26 thoughts on “Home Air Compressor Warning”

  1. Ok I investigate pressure equipment failures for a living. Here are my thoughts.
    First I noted that the inside of the tank is rusted.

    2nd the split is not slong an existing seam.

    3rd Someone welded a valve into the tank. You can see it to the end on top with the handle.This would be the bottom of the tank because the ‘handle’ is part of the wheels.

    This is what I think happened. They never drained the tank and water built up and rusted the tank. They also welded in a valve into a thin wall tank and you can see the heat effected zone shows they ran the input heat too high and weakened the steel. The combination of the corrided and weakened metal meant the tank could not hold the pressure. The failure is on the low point were water would settle.

    He says it had rust and was charging when it went.

    I’ve seen this before, in industry we do a calc on stored energy and you would be surprised at how much a little tank has for effect.

    • So, what I get out of this, you are full of hot air, hot liquid and have an explosive personality…

    • My thoughts as well. I have seen this before with an old compressor that rarely got the water drained out.

    • I agree with your analysis. It would be interesting to see if the high limit pressure switch worked correctly, and if the poppet valve failed.
      Screwing with the tank certainly didn’t help, eh?

  2. As an aside, this is why tanks in commercial applications are inspected for thinning and why you should at least once a week open the drain valve over night to let all the moisture out.

    Last item, unless you are a licensed vlass B welder do not weld on one at home.

    • opening the drain valve is a must. That’s why they put them on tanks. Actually what you should do, for a home compressor, is open the drain valve after every use. My Dad did that with his compressor and never had problem with 20+ years use.

  3. He has another video where he fesses up to what Exile above said:
    https://youtu.be/LOLRVNr9ZsE

    From my eyes, that’s a lot of rust. Too much.
    And it’s a Husky. Nothing wrong, per say, I have one myself (far newer than that one). But I maintain it. But I’m in a semi-arid climate, and I never get more than an ounce or so of water when I drain it quarterly.

    It’s so fuggin useful, I think I need to bite the bullet and buy a pro one.

    • I may call BS on this guy and his video. That was an outward explosion and enough force ripped that tank open. That pressure relief or the tube that came off of the tank itself to the regulator was plugged, no other reason, that tank came apart from an excess of pressure. Something was blocked and it certainly wasn’t his wrench.

      • Agree. That is an explosion. either someone put 300 psi + in it or fuel air and spark. Yes a weakened vessel but with normal 150 psi it would split and leak down.

  5. First thing I would do is thank my Maker for provision in the storm . Your head coulda been sliced like a slab of baloney .

  6. I drain my tank after every time I use it. and I bought it new back in 1973.
    still working well, but LIKE I SAID. I DRAIN THE TANK AFTER I AM DONE.
    learned that little deal from a mechanic who work for the gas company.
    he was rabid about it. he used to change the pressure valve on his hot water heater EVERY year too. his welding tanks where housed in a armor cart as well
    that he kept in a shed behind his workshop. not in it.

  7. I make sure my pressure relief valve get cycled manually on a regular basis. They can stick and fail to function if they are never opened. Also, it is possible that his pressure switch stuck in the on position. I have seen that happen before. If both of these happen at the same time, this sort of explosion would be the result.

  8. I don’t have a compressor, never used one, only been near them at work and even I know to fucking drain the damned thing, check the pressure relief valve and use a dryer or a drain drop on the airlines.

    Moron.

    He jury-rigged that explosion so he could get more pressure out of it and mistreated the thing. Blown from the bottom explains it all.

    One of my former cow-orkers would have called this jackwagon a ‘fucktard’ because he’s fucking retarded.

    And then to make a video of it? Complete dumbass. He’s lucky nobody got killed by that thing.

  9. Ignoring the bloke’s tank mods, given the water+Chinese steel equation, could our resident experts advise whether it’s worth sloshing oil around the bottom of the tank before first use as well as draining it regularly?

  10. +1 on draining the tank after EVERY use. I’ve got a vertical 30 gallon that came designed for and set up for 150 PSI; first thing I did was adjust the shutoiff valve down to 120 and add some 1/4″ pipe and a quarter turn valve to the bottom drain to get the drain valve out where it could be easily reached and operated. Pro Tips: the last piece of 1/4″ should be a 45 degree elbow pointed down, otherwise you’ll sometimes get rusty water blasted into your feet and shins, and wear your safety glasses when opening the drain.

    One thing I’d like to know, maybe from Exile 1981, is what is the recommended service life of “home mechanic” type air compressors? Draining the tank after each use does not totally prevent rust-through, it just delays it, and the pressurize/release cycle stresses the steel of the tank over time. There’s a limit to how long any tank can withstand that. What is that practical limit? How often should a home-style tank be replaced?

  13. Hoop stress is a big deal. That’s why I bought a vertical tank. And even then, I have it surrounded by 3/4 ply (mostly for sound) on the wall with a blast section (a single pane window, actually) through the outside wall. I replaced the junky water-drain valve with a short section of air line, ran it through the enclosure, then terminated with a boiler-grade petcock.

    A lifetime ago when I was an engineer at a company that manufactured rust inhibitors, I learned that corrosion happens most rapidly at the water level. If you are going to drain it, don’t skip a day. Leaving a drained tank with a skim of water is an even worse idea than leaving water in it.. Particularly when it starts accumulating a lot of crud in the bottom of the tank. After opening the valve, be sure to push plenty of air into the tank to flush all the humidity out of it..

  15. This was a useful post for me. I inherited a compressor from my father about 10 years ago, and didn’t even know it had a drain valve. I almost never use it — just for filling up the tires in my car now and then, probable a couple times a year.

    Assuming I find the valve, is there some way to estimate the damage done to the compressor — should I be worried about using it?

  16. With 40 Years now as a Jet Mechanic, where Air Tools are a more important item that Automotive Shops, Big Air Compressors are common – a ‘little one’ is a 3-Phase, 208-Volt 5 Horsepower (actual, not Startup) two-Cylinder Pump on a 60-Gallon Tank. It goes Uphill from there, to 25-Horsepower Motors turning Screw Compressors pumping 150 Cubic Feet per Minute into a row of 200-Gallon Vertical Tanks. Automatic Drain Valves are standard, and Good Practice is to at least Weekly turn off the Pump and Blow Down the entire System, Delivery Lines and all Water Traps. ASME- Rated Tanks are standard
    on Commercial Units, not so much for ‘Household’ grade stuff like Shown. The Tank should have a Metal Tag, welded to it, stating it’s ASME- Standard, 300-PSI Rated. Anything else is Junk. In the Past, many States had Laws that
    prohibited the Sale of Pressure Tanks (for any use) that didn’t meet that Spec.

    Any Tank that’s over 20-Years Old should be Suspected of being Corroded and Weak. The Cost of a Certified X-Ray Inspection likely outweighs the Cost of a New Tank for an otherwise Good Motor and Compressor- I have two that I did that to, one was ‘Free’ because it had Rusted to the point of Leaking beside the Drain Fitting.

    As for Delivery Lines, if you’re tempted to Run a Fixed Line from your Compressor to other points in a Shop or Garage, NEVER use that White ‘PVC’ Water Pipe that Glues together- It may be ‘Rated’ for the Pressure, but the Dynamics and Vibration of Air Systems are Not what it’s Designed for. Run some 3/4-inch Hose, like is used for Jackhammers and Large Tools. Clamp the Hose Down every few Feet, so if it Bursts, it won’t do the “Angry Snake” and Beat everything until the Tank is empty.

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