Topic: OK, my compressor leaks, now what?

[HondaMan]

I have a barely-used (just 12 times that I remember) 30 gallon Craftsman compressor (model 919.167312 if it helps) that popped a barely-visible crack on the bottom, right alongside the large plug that was threaded in with the drain valve for the tank. I've been a good boy and drained the tank of air & water after every use, but it has sprung a leak there anyway, right on the edge of the big threaded hole where the Chinese torqued in a big (4" diameter) plug, probably with lousy Chinese threads per their usual quality.

So, I've a question from others with experience: how likely is a weld repair to be able to 'fix' this?
I run it up to about 100-105 PSI when I use it for painting (which I haven't done in about 8 years).

[CycleRanger]

Imho it can't be repaired and be safe to use.
You can weld the crack but the corrosion is on the inside.
There are many youtube videos of exploded compressor tanks.

[HondaMan]

Imho it can't be repaired and be safe to use.
You can weld the crack but the corrosion is on the inside.
There are many youtube videos of exploded compressor tanks.

Yeah, I've seen them in real life, too: in this case it would launch the thing?
I'm considering having the bottom cut out and a plate (with a drain screw) welded onto it - by a really good welder I know.
I don't have the $$ for a compressor big enough to run spray guns to paint the tank and covers on the 550 for my book.

[dave500]

compressor tanks are surprisingly thin,can you get a new tank?

[BenelliSEI]

Imho it can't be repaired and be safe to use.
You can weld the crack but the corrosion is on the inside.
There are many youtube videos of exploded compressor tanks.

Yeah, I've seen them in real life, too: in this case it would launch the thing?
I'm considering having the bottom cut out and a plate (with a drain screw) welded onto it - by a really good welder I know.
I don't have the $$ for a compressor big enough to run spray guns to paint the tank and covers on the 550 for my book.

This is a perfectly safe solution if your welder is a pro. As soon as he cuts out the bottom he will tell you if he can save it.

[calj737]

Competent welders can repair what is repairable. It was welded to begin with, it can be welded as a repair.

The “correct” method for draining compressor tanks is to open the drain valve, and then run the compressor allowing the compressor to build sufficient pressure to forcefully blow out all moisture and debris. You’d be surprised how much gets trapped inside despite manually draining the tank with only static pressure.

[simon#42]

i always seem to be disappointed with the quality of modern stuff , i know its cheap but i would rather pay more for something that will last .  i have an ingersoll rand compressor that was installed in my garage in 1948 and still runs all day .

[HondaMan]

compressor tanks are surprisingly thin,can you get a new tank?

That was my first attempt: all places that supply replacement parts for the thing (compressor and plumbing pieces) state clearly the "Tank is no longer available". Kinda makes me wonder if so many of them failed that they discontinued the product - because of bad tanks? Dunno - it's been a great compressor aside from that.

[HondaMan]

This is a perfectly safe solution if your welder is a pro. As soon as he cuts out the bottom he will tell you if he can save it.

I have wondered how thick the tank is (rated for 150 PSI, in great big letters on it), since I can't tell. There is a large 8"+ insert into the bottom of the tank, and another 2" insert in that one where the drain valve is then threaded in. The leak is along the side of the larger 'plug'. And, my welder is definitely "the pro": he's the one who has saved many cylinder & head fins, even whole K0 sandcast cases, for me. When he is done, it is usually almost invisible where he welded, too.

Competent welders can repair what is repairable. It was welded to begin with, it can be welded as a repair.

The “correct” method for draining compressor tanks is to open the drain valve, and then run the compressor allowing the compressor to build sufficient pressure to forcefully blow out all moisture and debris. You’d be surprised how much gets trapped inside despite manually draining the tank with only static pressure.

I didn't figure that out until the 4th time I used the compressor: I got a used (but nice, not rusty) wrought iron patio cover (40 feet long by 8 feet deep) from a freshly-remodeled house some 15 years ago and used the compressor to paint all that iron: it took 5 days(!). I then let it fill, shut it off and bled it thru the drain, but all the way to the end it still made the floor damp when blowing. So, I turned it on and left the valve open: it took about 15 more minutes before it stopped making a wet spot and I stopped pumping, letting it decompress to zero. I've only painted 2 bikes since then, letting it pump itself dry after those jobs, too. Sad that it only lasted this long.

At least it was a gift and I didn't pay a lot of $$ for it to start!

[scottly]

I've used propane tanks to increase my reserve air capacity. They are rated for 300 PSI working pressure, IIRC. The problem is connecting the check valve between the compressor and the new tank. It can be done, but it may require a few trips to the hardware store looking for various plumbing bits.

[HondaMan]

I've used propane tanks to increase my reserve air capacity. They are rated for 300 PSI working pressure, IIRC. The problem is connecting the check valve between the compressor and the new tank. It can be done, but it may require a few trips to the hardware store looking for various plumbing bits.

I have [what I call] an "extension" tank, which is a 10-gallon tank with a T-connector for the air hoses on top of it. I use it when I have to run more than 10 linear feet of the 1/2" line to a sprayer, just so I can get a more consistent pressure. It works well with air tools, too, like the impact wrench clear out on the driveway somewhere.

It doesn't leak, but I can't fit the compressor itself onto this little tank. Oddly enough, there are 10-gallon versions of my compressor out there with the same 10-gallon size tank under them and the same pump on top! I thought about trying something along those lines, but it would take a lot of plumbing and I'm not happy with a tee where the compressor fills the tank and the spray gun gets the other nipple: that's going to cause pulsing in the sprayer, and candy paints don't like that sort of thing.

[grcamna2]

I would consider looking around online and replacing that tank(30+ gal.?) w/ an ASME certified tank,preferably Made in USA;those are thick steel construction and rarely rust-out,even when old.
You can swap the pump and motor to the fresh tank;a decent size tank w/ a good quality check valve and the correct size threaded ports will last a good,long time.
I imagine there are some Industrial supply places around near Denver that may have access to one of the correct capacity for your needs.
Do you know how many CFM your compressor will pump?
I like a large tank,if given the choice.

Have you considered an old Service Station type compressor w/ a vertical(60 gals.)tank,5 or 7.5HP(230volts single phase,wire it into your dryer outlet)and made by Kellog-American which is Industrial quality ?  180-195PSI WP/working pressure which can be regulated down for great shop line-pressure.
They are a heavy cast iron(not portable)piece of machinery w/ discs and springs for valves and two-stage(parallel twin w/ a large cylinder for the 1st stage & small cylinder for the 2nd stage)pump;built to last a Lifetime w/ large tapered roller bearing crankshaft.
They've been around Fore-Ever(parts are never a problem)and can be rebuilt over and over;when an old Service Station,business,etc. closes and you find  one w/ a recent date code tank,according to the tank's spec plate & had an owner who changed the oil,jump on it.

[scottly]

At this point, it may be more cost-effective to just buy a new compressor.
I'm sort of in the same position, except in my case, it's the motor, not the tank..
I have a nice Dayton two-stage pump that's rated 3-5 HP, depending on the RPM, which was about 500 with a 3HP 1800 RPM motor. It made a pleasing sort of pooka-pooka-pooka sound instead of a high RPM buzz like some compressors. A few month's ago, the magic smoke escaped from the motor. A replacement motor will cost $600. I only paid $250 for the whole setup from a neighbor 25 years ago. Do I really need that large of a compressor? Decisions, decisions... 

[Honda Hansel]

Just use a 100 LBS propane tank
Weld in the fittings and bam here is the solution

I made mine back in 1996 out of a 100 LBS tank and welded all the fittings my self
Working just fine

Honda Hansel

[grcamna2]

Just use a 100 LBS propane tank
Weld in the fittings and bam here is the solution

I made mine back in 1996 out of a 100 LBS tank and welded all the fittings my self
Working just fine

Honda Hansel

I like that BINFORD nameplate on your orange compressor    That one's a 'Strong Muth'a   

[HondaMan]

BINFORD!
Now, THERE's a tank that will last.

[Stev-o]

HM...personally, I would just bite the bullet and buy a new one or find a nice used one such as this...

https://denver.craigslist.org/for/d/denver-air-compressor/7784901463.html

[Don R]

 I had one recently that a friend used for air storage with a tiny compressor. He had robbed the pump off of it when new. I used it for auxiliary air too but eventually the system falls behind anyway, I also see them on marketplace on occasion with just the tank.
 A friend had one under a workbench that had been re-called but he didn't know. When it let go it didn't escape the confines of the bench but did knock the back wall of the shop off of its foundation a couple inches. An erupting water heater can even leave the building but that's steam not air.

[HondaMan]

HM...personally, I would just bite the bullet and buy a new one or find a nice used one such as this...

https://denver.craigslist.org/for/d/denver-air-compressor/7784901463.html

Thanks for the tip! At the moment the 'bank' is empty from surprise medical costs we just incurred, so I may not get to paint the 550 for my book anytime soon. It might end up with a patina'd bike in the pages instead?

[Don R]

 Maybe someone has a nice loaner set of tins.

[grcamna2]

I had one recently that a friend used for air storage with a tiny compressor. He had robbed the pump off of it when new. I used it for auxiliary air too but eventually the system falls behind anyway, I also see them on marketplace on occasion with just the tank.
 A friend had one under a workbench that had been re-called but he didn't know. When it let go it didn't escape the confines of the bench but did knock the back wall of the shop off of its foundation a couple inches. An erupting water heater can even leave the building but that's steam not air.

Yeah,Marketplace may yield you a deal.

[Kelly E]

I have a Puma 60 gallon compressor that I bought new in 06'. It's been trouble free so far. It was $600 then but would be double that at least to replace it now. It's made in the USA and they are still in business.

[grcamna2]

I have a Puma 60 gallon compressor that I bought new in 06'. It's been trouble free so far. It was $600 then but would be double that at least to replace it now. It's made in the USA and they are still in business.

Did you purchase it  from the local Home Center in your area ?
Looks decent quality.

[Kelly E]

I have a Puma 60 gallon compressor that I bought new in 06'. It's been trouble free so far. It was $600 then but would be double that at least to replace it now. It's made in the USA and they are still in business.

Did you purchase it  from the local Home Center in your area ?
Looks decent quality.

Nope I bought it at a commercial grade tool store that went under in the bust of 08'. Sometimes I still miss that place.

[willbird]

I had one recently that a friend used for air storage with a tiny compressor. He had robbed the pump off of it when new. I used it for auxiliary air too but eventually the system falls behind anyway, I also see them on marketplace on occasion with just the tank.
 A friend had one under a workbench that had been re-called but he didn't know. When it let go it didn't escape the confines of the bench but did knock the back wall of the shop off of its foundation a couple inches. An erupting water heater can even leave the building but that's steam not air.

A friend had an old water well non bladder expansion tank he used for an air compressor tank in his barn. The pressure valve failed and it kept running until the tank let go. That tank had a domed top and a welded in bottom so that bottom blew out. It blew the siding off the barn and launched itself through the ceiling and up into the hay loft. He found all this stuff when he went out there one day, luckily nobody was around.

Another group of smart fellas made their own tank out of schedule 80 pipe with ends welded in by a "good" welder, one end blew out and did a bunch of damage and nearly severed the legs of a kid that was in the building when it blew out. All that jazz makes the new air compressors at Menards look pretty "cheap" really ;-).