We use air compressor for many kinds of works in our daily life. And many of has have tire inflator also. Sometimes we can’t many works due to the lack of air compressor. But can you use a tire inflator as an air compressor to do few works which can be done by the air compressor? And for this you need to know several things. So, let’s know few important facts about air compressor and tire inflator.
Air compressor anatomy

What is an air compressor?
An air compressor is a device that has a tank and it takes air into the tank and forces it to do work. An air compressor has two main parts: the motor and the piston. The motor is the main part of the air compressor. The piston is driven by the motor. The piston compresses the air and pushes it out through the hose attached to the cylinder.
Air compressors are used in many works for many purposes. They are used for home cleaning, car repair, commercial HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) projects, inflating tires, landscaping, laser cutting, gunpla and welding. Air compressors are also very helpful when doing large demolition projects such as building construction and mining.
There are many types of air compressors. They vary in size and the amount of power they have. There are different kinds of motors that can be used to make a compressor. Some of these compressors include screw type compressors, oil free compressors, and electric motors. Generally induction motor is used in air compressor. And most of the air compressor which people use for home usage is 200 or 100 PSI air compressor.
Basic parts of an air compressor
There are few basic parts of an air compressor.
1. Regulator
An air compressor regulator is used to regulate the air supply to the appliance that has been connected to the air compressor tank. It is attached to the pipe leading from the tank of an air compressor. Its purpose is to regulate the pressure and flow of air into the appliance. It keeps the air pressure steady by lowering the air pressure. If the air pressure is higher than the regulator lowers the pressure to make sure it’s at a proper level.
2. Tank
Air compressors have air tank to hold the compressed air into it. It is necessary for an air compressor to have a tank.
3. Gauges
Air compressors have gauge to get information about the air pressure that is been hold into the air tank.
Tire inflator anatomy

The tire inflator is also a compressor that is used to inflate car tires. However, you can use the tire inflator to inflate bicycle tires as well. The most important thing about tire inflators is the fact that it has pressure pumps. These pumps will make it easier for you to inflate tires without much effort. The pumps will inflate the tires until they are almost fully inflated.
This means that you can use a single tire inflator to inflate the tires of a car, a truck, or even a bicycle. You just have to connect it to the air hose. There are different brands of tire inflator, and they all look very similar. However, you should check the features carefully before buying one. Most of these pumps come with gauges to help you monitor the amount of air inside the tires.
Some parts of tire inflator
There have few basic parts of a tire inflator.
1. Electric motor
The tire inflator have an electric motor which is used to create pressure for tires to inflate.
2. Fan
The tire inflator have a fan next to the motor to keep it air cooled.
3. Gauges
There are two gauges in the tire inflator. One is connected to the motor and the second one is connected to the piston.
Is tire inflator is an air compressor?
Wouldn’t it be much better if the answer of the question ” can you use a tire inflator as an air compressor” is “yes”. Let’s face the facts. A tire inflator can actually be called an air compressor in one sense. There are some differences between tire inflator and air compressor, but still tire inflator can be a mini or type of air compressor or can be used as an air compressor. Although the air capacity of tire inflator is very low and the air pressure is not that much high as an air compressor.
And on other air compressor has a large tank and it’s capacity and pressure is high and many tools can be used with air compressor which are not actually possible to run with air compressor. But both air compressor and tire inflator have a lot in common .Therefor tire inflator can be used as an air compressor. Actually it can be a good mini air compressor. And the answer to the question “can you use a tire inflator as an air compressor” is “YES”
How to convert tire inflator as an air compressor?
Conclusion- can you use a tire inflator as an air compressor?
You already know the basics of air compressor and tire inflators and if can you use a tire inflator as an air compressor. Many people use air compressor for many purposes and many people use tire inflators. In the absence of air compressor, if you can do the work with tire inflator as an air compressor, that isn’t bad at all. And you already know that tire inflator is actually a kind of air compressor.
HI! I am the founder of total compressors. I always like to learn and research new topics and write about them. I am a content creator and an affiliate marketer.
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