Air tank/compressor question

[trickyrix]

I was digging around in the garage and found a portable air tank that I had forgotten about. It needs a new valve/gauge/hose kit. My first thought was to just get the new guts and make it usable again. But my second thought was to plumb it into my air compressor and double the volume of air capacity - better for air tools, etc. I'd end up with two ~12 gal tanks. I realize that would double both the use time and the fill time. Any thoughts? Anyone done this at home?

[black roadster]

I never seem to run out of air. Heck, we've had to wait on the compressor at TDR maybe twice in five years when several folks were using the air at once. Even if I do have to wait it's what, maybe five minutes max? If you have it, it won't hurt but I don't think it's necessary and if you drain the tank after each use which I do on my home compressor, that's more energy every time you use it.

A more useful compressor "mod" can be found here. I just did it to mine. Much easier to drain now.

[POS Racing]

Just get creative with some quick disconnect fittings and a T fitting and give it a try.

[91NA6]

Just get creative with some quick disconnect fittings and a T fitting and give it a try.

We sell all the fittings and quick dis/connects you could ask for, at my work, Rick.

[HudsonHawk]

I never seem to run out of air. Heck, we've had to wait on the compressor at TDR maybe twice in five years when several folks were using the air at once. Even if I do have to wait it's what, maybe five minutes max? If you have it, it won't hurt but I don't think it's necessary and if you drain the tank after each use which I do on my home compressor, that's more energy every time you use it.

A more useful compressor "mod" can be found here. I just did it to mine. Much easier to drain now.

Definately need to do this to mine. I drain it every couple of uses but this will make it much easier.

BTW - A Plasma torch will drain a 25 Gallon tank in just a couple of minutes and my compressor cn not keep up with it.

[trickyrix]

I like the drain mod! I definitely need to do that, since I can't remember the last time I drained that tank. I don't know how big the TDR setup is, but it's gotta be bigger than mine. I run out of air all the time, especially if I'm using something like a cutting tool or a grinder. Maybe I need to check the pressure at which the compressor kicks on and see if that's adjustable - not sure that would help, though. However, I suspect the compressor itself doesn't have the flow to keep up and hold pressure when I'm running air tools. As such, if I could buy some more time with more air capacity, that would be awesome.

As for the plumbing, it seems to me that I'd need to run a line to the external tank upstream of the regulator on the old compressor. Thoughts?

[chriscar]

You need more SCFM.

http://www.about-air-compressors.com/SCFM.html

C

[trickyrix]

I guess I do need more SCFM, or maybe I don't need to use an air grinder with my little compressor. My 30-year-old unit is rated at 4.7 SCFM @ 40 psi and 3.3 SCFM @ 90 psi. It's a 1.5-horse Sears, FWIW.

In other news, I drained the tank for the first time since the Clinton administration. I broke the drain valve, then took the whole thing out... aaaaand, nothing came out. So I jabbed a screwdriver up in the hole and poked into something crusty, at which point all kinds of ugly shit came out. I figured I might as well get the parts for the drain mod and set that up. I got most of what I needed at my redneck Ace Hardware in Mesquite, then had to go to Northern for the ball valve. I went bigger on the hose with a 3/8" ID. I figured the puny little 1/4" stuff would get gunked up too easily. I cranked it all together with teflon tape and found no leaks. Great success!

Pix for your enjoyment:

[Rob®]

Or save $20 and go remote mount: http://www.harborfreight.com/automat...kit-68244.html

Put your compressor in the crawl space above your garage, wire it, never have to look for ear plugs or go in the house while it's running again. And you free up that much floor space. I've been meaning to do it to this house since I bought it, but now that I don't really need garage space anymore (ie soon), I can continue being lazy about it.

[chriscar]

I've had a Home Depot oil-less standup one, for probably 5 years, and drained it for the first time before moving here. It probably had a good few quarts of seriously rusty red water in it.

C

[black roadster]

In this humidity, you need to drain the tanks often if not every time. At TDR we have a water separator in the line which helps keep the tools dry but it fills quickly and we are still draining the tank often. We need to do this mod to that compressor too. Good job Rick. It seriously makes draining the tank a no-brainer. I got enough hose to let it drain out of my garage.

[juxt3r]

Draining water from your air tank should be a regular practice regardless of humidity level. That rust inside? It's just as damaging as rust you'd find, say, on/in the rockers of a northern car. Eventually it will damage or eat through some low lying portion of your setup. If nothing else, regular draining of water will prevent that nasty spray of rust from staining your floor, hands, shoes, pants, et al.

Rick, since you mention adjustable kick-on pressure, many compressors do have this feature. You won't find it on the pancake units at the Depot, but larger ones will have that as a function in the regulator assembly. Haven't seen your compressor in a while, so I can't speak to its functionality.

[trickyrix]

Yep, now that it's incredibly easy to drain my tank, I'll be doing so every time I use it. Since I've got my compressor backed up to an exterior wall, I'm going to run the drain hose right outside and leave the mess out there.

My compressor is a definitely step up from the little pancake units, but I can't see any obvious way to adjust the kick-on pressure. When I get around to it, I'll take the thing apart and see what I find.

[Nexus Flux]

I have the same air compressor that's in the post BR put up. And a similar drain setup, however I mounted mine so the ball valve is between the front (non-wheeled) support. That way it doesn't get knocked about or god forbid caught on something and ripped off. The other thing I did when I first got the compressor was to pour a few quarts of motor oil in the tank and sloshed it around to coat the inside. Oil coating on the inside protects from rust, well that was the idea anyway. After 6 or so years of usage and only occasional draining, I get no rusty looking water, just and oily smell when I drain it.

One thing I never understood was why they don't just powder coat the inside like they do the outside. Good semi truck air brake reservoir tanks are powder coated inside and out for that exact reason.

[boisking]

If you run the tanks in series before your tool lines, the second (piggy back) tank will serve as a water separator. It is reasonably effective.