Air Compressors can be considered a basic need for a lot of businesses, and even homeowners can find practical and convenient uses for them. An air compressor is more than a tool to inflate your car’s tires, it should be looked at as an alternative power source for your shop or garage. Typical compressors come in 1- or 2-cylinder versions to suit the requirements of the tools they power. On the homeowner/contractor level, most of the 2-cylinder models operate just like single-cylinder versions, except that there are two strokes per revolution instead of one. Some commercial 2-cylinder compressors are 2-stage compressors–one piston pumps air into a second cylinder that further increases pressure. Air compressors use a pressure switch to stop the motor when tank pressure reaches a preset limit–about 125 psi for many single-stage models. Most of the time, though, you don't need that much pressure. Therefore, the air line will include a regulator that you set to match the pressure requirements of the tool you're using. A gauge before the regulator monitors tank pressure and a gauge after the regulator monitors air-line pressure. In addition, the tank has a safety valve that opens if the pressure switch malfunctions. The pressure switch may also incorporate an unloader valve that reduces tank pressure when the compressor is turned off.