best 12 v air compressor that will not blow fuse
- Thread starter cudavid
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Are you talking an on-board compressor, or a portable that you plug into the cigarette lighter?
Ciggy plug receptacles are an inherently poor electrical connection, made worse by being wired with too thin of wire.
Getting an Air compressor which hooks directly to the battery terminals is a better option.
Starting the compressor then attaching it to the schrader valve on the tires will help prevent blowing fuses. Turning on the compressor after it is hooked to a tire greatly increases the chances of blowing a fuse.
I have a masterflow mv-50 and it has never blown a fuse.
It pulls 16 amps.
Getting an Air compressor which hooks directly to the battery terminals is a better option.
Starting the compressor then attaching it to the schrader valve on the tires will help prevent blowing fuses. Turning on the compressor after it is hooked to a tire greatly increases the chances of blowing a fuse.
I have a masterflow mv-50 and it has never blown a fuse.
It pulls 16 amps.
If your talking about portable compressors then finding one that won't blow the cigarette lighter fuse and be decent at filling rate and duty cycle will be a challenge.
I purchased a Viair 88p portable about 2 years ago, that fills very quickly. It has extended alligator clips and hose. Manages to reach the rear tires in the extended pickup.
If it's a late model vehicle then it should have easily accessible jump points under the hood that the alligator clips can attach to.
I purchased a Viair 88p portable about 2 years ago, that fills very quickly. It has extended alligator clips and hose. Manages to reach the rear tires in the extended pickup.
If it's a late model vehicle then it should have easily accessible jump points under the hood that the alligator clips can attach to.
On my Dodge Ram I have a Viair 450C hooked up to a 3-gal tank. It works well, and the wiring/fuse is sized so there are no problems. Previously I had a compressor that was more light duty and it only lasted a couple of years.
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I have a Comp03 air compressor from Slime.
Rattles and shakes like a garbage disposal eating tin cans, but it works.
No fuse blown yet...
Rattles and shakes like a garbage disposal eating tin cans, but it works.
No fuse blown yet...
LOL! you want best (most powerful/most air output) 12V tire compressor, but not to blow cig lighter jack fuse?
That is a no-go.
Why? high output 12V compressor requires a lot of current, most typically more than 15Amps.
Typical cigarette lighter socket runs off of a fairly thin gauge wiring, which, although it's fuse-protected for 10amps, in reality: it cannot sustain continuously over 3~5amps w/o suffering from heat-related meltdowns over longer time.
that 10 amps is for intermittent use with cigarette lighter where it typically runs no longer than 3~10secs tops.
In that sense: the wiring to the cigarette lighter socket may become fairly warm due to load, but not to the point of causing a fire.
Scary? Get your compressor to connect directly off of your battery post instead.
Q.
That is a no-go.
Why? high output 12V compressor requires a lot of current, most typically more than 15Amps.
Typical cigarette lighter socket runs off of a fairly thin gauge wiring, which, although it's fuse-protected for 10amps, in reality: it cannot sustain continuously over 3~5amps w/o suffering from heat-related meltdowns over longer time.
that 10 amps is for intermittent use with cigarette lighter where it typically runs no longer than 3~10secs tops.
In that sense: the wiring to the cigarette lighter socket may become fairly warm due to load, but not to the point of causing a fire.
Scary? Get your compressor to connect directly off of your battery post instead.
Q.
Originally Posted By: Vikas
I was not aware that accessory socket (cars no longer have "cigarette lighter socket"!) should be only be used for under 5A of continuous load. There goes the plug-in seat heaters :-(
Definitely not 10Amp continuous but intermittent only.
typically, 3~4amps continuous through the cigarette lighter socket will heat up the wires if run continuously for hours.
(I discovered that when restoring partially melted wiring loom that leads to the cigarette lighter socket)
Q.
I was not aware that accessory socket (cars no longer have "cigarette lighter socket"!) should be only be used for under 5A of continuous load. There goes the plug-in seat heaters :-(
Definitely not 10Amp continuous but intermittent only.
typically, 3~4amps continuous through the cigarette lighter socket will heat up the wires if run continuously for hours.
(I discovered that when restoring partially melted wiring loom that leads to the cigarette lighter socket)
Q.
Even if the Ciggy receptacle is wired with sufficient wiring and through minimal connections, the ciggy receptacle is inadequate to pass higher amperages for longer.
The spring loaded 'nipple' on the end of the plug heats up, and the spring pushing the Nipple heats up, and loses its spring, and/or melts into the plastic so that it can no longer exert enough pressure to make contact.
It is just a matter of time, when passing currents over 5 amps, and yes some designs are better than others, but they are all compromises when asked to pass larger currents for extended periods.
The spring loaded 'nipple' on the end of the plug heats up, and the spring pushing the Nipple heats up, and loses its spring, and/or melts into the plastic so that it can no longer exert enough pressure to make contact.
It is just a matter of time, when passing currents over 5 amps, and yes some designs are better than others, but they are all compromises when asked to pass larger currents for extended periods.
op here, all great points, ok, then forget cig lighter version, reset here:
what is considered a good small compressor, with alligator clips, to be in the car all the time, so not big, and speed on tire fill is less of an issue than buying a quality unit. Heard so many are low quality
thank you
what is considered a good small compressor, with alligator clips, to be in the car all the time, so not big, and speed on tire fill is less of an issue than buying a quality unit. Heard so many are low quality
thank you
I have a low quality one, but with some loving it is reliable and works well.
The wiring which enters the backside of the units is the weak link. It tends to pull out of the wire compression nuts, as there is no stress relief. If you can make a crimp they are easy to fix. My air filter's inlets were also more than half closed with leftover flashing from the molding. Opening these up really allowed the compressor to work faster and run cooler.
I retapped the head for standard 1/4 inch fittings, added a much better coiled air hose, and a schrader valve locking adapter. The long thin 14 awg wire was replaced with 10awg. I also added an 80MM 12v computer fan pointed at the head, and added some grease between cylinder wall and head's heatsink to better transfer heat away from the cylinder walls.
I bet 9 out of 10 failures in reviews are a simple fix. But no doubt some of them were overheated by running them too long, and the piston cup cannot hold pressure any longer.
Sorry, I have no brand recommendations.
The wiring which enters the backside of the units is the weak link. It tends to pull out of the wire compression nuts, as there is no stress relief. If you can make a crimp they are easy to fix. My air filter's inlets were also more than half closed with leftover flashing from the molding. Opening these up really allowed the compressor to work faster and run cooler.
I retapped the head for standard 1/4 inch fittings, added a much better coiled air hose, and a schrader valve locking adapter. The long thin 14 awg wire was replaced with 10awg. I also added an 80MM 12v computer fan pointed at the head, and added some grease between cylinder wall and head's heatsink to better transfer heat away from the cylinder walls.
I bet 9 out of 10 failures in reviews are a simple fix. But no doubt some of them were overheated by running them too long, and the piston cup cannot hold pressure any longer.
Sorry, I have no brand recommendations.
Good Grief I've used a Campbell Hausfeld plug in the cig. recpt. for 25 years with complete satisfaction. Carry one in each vehicle we own. Inflated a flat tire more than once, what else are they supposed to do?
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Campbell-Hausfeld-RP3200-12-Volt-300-PSI-Inflator-12-Volt-Each/39181743
I'm just lucky pup!
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Campbell-Hausfeld-RP3200-12-Volt-300-PSI-Inflator-12-Volt-Each/39181743
I'm just lucky pup!
I have never had an issue with one of those small, 12V plug in tire inflators either. Of course, I don't mind waiting for them to finish.
Originally Posted By: jcwit
Good Grief I've used a Campbell Hausfeld plug in the cig. recpt. for 25 years with complete satisfaction. Carry one in each vehicle we own. Inflated a flat tire more than once, what else are they supposed to do?
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Campbell-Hausfeld-RP3200-12-Volt-300-PSI-Inflator-12-Volt-Each/39181743
I'm just lucky pup!
Thank you for that recommendation. You ARE either lucky, or a very good judge of small air pumps.
Just look at Amazon reviews for small air compressors, many unhappy people. Take this one- 31% very happy 31% very unhappy, very few in the middle: http://www.amazon.com/Slime-COMP03-12-Volt-Inflator-Gauge/dp/B000ET9SAU
I think my experience is typical for many here, most small pumps are very cheaply made and either take forever and overheat, blow fuses, or they work great for a few tires and then fail. I've gone through several.
Finally I invested in a Viair 88P, spending $70 instead of the usual $35, and wouldn't you know, 2 years later and the thing still works great and is relatively quick. Not 25 gallon shop compressor quick, but done under 2 minutes quick for a completely flat lawn tractor tire. That speed makes up for the extra time it takes to hook up to the battery.
Good Grief I've used a Campbell Hausfeld plug in the cig. recpt. for 25 years with complete satisfaction. Carry one in each vehicle we own. Inflated a flat tire more than once, what else are they supposed to do?
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Campbell-Hausfeld-RP3200-12-Volt-300-PSI-Inflator-12-Volt-Each/39181743
I'm just lucky pup!
Thank you for that recommendation. You ARE either lucky, or a very good judge of small air pumps.
Just look at Amazon reviews for small air compressors, many unhappy people. Take this one- 31% very happy 31% very unhappy, very few in the middle: http://www.amazon.com/Slime-COMP03-12-Volt-Inflator-Gauge/dp/B000ET9SAU
I think my experience is typical for many here, most small pumps are very cheaply made and either take forever and overheat, blow fuses, or they work great for a few tires and then fail. I've gone through several.
Finally I invested in a Viair 88P, spending $70 instead of the usual $35, and wouldn't you know, 2 years later and the thing still works great and is relatively quick. Not 25 gallon shop compressor quick, but done under 2 minutes quick for a completely flat lawn tractor tire. That speed makes up for the extra time it takes to hook up to the battery.
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