What Does Sound Power and Pressure Level Mean?
When you are researching the best air compressor to buy, the sound power level and sound pressure level are important. The question is, what do these phrases mean?
- The sound power level tells you the total acoustic energy that a machine, or piece of equipment, radiates to its environment.
- The sound pressure level is a measure for the effect of the energy of an acoustic source (or a collection of sources). It depends on the distance to the source(s) and acoustic properties of the surroundings of the source.
When you buy a new air compressor, you need to think about the sound pressure level that will be acceptable in your workplace. Some of the ratings sound complicated so we have tried to explain this in simpler terms in the table below. If you need any help deciding which compressor is best for you, just ask! You can ring our team on 01869 326 226, email or use LiveChat.
Common sounds and their decibel ratings
| 140 dBA | Aircraft carrier deck during take-off and landing |
| 120 dBA | Whistle at 1m distance, test run of a jet at 15m distance |
| Threshold of pain, above this fast-acting hearing damage in short action is possible | |
| 115 dBA | Take-off sound of planes at 10m distance |
| 110 dBA | Siren at 10m distance, frequent sound level in discotheques and close to loudspeakers at rock concerts |
| 105 dBA | Chain saw at 1 m distance, banging car door at 1m distance (maximum level), racing car at 40m distance |
| 100 dBA | Frequent level with music via head phones, jack hammer at 10m distance |
| 95 dBA | Loud crying, hand circular saw at 1m distance |
| 90 dBA | Motorcycle at 6m distance |
| 85 dBA | 2-stroke chain-saw at 10m distance, loud WC flush at 1m distance |
| 80 dBA | Very loud traffic noise of passing lorries at 7.5m distance, high traffic on an expressway at 25m distance |
| 75 dBA | Passing car at 7.5m distance, un-silenced wood shredder at 10m distance |
| 70 dBA | Level close to a main road by day, quiet hair dryer at 1m distance to ear |
| 65 dBA | Normal Conversation |
| 60 dBA | Petrol Lawnmower |
| 55 dBA | Low volume of radio or TV at 1 m distance, noisy vacuum cleaner at 10 m distance |
| 50 dBA | Refrigerator at 1m distance, bird twitter outside at 15 m distance |
| 45 dBA | Noise of normal living; talking, or radio in the background |
| 35 dBA | Very quiet room fan at low speed at 1m distance |
| 25 dBA | Sound of breathing at 1m distance |
| 0 dBA | Auditory threshold |
We provide information on the sound power levels of our air compressors but it’s important to remember that the sound power level of a machine is a fixed value, where the sound pressure level always depends on position and environment. If you use your compressor in different conditions, the actual sound power might be different. If you need to keep noise to a minimum in your workplace, we recommend our range of silenced air compressors. We have large, small and healthcare-grade silent and low noise air compressors. Ring our friendly and helpful expert team on 01869 326 226, email or use LiveChat if you’d like any advice.
In relation to the EU Machinery Directive we speak about the “emission sound pressure level”. This represents the sound pressure level an operator or bystander is exposed to, in a free field above a reflecting plane.
Important – Air Compressors are measured and compared within the industry @ 4 meters. To comply with EEC regulations all air compressors have to be marked in LWA. This is a different measurement of sound which is taken from a different distance. For an example a typical 3hp piston compressor is rated at its lowest at 73 dB(A) @ 4 meters on the LWA scale this would equate to approximately 93 decibels. Please beware of this as all products have LWA marked on them with stickers similar to the image below.
LpA, LwA
Levels are described in ISO standards, using the following abbreviations or descriptors:
Lp: sound pressure level, and
LW: sound power level
If A-weighting has been applied, then the descriptors above contain the character A at the end, for example: LpA
dB and dB(A)
dB (abbreviation for decibel) is the “unit” for both pressure and power level. It’s not a unit because it’s the logarithm of a quotient, that’s why Lp and LW are both expressed in dB, each with a different reference. The decibel is essentially unit-less!
The A in dB(A) is not supported by ISO standards. The reason is that the A must be contained in LpA or LWA, and with a proper description. That is what’s needed for a good specification, requirement or measurement result.
Safety Note: If you see db, DB or Db in relation to noise or sound levels you should not take the information at face value. It suggests that the author is unfamiliar with some important concepts. You should ask yourself if you can trust someone who does not know that dB must be used (e.g. knows were dB “comes from”) because it suggests that the person, institute or company lacks the most basic knowledge about sound levels and related subjects.
| Sound power level LWA dB(A) | Theoretical average sound pressure level LpA dB(A) | ||
| L | 1m | 4m | 15m |
| 80 | 72 | 60 | 48.5 |
| 85 | 77 | 65 | 53.5 |
| 90 | 82 | 70 | 58.5 |
| 95 | 87 | 75 | 63.5 |
| 100 | 92 | 80 | 68.5 |
| Typical reduction | 8 | 20 | 31.5 |
The decibel which is normally abbreviated dB(A) is the unit used to measure the intensity of a sound. The human ear is incredibly sensitive. A person’s ears can distinguish between wide ranging sounds. You can hear everything from brushing your fingers on a notepad to the loudest explosion or jet aircraft. To put these differences into perspective a jet aircraft is 1,000,000,000,000 times louder than the quietest audible sound.
Looking on the decibel scale, the smallest audible sound which is near silence registers at 0 dB. An increase of 10 decibels equates to a 10 fold increase in noise to your ear.