Air Compressor WARNING!

[aczlan]

You didn't watch the follow up video then did you,,,,, and who the heck drains a tank every day and who the heck calls a tank a receiver, have you flipped your lid. I drain my vertical 60 gal tank two or three times a year, maybe a quart of water comes out, big deal little shuffle...........

In industrial settings the tank that the high pressure output from a compressor goes into is called a receiver.
We have several at work for the compressors there and they are not small (they are on 100+ HP compressors).
They get drained twice a day when somebody does rounds and checks on the plant.

Aaron Z

 

[shaeff]

In industrial settings the tank that the high pressure output from a compressor goes into is called a receiver.
We have several at work for the compressors there and they are not small (they are on 100+ HP compressors).
They get drained twice a day when somebody does rounds and checks on the plant.

Aaron Z

Same at my old job, we had two screw compressors, both with 100 gallon tanks, which were labeled as receivers.

Current job we've got two 60hp Atlas CopCo VSD screw compressors, with two receivers that are 1060 gallon each. They trade off lead/lag and run almost continuously.

 

[ultrarunner]

No auto drains???

 

[aczlan]

No auto drains???

Yes, but you still check the tanks daily to make sure you don't have problems (ie: if a separator fails you can dump more oil into the outlet than an auto drain can handle).

Aaron Z

 

[ruffdog]

A few years ago I looked at a new portable air tank and thought "they don't make them like they use to". It was about 50% lighter than my old one. Are cheap compressor tanks thin walled too?

Also, I saw a video of a guy testing a compressor tank with a pressure washer. He filled the tank with water, installed a pressure gauge, and used the wand to bring it up to 150% of capacity.

 

[Industrial Toys]

My HUSKY air pig says discard after so many years. Of course I didn't. But I am in fear of my life every time I fill it to 120 psi. Maybe a new one, wouldn't be nearly as strong!

 

[ultrarunner]

Yes, but you still check the tanks daily to make sure you don't have problems (ie: if a separator fails you can dump more oil into the outlet than an auto drain can handle).

Aaron Z

I guess I will have to add to the checklist...

Only been checking weekly since 1995... the auto drain still working... it is a ball valve that slowly rotates on a adjustable cycle.

The State does come out and check wall thickness every 5 years and the first year I had to provide ASTM documentation when registering.

Never been more than a thimble of water when doing the manual check...

It is a 175 psi 80 gallon upright that I run at 60 psi... to feed another tank mounted on the room for pneumatic HVAC controls.

 

[Oldpath05]

Interesting video on water testing an air tank. Two things I learned was water dont compress like air and he tested an air tank not a receiver tank, must be a British term, either way I outlawed that terminology in my house and am throwing away all books that uses it....

 

[5030]

Interesting video on water testing an air tank. Two things I learned was water dont compress like air and he tested an air tank not a receiver tank, must be a British term, either way I outlawed that terminology in my house and am throwing away all books that uses it....

You can actually read... I'm amazed.

 

[aczlan]

I guess I will have to add to the checklist...

Only been checking weekly since 1995... the auto drain still working... it is a ball valve that slowly rotates on a adjustable cycle.

The State does come out and check wall thickness every 5 years and the first year I had to provide ASTM documentation when registering.

Never been more than a thimble of water when doing the manual check...

It is a 175 psi 80 gallon upright that I run at 60 psi... to feed another tank mounted on the room for pneumatic HVAC controls.

We are doing that for 100+ hp screw compressors, with a small reciprocating compressor like that you probably don't need to worry about that as you might have a quart of oil in the compressor vs 20+ gallons in a screw compressor.

Aaron Z