compressed air equipment experts and are dedicated to addressing customer needs. Supported by a 13 locations nationwide, Ash Air offers one of the widest selections of compressed air equipment and parts available today in New Zealand.

Reliability and Efficiency

With Ash Air compressors, you can count on reliability and high performance for even the most demanding applications. We focus our efforts on the following:

  • Increasing uptime
  • Reducing unexpected repairs
  • Reducing energy consumption
  • Improving the cleanliness of compressed air


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