Electric Air Pumps 2024

[PCeBiker]

,.. My advice is DO NOT DO IT.

And they will never run out of gas.

Those ebike-battery-powered pumps run $25 to $30. And since 2020 I've never had one fail. So... live and learn I guess
.

I decided to buy one,..

I've got this one too, but it's fricken huge and weighs a ton.

My rechargeable compressor is kinda because it has three 2000 ma cells in series, so it will run off a 12 Volt cigarette lighter outlet in a car, even if the battery is completely dead and won't take a charge.

But instead of trying to wave down a car to plug me in, I decided to siphon from my own gas tank.

 

[PCeBiker]

). Then, after a year or so the chickens come home to roost.
Charging to 100% and letting the pack sit there is going to drag you down to like 400 or less.
That $30-$50 pump's internal battery will be all done in a year or so depending on how religious you are about keeping it charged up (i.e. useful).

I don't like having to baby-sit this fricken chicken, so I bought a new compressor.

 

[Aushiker]

Topeak has an electric bike pump at EuroBike

 

[PCeBiker]

My 48 Volt compressor arrived and I put a battery plug on it,..

I used Shoe Goo to seal the soldered connections as @m@Robertson mentioned in his link.
It's a lot better than the soft silicone that I would have used.

Then I weighed it,..

Then I took it apart to see what makes it tick,..

I noticed that the supplied plug connector wasn't polarized but it's got a diode on the input, so the compressor only runs when the plug is inserted the right way.
I had a 12 Volt cooler with the same plug on it.
It was a cooler with it plugged in one way, and a hot box when you flipped the plug around.

As an FYI, the cord has a ridge along the edge of one of the wires. That wire is always ground.
The smooth wire is positive.

It's the same for polarized outlets for house current.
The smooth wire is line, and the wire with the ridge connects to the bigger prong on the cord and is the neutral wire.

 

[CanNik]

Best thing I have bought for ages

Amazon.co.uk

 

[Aushiker]

Best thing I have bought for ages

Amazon.co.uk

Is this for use on the bike or at home? It does seem to be quite a substantial device.

 

[CanNik]

Is this for use on the bike or at home? It does seem to be quite a substantial device.

I use it for all my bike tyres, AirZound bike horns and car

It has FOUR "memory" settings

You can program each one, I have 1 set for bike tyres 45psi, one for car back tyres 32psi, one for car front tyres 35psi and one for air zound 68psi just switch between them by the click of a switch

 

[Roamers]

 

[6zfshdb]

View attachment 179466

I've been using this Viair compressor for almost 10 years now. I keep it in my pickup for re inflating tires after dune riding. It's pricey and a bit overkill for bike tires but it's a great compressor!

I got tired of having to pop the hood to connect the clips to the battery so I made up this adapter:

It plugs into the trailer wiring harness connector and provides a convenient place to attach the compressor alligator clips.

 

[Nvreloader]

6zfshdb​

Thank for that trick, I'll be making one.

 

[PCeBiker]

I got tired of having to pop the hood to connect the clips to the battery so I made up this adapter:
View attachment 179479

Do you have covers for those terminals or is it switched?
I picture myself setting a beer or wrench down on the bumper.

 

[Nvreloader]

PC
You just unplug when not in use. Look at the above photo.
ymmv

 

[PCeBiker]

PC
You just unplug when not in use. Look at the above photo.
ymmv

Oops,..
I didn't realize what I was looking at.

 

[Roamers]

It plugs into the trailer wiring harness connector and provides a convenient place to attach the compressor alligator clips.

I was kinda joking, it is for reinflating my Sprinter tires; but will work for bike also. Do you have a different pump than I do? I wouldn't have guessed trailer wiring is big enough. I'm going to mount a dedicated Anderson Powerpole at the rear off 400 ahr LiFePO4 house battery system

 

[PCeBiker]

Best thing I have bought for ages

Amazon.co.uk

That's almost identical to my compressor.

I had a problem with mine when I went to use it, and it was dead.

I must have pressed the SOS light button by accident when I had it strapped down in my tool bag, so I put a concave washer over the buttons to prevent the buttons from being pushed accidentally.

Fortunately, I went to use my compressor at home before my ride, so I wasn't SOL on the road.

I'm with @m@Robertson
I don't want to rely on a rechargeable compressor. It's just something else to fail, and of course it's gunna be dead when you need it the most, so I'm leaving it at home and using my e-bike battery to power a compressor.
At least I'll know if my ebike battery is dead or not.

I never would have bought it if I knew there was 48V compressors available.


It is a pretty cool compressor though, and it sure works nicely.
It's stupid easy to figure out as well.
I didn't read the instructions.
I didn't have to.

 

[Nvreloader]

PS
I have a carbon copy of your inflator, I have it on the WH ever since I bought it. I take it out every other month and check the battery level.
This time I pulled it out and nothing happened, no light, no sound,
just dead. Checked the battery and it shows a full charge, but none of the operations work, WTH is going on.

I can plug it in via the long cord and it works, unplug it and nothing works.
While carrying it around some wire/connection broke or came unplugged, while ridding my rough trails. I cannot figure out how to get it opened so I can check inside.
So I bought another one to keep company with the C02 bottles,
I am glad I found this out at home, instead of out in the field when I needed it.
I am now changing over to Matts style of inflators, to use right off my bikes battery's. ymmv

 

[6zfshdb]

I was kinda joking, it is for reinflating my Sprinter tires; but will work for bike also. Do you have a different pump than I do? I wouldn't have guessed trailer wiring is big enough. I'm going to mount a dedicated Anderson Powerpole at the rear off 400 ahr LiFePO4 house battery system

The trailer wiring harness connector circuits on my pickup and SUV are rated for 40 amps. This will vary with different vehicles though. It powers the Viair 400P compressor with no problems. I also use it to connect a battery charger / maintainer and to power my portable tool battery charger.

I used to be able to do this with a cigarette lighter plug, but neither of my vehicles have them. Those vehicles that are equipped with them are designed for powering small electronic devices and won't supply much amperage. Many are also wired through the ignition switch and not always on. This makes them useless for battery charging or powering anything with the engine off. Again, this varies with different vehicles.

A specialized connector, like the Anderson Powerpole, will do the job but it means wiring one to the vehicle as well as all the equipment you want to use. Alligator clips are pretty much "standard" on all the gear I have, so the above adapter idea above works well for me.

 

[m@Robertson]

I had a problem with mine when I went to use it, and it was dead.

I must have pressed the SOS light button by accident when I had it strapped down in my tool bag
...
I don't want to rely on a rechargeable compressor. It's just something else to fail, and of course it's gunna be dead when you need it the most, so I'm leaving it at home and using my e-bike battery to power a compressor.

Yeah like everyone else in this thread, I loved my little rechargeable compressor... until it failed and I realized I could have been pushing a bike home if I had the problem on the road instead of having it at home. I was caught up in the joy of not sitting on a rock roadside, pumping a little pump a zillion times by hand.

 

[Doggyman1202]

For those shopping for one of these air pumps, I'd suggest not overthinking the purchase. This inexpensive gizmo saved the day for me over the weekend. I suffered a flat 16 miles out on a rail trail, but fortunately keep this thing in my saddle bag at all times now for just such an emergency. I had to reinflate the tire a few times on my way back, but at least it got my ass back with minimal effort.

 

[Aushiker]

I was looking at Flextail's sleeping pad pumps and by chance, spotted their Tiny Bike Pump. I haven't done any research on it, but I thought I would just add to the list of options here. If anyone knows more please do share.