Unloader system and method for a compressor

An apparatus comprising:

• a compression mechanism;
• a valve plate associated with said compression mechanism and including a plurality of ports in fluid communication with said compression mechanism;
• a header disposed adjacent to said valve plate;
• a plurality of cylinders disposed adjacent to said valve plate;
• a plurality of pistons respectively disposed within said plurality of cylinders and movable relative to said cylinders between a first position spaced apart from the valve plate to allow flow through said plurality of ports and into said compression mechanism and a second position engaging the valve plate to restrict flow through said plurality of ports and into said compression mechanism;
• a chamber disposed within each of said cylinders and receiving a pressurized fluid in a first mode to move said piston into said second position and venting said pressurized fluid in a second mode to move said piston into said first position, one of said chambers venting said pressurized fluid at a greater rate than the other of said chambers to move one of said pistons into said first position before the other of said pistons.