GX CS4 Overheating issue

[13brv3]

Ya, between Amazon or like newegg there's a lot of " better " case fans and they all give cfm specs. + There not expensive . So it's a good easy way to up the case flow

There are almost too many fans to choose from, and you'd want to avoid the 4pin PWM fans. 120mm is a common size, so it seemed like a good option. 38mm thick gives more airflow than the more common 25mm thick fans. I figured if the thicker fan seemed like too much airflow, I could scale down to the thinner fan, but it's definitely NOT too much airflow. I used a 120V fan that can be tied into the AC input on the case, but if you ever plan to use 12V to run the compressor, or if you have the version with the external power supply, you'd want a 12V fan. I'm tempted to change this to 12V and tie into the motor power, but I'm not sure if the extra half amp of current will cause any problems for the motor or power supply.

 

[Hateful McNasty]

There are almost too many fans to choose from, and you'd want to avoid the 4pin 120mm is a common size, so it seemed like a good option. 38mm thick gives more airflow than the more common 25mm thick fans. I figured if the thicker fan seemed like too much airflow, I could scale down to the thinner fan, but it's definitely NOT too much airflow. I used a 120V fan that can be tied into the AC input on the case, but if you ever plan to use 12V to run the compressor, or if you have the version with the external power supply, you'd want a 12V fan. I'm tempted to change this to 12V and tie into the motor power, but I'm not sure if the extra half amp of current will cause any problems for the motor or power supply.

I understand.. I made up shrouds on some case fans to help the fans cfm flow ..

I was thinking 120v as well not the computer case type ( I'd use in a pinch anyway..lol).

Ya, a 120v with speed control 20$+/- could be a saver on that heat .

 

[jpiperson2002]

I'm a retired mechanical engineer and have learned my lessons by burning out several HPA hand pumps and electric compressors over the years, primarily due to inefficient cooling of the components. Burn out a hand pump? I hooked mine up to a foot lever so I could just step up and then ride it down with the full weight of my body. Burned out 2 hand pumps that way before I finally bought an Axor compressor back in the 90s(?). I needed to wrap flexible tubing around the piston assembly on that one and run cold water through it or else it would seize from overheating.

30 years later we have small compressors like the GX CS4 and GX CS4-I which can actually fill 6L bottles without burning out, assuming that they can run cool enough. The easiest way to cool a CS3 or 4 series compressor with the removable red case is to start by simply removing the case. Then put a high-power (like 900cfm) directional fan on one side, positioned to blow air through the compressor and across the motor and piston assemblies. This keeps the exposed metal parts in the compressor cool and the water in the tank only mildly warm to the touch. There is simply no practical way to extract that much heat from the compressor without removing the case which holds in most of the heat.

The obvious drawback to this approach is that the 2 carry handles on the CX4 compressors are attached to the top of the case. It's a hassle to move the compressor with the case off and a (relatively minor) irritation to need to screw the case back on for transport. What I did was to cut away the bottom portion of both sides of the case, just below the central screw holes which hold the metal case to the front/rear frame. As you can kind of see from the attached picture, that exposes the entire motor assembly and the base of the piston assembly. The rectangular output vent on the fan (a 700cfm Masterforce 1/6hp Air Mover) is sized correctly to focus airflow through the compressor. I liked the fan so much for general around the house that I got a 2nd one and now use 2 of them to make a vortex of air around the inside of the compressor. I could have cut away one or both entire sides of the case, just leaving the top with handles screwed into the frame, but preferred the partial cuts in the case which fit the output vent on the fans.

I don't recommend that anyone else damage their compressor by cutting the case like this. Retired hobbbiests often cut up things for fun, or as they will usually claim, in search of 'improvements'. The main point of this is that you can increase the life of a compressor by reducing heat buildup. The water pump in the CS4 series removes much of the heat. But to dampen it down considerably more you would need to expose the metal internals of the compressor by removing some or all of the metal cover/case, and then blowing high-velocity air across the inside of the compressor to take away the extra heat.

I recently replaced that gold water condenser tower with a 2nd filter cylinder. And added a couple of one-way valves with drain vents which can keep both of the desiccant cylinders pressurized when the compressor and hoses are depressurized to switch bottles or guns. That's a different topic though. I ruined my CX3 by letting it overheat and overwork itself, and I don't plan to let this CS4 die the same way.

JP