Air Compressor WARNING!

[aczlan]

Compressor Question. I fixed my buddies dewalt compressor. It needed the pressure switch and i rebuilt the control valve, easy peasy.

It runs fine, gets up to about 200 lbs and shuts off. I have drained it.

If it just lays there, unused, about how long should it go before it cycles back on. I'm not sure but, i might have a leak.

I will go back and look but I'm curious , what is normal?

thx

Hours if not days.
Depends on how leakproof it is.

Aaron Z

 

[fried1765]

Very timely, I just rewired and old compressor that could hold over 200 psi... once I got it cranked up, it popped a hole in the bottom (very low pressure). This tank sat in my basement for a long time (to be fixed). Finally got around to it and the hole happened... first thought was... it's cast iron, weld or braze?

Looking for a donor tank at the moment...

I tried a tank repair experiment.
First: Put some OSPHO in the tank, and sloshed it around a bit, and let it sit for several days.
Then drained the OSPHO, and hooked the blower end of a vacuum to the tank with all tank fittings removed.
When I believed it to be dry, added a wet mix of two part marine epoxy to the tank, allowing the epoxy to lay in the bottom.
Waited a week,
Process worked.
The tank is still in use 5 years later

 

[Oldpath05]

Chad Wang tried to cut the top off a barrel

broke virtually every bone in his face , 75 days in the hospital

Steel drum explosions have killed dozens over past 15 years

Another really dangerous job is working on large storage tanks in the oil fields

worker killed while attempting to modify the tank to "meet emission laws"

Victim of Mead oil tank explosion identified as Greeley man – The Denver Post

Was it full of water?

 

[sd455dan]

Doesn't say, although the barrel had held waste oil and gasoline at some point

. and an update said the barrel contained a small amount of liquid.

Sounds like he didn't take any precautions at all . Lit the torch and pierced the top with an Oxy / Acetylene torch...

Bet he never does that again.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

When you see the result of the valve on a large Oxygen cylinder break off; changes you perspective fast. when I went to welding shop at high school we had to change out cylinders on the manifold. Kid moved a full cylinder w/o the cap on. Lost control and it became a rocket. Went through a reinforced concrete block wall and destroyed the door on a parked car 20 feet away. Lucky he was behind it.

Ron

 

[Frankenkubota]

Hours if not days.
Depends on how leakproof it is.

Aaron Z

Thx, that's what i thought. i fixed my friends but it only goes 1 hour before recycling, if left alone. i think i better rewrap all his old connections. better than nothing!

 

[pmsmechanic]

Thx, that's what i thought. i fixed my friends but it only goes 1 hour before recycling, if left alone. i think i better rewrap all his old connections. better than nothing!

My compressor hardly loses air at all. What I did was buy quarter turn valves and install then by the quick couplers. That has saved considerable compressor cycling. I basically don't hear the compressor run unless I use air.

 

[Industrial Toys]

My compressor serves Five buildings. Every coupler has a small quarter turn valve. The losses otherwise would be unacceptable. Not to mention, once in a while an air hose blows which could leave the compressor running.

 

[MH8675309]

Good comment - more to see and learn here than everything else combined

 

[sd455dan]

Thx, that's what i thought. i fixed my friends but it only goes 1 hour before recycling, if left alone. i think i better rewrap all his old connections. better than nothing!

An old spray bottle with a little dish soap and water sprayed on the connections after it pumps up should find any leaks.