Champion PL-Series Pressure-Lubricated Duplex Piston Air Compressor

A duplex PL-Series is two complete pressure lubricated compressors on one receiver, wired to alternate. The controller swaps the lead unit so the hours land evenly on both, and if one pump is down the other keeps the plant running at half capacity instead of stopping it.

That redundancy is what you are buying. The second reason people buy duplex is part load efficiency: on a plant whose demand swings, one pump covers the base and the second only starts when it is needed, instead of one oversized machine short cycling all day.

Choosing a model

Duplex capacity is roughly double the simplex of the same pump, but check the number rather than doubling it yourself. A 5 HP duplex on the PL15 frame gives 34.6 ACFM at 175 PSIG against 16.2 for the simplex, so it is slightly more than double. A 15 HP duplex on the PL30 frame gives 98.0 against 46.3. Champion publishes the figure for each duplex model and it is in the chart below.

The 7.5 HP and 15 HP ratings each appear twice on two different pump frames, exactly as they do on the simplex range, and the pumps are not interchangeable. Order by model number.

Model	HP	Pump	Mounting	Receiver	Pump RPM	ACFM @ 175 PSIG	ACFM @ 250 PSIG	Est. ship weight	Aug 2026 list
HPL5D-8	5	PL15	Horizontal tank	80 gal	705	34.6	27.2	755	$22,870
HPL5D-12	5	PL15	Horizontal tank	120 gal	705	34.6	27.2	980	$23,320
HPL5D-24	5	PL15	Horizontal tank	240 gal	705	34.6	27.2	1315	$25,740
HPL7DF-12	7.5	PL15	Horizontal tank	120 gal	990	46.2	36.4	1150	$26,050
HPL7DF-24	7.5	PL15	Horizontal tank	240 gal	990	46.2	36.4	1485	$28,470
HPL7D-12	7.5	PL30	Horizontal tank	120 gal	570	51.6	42.6	1305	$35,960
HPL7D-24	7.5	PL30	Horizontal tank	240 gal	570	51.6	42.6	1675	$38,380
HPL10D-12	10	PL30	Horizontal tank	120 gal	718	69.6	55.0	1725	$35,820
HPL10D-24	10	PL30	Horizontal tank	240 gal	718	69.6	55.0	2325	$38,210
HPL15DF-12	15	PL30	Horizontal tank	120 gal	1035	98.0	85.2	1860	$39,270
HPL15DF-24	15	PL30	Horizontal tank	240 gal	1035	98.0	85.2	2460	$41,650
HPL15D-24	15	PL40	Horizontal tank	240 gal	776	107.4	91.6	2460	$50,100
HPL20D-24	20	PL70	Horizontal tank	240 gal	664	153.4	128.2	2845	$65,400
HPL25D-24	25	PL70	Horizontal tank	240 gal	776	180.2	153.6	2940	$68,124
HPL30D-24	30	PL70	Horizontal tank	240 gal	907	202.0	180.0	3018	$78,200

One note on the photography. Champion publishes no duplex package photograph for this range, so the package shot on this listing is a simplex unit on a horizontal receiver. A duplex carries two pumps and two motors on the one tank, which is what the bare pump images show. We would rather tell you that than quietly show you the wrong machine.

If one pump is enough for your demand, the simplex range is a separate listing: Champion PL-Series Simplex Pressure-Lubricated Piston Air Compressor.

How a duplex is put together

• Two pumps, two motors, two intake filters and silencers, two enclosed belt guards, on one horizontal ASME receiver
• Start and stop control with alternation is standard, included in the mounted NEMA 1 panel
• Receivers are 80, 120 or 240 gallon depending on the model. Every duplex in this range is horizontal. Champion does not build a vertical or a base mount duplex in the PL-Series
• Option adders on a duplex are roughly double the simplex figure, because most of them are fitted twice. The low oil stop control, the high temp switch and the aftercooler all price per pump

Where these earn their keep

Any plant that cannot stop when a compressor stops. Production lines, pharmaceutical and food plants, laboratories, and anywhere a service call means waiting a day for a part. Also any site whose demand varies enough that a single large machine would spend its life cycling.

Specifications shared across the range

• Stages: two stage, pressure lubricated
• Pumps: PL15, PL30, PL40 and PL70, cast iron, with a full pressure oil system and a crankcase oil pressure gauge
• Rated pressure: capacity is published at 175 PSIG and again at 250 PSIG. The standard receiver is the 200 PSI ASME vessel. A 250 PSI receiver is a priced option on every duplex in the range
• Motors: 1800 RPM, ODP standard, TEFC optional. Duplex packages carry two motors
• Control panel: mounted NEMA 1 panel included in the package price, with hourmeter, on and off switch, test-off-auto switch and a control voltage transformer
• Control scheme: tank mounted simplex units are start and stop pressure switch control. Duplex units are start and stop with alternation
• Receiver: ASME coded horizontal receiver on every duplex in the range
• Also standard: intake filter and silencer, enclosed belt guard, loadless starting, California Code compliant receivers. Duplex units carry two of each rotating assembly
• Freight: prepaid on compressors when the order exceeds 400 pounds
• Order entry: configurator PL3-30-DUPLEX-A

Champion does not publish dimensions, sound levels or a base warranty period for this family in the August 2026 price book, so we are not going to print numbers we cannot source. Ask us and we will get them from the factory in writing before you commit to a footprint.

Options fitted at the factory

Every PL-Series package is built to order, and the options below are priced adders applied at order entry rather than separate line items you buy later. Ask for a quote with the options you want and we will price the exact build.

• NEMA 4 control panel, and the NEMA 4 electrical and pressure switch package. Champion's own note is worth repeating: a NEMA 4 panel on its own does not make a NEMA 4 package. You need the panel, the N4 electrical and pressure switch, and a TEFC motor together
• Vinyl (epoxy) lined or galvanized coated receiver, priced by tank size
• 250 PSI receiver
• Massachusetts code fittings, which that state requires
• TEFC motor in place of the standard ODP, priced separately for single and three phase
• Air cooled aftercooler
• Food grade oil fill
• Low oil stop control, low oil pressure switch, high temp switch and electric tank drain. All four carry a NEMA 4 rating as the standard offering
• Vibration isolators, air filter maintenance indicator, domestic wood crate
• Premium extended warranty kit

Deducts and no charge items

Three order time choices move the price down or not at all, so they are not sold as separate items:

• Ship loose controller deducts from the package price if you would rather mount the panel yourself
• Less motor deducts if you are supplying the motor
• California Code receiver is standard at no charge on every tank model

Parts and service

Two pumps means two of every service part, and the alternation controller means both accumulate hours whether you watch them or not. We stock Champion parts and oil for the PL15, PL30, PL40 and PL70 frames. If you are running a duplex, buy the second set of filters at the same time. You will want them.

Buying this from Warthog

We are an authorized Champion distributor, so these ship new with the full factory warranty and the serial number registered to you, not to us. Prices on this page are the current August 2026 Champion list with our discount applied, and they are what you pay. We do not quote a low number and add a freight surcharge at the end.

One honest note on fit. If you run three shifts and your demand is reasonably steady, a rotary screw in the same horsepower will usually cost you less in electricity than any piston machine, and it will not need the duty cycle watching that a reciprocating unit does. We sell both. If a screw is the better answer for your plant we will say so. Where a piston wins is intermittent demand, high pressure, and a maintenance crew who would rather rebuild a pump in house than call a technician.

Questions we actually get

Does the alternation need setting up? No. It is part of the standard mounted panel on every duplex in this range, not an option you add.

Can I run both pumps at once? Yes, and the published capacity assumes both running. The alternation is about sharing hours and covering a failure, not about limiting you to one at a time.

Is a duplex cheaper than two simplex machines? Usually, because you buy one receiver and one panel instead of two of each. What you give up is the ability to put the two machines in different rooms.