Building a sound deadening box for air compressor.

[Orangepeel]

My shop air compressor is loud it’s roughly 5ft tall 50 gallon oil filled air compressor. I’d like to build a box around it to muffle it. Can I do this and it not effect cooling? How much space would it need at the top and sides to accomplish cooling need? My thoughts were ply wood walls with sound deadening foam and then a door on one side for maintenance purposes. Any input or advice is appreciated.

 

[redhat]

Buddy of mine with a shop moved his outside right next to the building. Used a pallet as a platform, 2x4 basic frame walls, angled roof and covered it in tin. Drilled a hole and ran air brake nylon through the wall. Maybe this?

Plenty of ventilation with the tin being corrugated.

 

[Orangepeel]

Buddy of mine with a shop moved his outside right next to the building. Used a pallet as a platform, 2x4 basic frame walls, angled roof and covered it in tin. Drilled a hole and ran air brake nylon through the wall. Maybe this?

Plenty of ventilation with the tin being corrugated.

I’d like to keep it inside since I worry about people messing with it and maybe the lines would freeze in the brutal cold with moisture in the lines.

 

[fsdork]

I would be inclined to build the box with baffled inlet and outlet for cooling. Fan at the inlet (lower) in a push configuration, and another at the outlet (upper) in pull configuration.

 

[Kira]

"Soundproof rooms" are made with black, anechoic foam and plywood.

I've also seen sound deadeners which were makeshift stud walls filled with sand. These were used to shield adjacent microphones in a studio setting.

 

[fsdork]

Further, I would suggest having a look through some YouTube videos relating to "Quiet Boxes" for generators. There would be some differences in that you're not burning fuel, but many of the concepts would carry over.

 

[Vil_Riker]

Can you vent the hot air to the outside? If you can have air circulation for cooling then a box would be possible. Otherwise, you are asking for trouble.

 

[Owen Lucas]

Place a smoke detector nearby just in case.

 

[D60]

Mine lives in a "Tuff Shed" next to my shop. No problems with freezing in CO but our air is dry. The shed gets quite hot in the summer as uninsulated wooden sheds do, but I just installed little louvered vents at the peak like vents for a water heater closet. It's been fine since 2003 (shrug). I assume one of those bulbous rotating roof vents would be even better

 

[Orangepeel]

Considering doing this with the only difference being a fan installed on the top blowing straight down onto the compressor. Would I need more than just the fan or do you think the fan is enough?