BelAire 318VN — 5 HP Two-Stage on Single-Phase Power

Most 5 HP two-stage compressors of this size assume you have three-phase power. The 318VN does not. It runs on 208-230V single-phase — the supply an ordinary commercial building or a well-equipped home shop actually has — and it does it by drawing enough current to need a dedicated 40 amp breaker. That single fact decides whether this machine is right for you, so it is at the top of the page rather than buried in a table.

What you get for it is a belt-driven two-stage pump with a solid cast iron cylinder on an 80 gallon vertical tank, 16.6 CFM at 175 PSI, and a 2-year bumper-to-bumper warranty. It weighs 428 lbs.

Will It Fit, and Will It Run?

Start with the electrical supply, because it is the one that cannot be worked around after delivery:

• 208-230V, 1-phase. Not a wall socket — a dedicated circuit.
• A 40 amp breaker is what the manufacturer specifies. Conductor size depends on the length of the run, which is why the amp-draw field says to consult a certified electrician rather than printing a number.
• No magnetic starter is fitted. The unit comes pre-wired, which simplifies installation, but if your local code or your electrician wants a starter in the circuit, that is an added part rather than something in the box. Ask before you order.

Then the space. It is 39" long, 24" wide and 77" tall. Measure to the lowest obstruction above the intended spot, not to the ceiling — a garage door track or a run of conduit is what usually decides it — and check the doorways on the route in. At 428 lbs it belongs on concrete. Confirming the circuit, the clearance and the floor is the customer’s responsibility, and all three are cheaper to check than to fix.

What Two Stages Buy You at 175 PSI

A single-stage pump squeezes air once. A two-stage pump squeezes it, cools it, and squeezes it again in a smaller cylinder. That intercooling is the entire reason a two-stage machine can sit at 175 PSI all day: compressing air makes heat, and heat is what thins the oil, cokes the valves and eventually costs you a pump. The cast iron cylinder helps for the same unglamorous reason — iron pulls heat out of the compression chamber and wears slowly.

The valves are stainless steel, which is the part of a compressor that opens and closes millions of times and is the usual first thing to fail on a cheap pump. Lubrication is a splash system with an oil sight glass, so the daily check is a glance rather than a dipstick. The motor carries thermal protection, so a stalled or overheating start trips the motor rather than cooking the windings.

Air Quality, Honestly

This model has no aftercooler and no dryer. Air leaves the pump hot, and hot air holds water. In practice that means two habits: open the manual tank drain at the end of every working day, and if you spray finish or run air into anything sensitive, put a separator or a dryer in the line downstream. Neither is a flaw in the machine — it is what the machine is, and knowing it stops you blaming the compressor for water in a spray gun.

Perfect For

• Single-phase commercial shops that want two-stage pressure without a phase converter or a service upgrade.
• Serious home and hobby garages with a real sub-panel and room for a 40 amp circuit.
• Small to mid-sized workshops running one or two technicians on air tools.
• Not for a shop with no spare breaker space. The circuit is the gate on this model.

What’s in the Box

The compressor ships assembled on its 80 gallon vertical tank: two-stage belt-driven pump, enclosed high-flow belt guard, stainless steel valves, start-stop pressure switch with unloader valve, oil sight glass, pressure gauge, air filter, safety relief valve and a manual drain valve. No magnetic starter and no air dryer are included, and no regulator is fitted.

Specifications

Confirm the Tank Orientation Before You Plan the Bay

Published records for the tank orientation differ: the product copy and one spec field record it as vertical; the specification table records it as horizontal. The dimensions — 77" tall on a 39" by 24" footprint — only make sense for an upright tank, so vertical is the reading the measurements support, though that is inference rather than confirmation. If the orientation decides where the machine goes, confirm it with us in writing before you order and we will check it against the factory sheet.

Certification, Stated Plainly

The tank is built to the American pressure-vessel code and, per the current product copy, is also registered under the Canadian pressure-vessel registration scheme. Both of those certify the tank: its design, its welding, its inspection, and the relief valve sized to it. Neither is a third-party safety listing of the finished electrical machine. Insurers, plant safety policies and some local authorities do occasionally require the latter, and it is a different document. If that applies to you, ask us in writing before ordering and you will get the answer in writing.

Shipping and Delivery

This is a freight shipment to the lower 48 states, not a parcel carrier delivery. The crate holds a 428 lb machine standing 77" tall. The freight cost is quoted live at checkout for your own address; a residential delivery carries a residential fee, and collecting from the freight terminal yourself avoids it.

Sort out the unloading before delivery day. Getting the crate off the truck is the receiver’s job, so line up a forklift, a dock, or enough hands and an engine hoist. Before you sign anything, inspect the crate with the driver — look at the shroud, the belt guard, the gauges and the tank shell — and write any damage on the delivery paperwork. Damage noted at delivery is a claim; damage found after a clean signature is usually an argument you lose.

Warranty

A 2-year bumper-to-bumper factory warranty applies, published as the term for consumer and commercial use alike, and the full document is on this page. If a part fails, do not take it apart before the claim is open. The manufacturer has the right to examine the failure as it happened, and a dismantled pump or pressure switch is the most reliable way to lose an otherwise valid claim. Call us and we will start it with you.