# Fridge compressor convert to air compressor?



## jogr (Jul 24, 2007)

I found info somewhere about converting a fridge compressor into a small quiet air compressor for small airbrush use. I can see how it would compress air as well as it does freon and I believe it would be nice and quiet compared to most compressors. 

But I thought the fridge compressors needed to be on a closed loop system to keep from losing oil??? Are there any experts out there who can tell me if a fridge compressor will hold up when converted to pump air? Isn't the oil on one of these compressors right in with the freon?? Would you have to keep adding oil somehow? I'm not worried so much about oil in the compressed air because I can put a filter on to filter the oil out of the compressed air before it goes to the airbrush. 

I have an old ugly fridge I no longer want that is physically in very bad shape but still runs cold and I am looking for a small quiet compressor for a small pencil type airbrush. I already have a good pressure tank/switch etc. from one of those extremely noisy airless compressors but the compressor itself bit the dust.

I would just go ahead and do it but I don't want to release the freon into the atmosphere so I'll need to pay a pro to pump out the freon. Before I do that I'd like to have some confidence that it will actually work for a while.


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## jeff1 (Dec 17, 2003)

Hi,



> I found info somewhere about converting a fridge compressor into a small quiet air compressor for small airbrush use


I am absolutly 100% no expert for that!



> But I thought the fridge compressors needed to be on a closed loop system to keep from losing oil???


For the most part, correct. Compressor is filled with oil and some oil would travel around through the system with the refrigerant gas.



> Are there any experts out there who can tell me if a fridge compressor will hold up when converted to pump air?


For a while I would suspect. In a refrigerator the compressor compresses a vapour refrigerant. Air is mostly a vapour/gas but has moisture in it and the compressor cannot compress a liquid and water vapour often makes an acid in the compressor. Newer 134A compressors use an oil that is contaminated in approx 30 minutes when exposed to air and water vapour.



> I have an old ugly fridge I no longer want that is physically in very bad shape but still runs cold and I am looking for a small quiet compressor for a small pencil type airbrush.


Probably worth trying.

JMO!

jeff.


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