As the title suggests, has anyone had any experience with this in place of a traditional 12v on board air set up? My thought is a small compressor on 120v is cheap and then you can have an inverter and compressor for the price of the compressor. You could then also take it with you to a 120v plug anywhere if its not bolted down too tight.
120v Air Compressor on Inverter
- Thread starter Joronimo
- Start date
dman93
Adventurer
Even a 110V motor draws a fair amount of current on startup. An inverter sized for that isn't so cheap. And even the 12V side current draw would probably require hard wiring or jumper cable ... not just a cigarette lighter socket far from the battery. That's off the top of my head, though to be honest I haven't checked specs.
comptiger5000
Adventurer
I use this setup. I've got a 1500 watt inverter hard-mounted in the Jeep which happily runs one of the 3.5 gallon Porter Cable pancake compressors. More output than any 12v compressor I know of (2 SCFM at 90 psi). They make a slightly bigger version with similar power draw too. Given very light use or a bit more tank capacity, it's enough to run an impact gun in addition to airing up tires. The compressor doesn't seem to run any differently on the modified sine wave power from my inverter than it does plugged into any other source of 120v.
I don't have mine hard mounted in the Jeep, I just bring it with me when I'm traveling somewhere I think I might want / need a source of air. For a good portion of the Jeep's use (DD-ing, trips on paved roads), the compressor stays home.
I don't have mine hard mounted in the Jeep, I just bring it with me when I'm traveling somewhere I think I might want / need a source of air. For a good portion of the Jeep's use (DD-ing, trips on paved roads), the compressor stays home.
bluejeep
just a guy
yep, done it this way for years. I currently have a 1200 watt inverter, and the compressor I got from Harbor Freight. 1/2 hp. Pumps up my 35 x 12.5 tires just fine. Best thing I like about it (in addition to having electricity for grinders and etc) the compressor spins at a much slower speed than the 12v units. Should last a lifetime.
I did not hard mount the compressor, and I carry a 12 ft extention cord so there is no issue reaching the trailer tires. Much easier to stow than a long air hose to a hard mounted compressor.
I did not hard mount the compressor, and I carry a 12 ft extention cord so there is no issue reaching the trailer tires. Much easier to stow than a long air hose to a hard mounted compressor.
echo7tango
Road tripping, overlanding
Sounds good. How long to air up one tire, and thatks from what PSI to what PSI? Thanks in advance, bluejeep.
Hummelator
Adventurer
Man I love this forum!
I would have never thought about using a 120v compressor but running the numbers for power it's totally possible.
I've been wanting a compressor for a while but did t want to dish out for An ARB compressor.
Senco makes a small compressor (pc1010) that fits the bill perfectly.
Gonna be watching for boxing days deals now...
I would have never thought about using a 120v compressor but running the numbers for power it's totally possible.
I've been wanting a compressor for a while but did t want to dish out for An ARB compressor.
Senco makes a small compressor (pc1010) that fits the bill perfectly.
Gonna be watching for boxing days deals now...
Any idea how many amps your inverter pulls to run the compressor? Where did you mount the inverter, under the hood or in the cabin?
bluejeep
just a guy
Previously I owned a TJ, and mounted it in the driver's side footwell, against the left hand wall. In my LJ now I mounted it on the floor along side the passenger seat - see pic. Not sure what amperage it pulls. Of course it has a 'surge' right at start up where it momentarily pulls higher amps. In fact I set the hand throttle at just above idle (~1000 rpm) or sometimes that surge will kick the inverter's safety breaker. When I have the motor kicked up by just a notch no problem. 
I see it's 3/4 hp, I think I said 1/2 hp earlier - my bad
I see it's 3/4 hp, I think I said 1/2 hp earlier - my bad
Stumpalump
Expedition Leader
I did it as well. The surge amps are way more than the running amps and the surge is longer than most inverters can handle. My fix was to install huge start caps. I also put one on the 12V feed so the inverter would get plenty of juice. You also need a free flowing chuck because unless it has zero pressure on it it won't start. Outback extream sells the best chuck.
comptiger5000
Adventurer
I haven't measured, but it's never popped the 150A fuse feeding the inverter or tripped the inverter overload. I have run the compressor without the engine running without issue, just not for long periods of time (just enough to charge the tank up and 1 or 2 cycles past that as I'm using air).
Inverter is mounted under the passenger side rear seat (where the factory jack originally sat, I've moved that) and wired to an on/off switch on the back of the center console as well as a pair of outlets on the back of the console and another pair in the cargo area.
One model worth checking out is the 225 psi, 4 gal, from Husky - it has a "soft start" that minimizes start-up current, allowing it to run on over 100' of extension cord.
In our application, that means as long as the inverter can keep up with the operating amps, then it could also take the starting amps:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-4-Gal-225-PSI-High-Performance-Crew-Electric-Portable-Air-Compressor-C041H/206492568
Pricey, but very high performance (5.1 cfm @ 90psi), and high storage capacity (4 gal @ 225 psi). Will have to divorce the tank and pump for most rigs.
In our application, that means as long as the inverter can keep up with the operating amps, then it could also take the starting amps:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-4-Gal-225-PSI-High-Performance-Crew-Electric-Portable-Air-Compressor-C041H/206492568
Pricey, but very high performance (5.1 cfm @ 90psi), and high storage capacity (4 gal @ 225 psi). Will have to divorce the tank and pump for most rigs.
Thanks for all the input. My thinking was it might be cheaper then doing a 12v on board air setup but its not really much cheaper (if any) when looking at air flow rates and install. I don't need alot of air right now so I'll probably get a single compressor kit from someone like Viair and and a second if I need it later.