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BelAire 338HE4 Elite Series 5 HP 80-Gallon Two-Stage Air Compressor, 460V

Buy the 338HE4 for one reason above all others: it is the 460V member of the Elite Series family, and 460V service is what makes its electrical installation the lightest and least disruptive of the group. BelAire lists a 15 amp breaker as the recommendation for this machine. That is a small circuit for a 5 HP compressor, and small circuits mean thin conductors, modest conduit, short panel work and an electrician's invoice that does not rival the price of the compressor.

Air-side, it is the same well-sorted Elite package: a belt-driven two-stage pump with a cast iron cylinder sleeve and aluminum heads, a pump-mounted aftercooler, an 80-gallon horizontal receiver, and a 175 PSI ceiling. If your building already has 460V 3-phase distribution, this is the version to order.

Why the voltage changes the install, not the air

A motor's power draw is roughly voltage multiplied by current. Push the same 5 HP through a higher supply voltage and the current falls proportionally, which is the whole story behind the 15 amp breaker recommendation on this unit compared with the much larger circuits the lower-voltage 3-phase versions of the same machine ask for.

Lower current has knock-on effects that matter well beyond the day of installation. Conductor size is chosen from current, so the feed is cheaper and easier to pull. Voltage drop over a long run is proportional to current, so a compressor at the far end of a big building suffers less sag at start-up, and a motor that starts on sagging voltage runs hot and dies early. Heat in the wiring itself scales with the square of current, so the whole feed runs cooler.

None of this changes what comes out of the outlet. Delivered air is a pump characteristic, not a supply-voltage one: this machine is rated at 18.5 CFM at 100 PSI and 16.6 CFM at 175 PSI whichever way it is wired.

Three-phase details worth settling before the truck arrives

A magnetic starter is fitted from the factory, so you are not shopping for one separately and you are not wiring a large motor through a bare pressure switch. It also gives the motor proper overload protection, which is the component that saves a stalled or single-phasing motor from cooking itself.

Two things a first-time three-phase owner tends to discover the hard way. Rotation direction is set by the order of the supply conductors, and a compressor pump run backwards will make noise, make very little air and damage itself; the arrow on the flywheel guard is there to be checked on first start, and swapping any two supply legs reverses it. Second, a fused disconnect within sight of the machine is normally expected by inspectors so the compressor can be isolated for belt and oil work without a trip to the panel.

BelAire lists the actual amp draw as something to confirm with a certified electrician rather than publishing a single figure, because the honest answer depends on your service, your run length and your local code. Treat the 15 amp figure as the starting point for that conversation, not as a substitute for it. Confirming this before delivery, rather than after, is the customer's responsibility and it is the step most often skipped.

The pump and the tank

Two-stage compression takes the air down in two bites with cooling in between, and that is why a 5 HP motor can hold 175 PSI without labouring. The practical value of the higher pressure is storage rather than tool pressure: air packed into the tank at a high pressure gives you a bigger usable reserve at your regulated working pressure, so the motor cycles less often and each run does more work. Fewer starts is easier on the motor, the starter contacts and the belts than any other single thing you can do.

The pump is oil lubricated on a splash system with a sight glass, so checking the level is a glance rather than a job. A low oil protection switch is fitted. An aftercooler on the pump drops the discharge air temperature before it reaches the receiver, so a good deal of the moisture separates at the machine instead of collecting in your pipework. BelAire names the CPXHT25 dryer as the recommended companion if you need genuinely dry air; it is a separate purchase.

Will it fit?

The horizontal format is long and low: 71" long, 24" wide, 49" high, and 481 lbs on the floor. Height is rarely the problem with this layout, so the questions to answer are whether you have the length along a wall and whether the pump end has room for service access and unobstructed cooling air. A solid, level floor is enough; the machine should sit on all its feet without rocking.

Perfect For

• Industrial plants and larger commercial buildings where 460V is already the standard distribution voltage and the panel space is at a premium.
• Long runs from the panel to the compressor room, where the lower current is worth real money in cable.
• Multi-bay service shops that need a stationary machine running steadily rather than in short bursts.
• Fleet and municipal maintenance facilities standardising on one supply voltage across their equipment.

If your building does not have 460V, do not buy this model and plan to convert it. Ask us for the version that matches your service instead.

What's in the box

• Belt-driven two-stage pump, cast iron cylinder sleeve, aluminum heads
• Pump-mounted aftercooler
• 80-gallon horizontal receiver with safety valve
• Magnetic starter, factory fitted
• Start/stop pressure switch control
• Low oil protection switch and oil sight glass
• Fully enclosed high-flow belt guard
• Pressure gauge
• Automatic tank drain

Not supplied: an air dryer. The CPXHT25 is the recommended match and is bought separately.

Specifications

Electrical

Air output

Tank and dimensions

Confirm the tank drain before you plan the installation

Published descriptions of the tank drain on this model differ. One specification sheet lists an electronic drain valve as present; a second lists it as absent; the manufacturer feature list calls it an Elite Series automatic tank drain without saying which mechanism it uses. What every source agrees on is that draining is automatic rather than a valve you crack open by hand each morning. If your installation depends on the difference between a pressure-operated automatic drain and a timed electronic solenoid, ask us to confirm it in writing before you place the order and we will get the answer from BelAire.

Certification, without the marketing gloss

The air receiver is built and stamped to the ASME pressure vessel code, and the machine is factory tested at full pressure before shipping. That is a real, checkable claim about the tank.

It is not, however, an electrical safety approval. We do not hold a North American third-party electrical safety listing from an accredited testing laboratory for this unit, and a pressure vessel code stamp is not a substitute for one. Insurers, fleet policies and local electrical inspectors sometimes require that listing by name. If yours might, establish the requirement first and ask us in writing before you order, not after a 481 lb machine is standing in your building.

Getting it delivered

Freight only, to the lower 48 states, quoted live at checkout against your own address so the number you see is the number you pay.

Plan the unload. Either a forklift or a dock at the delivery point, or take terminal pickup and collect it yourself. Deliveries to a residential address are available and attract a residential fee. Before you sign anything, walk around the crate: check the skid for shifting, look at the tank ends for dents, the belt guard for bending, and the floor of the trailer for oil. Write any damage you find on the delivery paperwork, then photograph it. Signing a clean receipt and finding the damage afterwards is how claims get denied.

Warranty

A 2-year bumper-to-bumper factory warranty covers all components, and nothing extra needs to be bought to activate it. Record the serial number as soon as the crate comes off and keep your invoice with it.

Do not strip the pump, motor or pressure switch before you open a claim. Dismantling a part to prove it has failed is the surest way to lose the cover on that exact part. Report it first, and keep to the manufacturer's oil change, belt tension and drain intervals from the first week.