How To Use a Paint Sprayer With an Air Compressor

Air compressors are handy devices and can be used for many different things, but there’s one thing they’re particularly good for—paint spraying! When you use an air compressor to paint, not only will you save a lot of time, but you’ll also end up with perfectly even coverage. There won’t be any patches when you’re painting like this.

You’ll more than likely need an air compressor or an airbrush compressor to use a paint sprayer. This is nothing to be intimidated by; it’s very easy to attach to the paint sprayer and use.

Here at Best of Machinery, we’ve given you our guide on how to use your paint sprayer with an air compressor, as well as a whole load of other facts you’ll need to know.

How to Attach an Air Compressor to a Paint Sprayer

Although this may sound awfully complicated, it’s not at all! All you need to do is follow these steps:

1. You’ll need to identify where you can attach the air compressor. It’s usually at the bottom of the paint sprayer. If not, you may need to check the manual.
2. Attach a regulator before you attach the compressor. Then you’ll be able to see what PSI the air is.
3. The next step is to attach the hose to the regulator. To do this, you’ll need a female plug to screw onto the regulator.
4. Turn your air compressor on.
5. Then, set your PSI on the regulator. The PSI required should be shown on the tool itself.
6. To set the PSI, you’ll need to pull the trigger and let the air come out. The arrow on the regulator will drop, and the number it lands on will be the PSI you’re spraying at. If you need to adjust it, you can.
7. You can now use your paint sprayer with an air compressor.

What Benefits Does an Air Compressor Give a Paint Sprayer?

These types of paint sprayers have a low-pressure output, which means they apply the paint evenly to any surface. Not only this, but they’re very easy to use. These devices can give anything a coat of paint. They’re so gentle, you can even spray your skin, and it won’t hurt you at all. (But you will be covered in paint!)

In comparison, an airless paint sprayer has benefits but also has a few negatives. For instance, it can deliver a lot of high-pressure levels compared to one run by an air compressor. In fact, these devices can actually produce enough pressure to break glass if they wanted to. Another point to note is that you’re usually unable to adjust the pressure settings when using it.

That’s why you really need to know what you’re doing before you consider purchasing one of these. If an airless paint sprayer comes into contact with your skin, it’s likely to damage it because of the force.

Our Guide on the Right Air Compressor for a Paint Sprayer

There’s a whole range of air compressors out there, but it shouldn’t be too difficult to find the right one for your paint sprayer. All you need to do is check the PSI on the tool you want to use and see if the air compressor can reach it. If it can, it should work perfectly.

Are there any Other Ways to Use a Paint Sprayer?

This all depends on what paint sprayer you actually have. If you happen to have an airless paint sprayer, then you won’t need an air compressor to work it. This is because it can pump out paint at a very high volume. If you also have a high-volume low-pressure sprayer, then it won’t need an air compressor to work either. However, these paint sprayers are a bit more on the expensive side.

Pneumatic air paint sprayers will need an air compressor to work. This is because they use compressed air to pump out paint. You’ll have to be careful with this type, as they can overspray. But all in all, they are much more cost-effective.

Conclusion

Air compressors are very useful, with a lot more benefits than an airless paint sprayer. They’re gentler for one, cheaper to run, and they’ll smoothly cover any surface you need them to. Make any paint job effortless with an air compressor paint sprayer.