Anybody ever locate their air compressor outside?

[fastfredracing]

So today, after almost 20 years of faithful service, My old quincy emglo air compressor let the smoke out of itself. Sort of my fault, the unloader valve has been on the fritz for the last 2-3 years. I have to mess with it every 6 months or so. It started acting up late last week again, and I just did not have time to mess with it, and kept running it that way all week. It unloads the air pressure in the feed line so that the compressor can start under a no load condition. Tonight , there was a spark and smoke show coming out the compressor motor. I heard it humming when it tried to kick on, and I just did not get to it in time.
I ran down to tractor supply and bought a new IR compressor for the main shop. but I plan on rebuilding the old emglo, and use it in my upstairs garages , where I only do light duty work , and some sandblasting and painting. It will be replacing a 6 hp 60 gallon compressor that gets pretty overworked for sandblasting duties. I currently have both compressors inside the building, but I am growing tired of listening to that constant noise . I would like to to frame in a little room for my main shops compressor, but I would like to free up some space upstairs and move that compressor outside.
Bad idea? I was thinking of framing up a little compressor enclosure. Just two walls against the block building, a roof, and the whole front would be an access door on hinges.
Anybody run like this? Any other ideas? I also thought about buying a little shed, and putting the compressor in there, and I could also move some lawn mowers and junk out into it.

[plumb4u2]

I just completed a job for a John Deere dealer that wanted to do this exact thing

They have 2 massive compressors for the service department, they had a shed constructed on the back side of the building to house them, I was hired to reroute all the steel air lines outside to the units

Their technicians were so excited when I got it done

Abviously you know that the compressor tanks have condensation in the bottom so you need to protect them from freezing and/or drain them often

[gatotom]

Just insulate the heck out of the shed you keep the compressor in and leave space for a small space heater. Done deal.

[gr8fl4porsche]

My main shop compressor is outside in an exterior closet. Uninsulated and unheated.

No problems after many years.

[azasadny]

My next-door neighbor has a huge older Craftsman compressor that is permanently installed in his unheated garage. Besides running at odd hours, it seems to be fine, even during the cold MI winters. The garage is unheated and uninsulated, so it gets cold in there!

[jim72911t]

The machine shop that I run has its (10hp?) 3-phase compressor located outside, and while we've been meaning to build one, is not in an enclosure. The compressor provides air to 7 CNC machines, some assembly fixtures, and also provides low pressure air for blowing off parts. No problems so far, and it does get below freezing where I live.

[slodave]

Okay, I had a blond moment. I thought the title was alluding to a lost compressor. Couldn't figure out how one can lose a compressor. Wouldn't it be where you installed it?

[Rusty Heap]

on my 80 gallon outdoor compressor, I pulled off the wimpy bottom petcock drain valve, ran a 90 degree fitting and hard pipe 18-24" out one side to a 1/4 turn handle ball valve to make water dumps very very easy and quick.

[Cajundaddy]

Our shop compressor has always been covered outside. I can't stand the racket. No freezing issues outside in SoCal.

[Rick V]

Been using an outside compressor doe as long as I can remember with nothing more that just am awning to keep the wet stuff off of it. No issues.

[Joeaksa]

At least cover the puppy and make the drain easy to get to...

[sca037]

To cut down on the noise, build a small insulated enclosure for it........then relocate the air inlet through the wall to outside the shop.

That should help a lot,
Brian