air compressor blows up in Chelsea

henrys57wagon · WOODLAWN, ONT

air compressor blows up in Chelsea

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

Ouch! I'm kinda surprised it doesn't happen more often. Air compressors are prone to condensation, and tanks never get tested. I don't even know if they have a date on them.

Sacotu · COBOURG, ONT

back in the day they used to use old water tanks as compressor tanks. i had a friend in halifax have one explode like a missle and go through his roof and landed 30 or more ft away from his shop. after that i got rid of my old style compressor tank and went with a new one.

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Had a neighbour 10 years back who did a lot of bodywork for years at home.
He had an 80 gallon Hot water tank he used for air, think the pressure he ran was 125 or 140, anyway, its a wonder that thing never blew up, he may still be using it!!

slim · DUNDAS, ONT

Sacotu wrote:
back in the day they used to use old water tanks as compressor tanks. i had a friend in halifax have one explode like a missle and go through his roof and landed 30 or more ft away from his shop. after that i got rid of my old style compressor tank and went with a new one.

Same thing happened to a guy that was two doors down from me when I lived in Lynden . Most hot water tanks are glass lined so the shrapnel is a little more fun then just rusty steel.

Redneck Rydes · TRENTON, ONT & SOUTH CAROLINA

I guess when it says drain your tank daily you better do it,We are all guilty on NOT draining our tanks, :(

Fordy Acres Car Farm · DORCHESTER, ONT

Yep, I've even got an auto-drainer on my 1st stand up in shop #1. It will open the valve on the bottom when the pressure drops below 8 PSI, but I hardly ever let it drop that much disbelief . My other in shop 2 is only a couple years old, but it's the old manual/get down and dirty on your knees type valve that has been drained maybe 3 or 4 times?

58Chev · ETOBICOKE, ONT

First thing I did when I installed my 60GAL, was to remove the small pet**** valve and extend to the edge of the tank with copper pipe and a 1/4 turn valve.
Makes for easy draining.

Sacotu · COBOURG, ONT

58Chev wrote:
First thing I did when I installed my 60GAL, was to remove the small pet**** valve and extend to the edge of the tank with copper pipe and a 1/4 turn valve.
Makes for easy draining.

excellent idea. might be the project today.

henrys57wagon · WOODLAWN, ONT

I extended mine with about 4ft of air line then the pet**** on the end. Do not drain it that often. Merry Christmas.

Sacotu · COBOURG, ONT

Sacotu wrote:
58Chev wrote:
First thing I did when I installed my 60GAL, was to remove the small pet**** valve and extend to the edge of the tank with copper pipe and a 1/4 turn valve.
Makes for easy draining.
excellent idea. might be the project today.

Done

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fatstax · COBOURG, ONT

i witnessed a similiar air tank missile about ten years ago, i worked in baltimore north of cobourg and this fellow who i know who is a half assed body man set up a body shop in one of the rental units at the place i worked, well it was a massive compressor head and a water tank, he wired it himself and somehow didnt wire the pressure switch properley and of course the tank had no safety valve, well it must have built up over 500 psi because it blew the bottom off the tank and went through the roof, i heard the noise as i was outside in the yard and i saw the tank in the air about 60 feet up then come back down and lodge itself in the roof of the building. guy and his buddy were in the shop when it blew, thankfully they were only deaf from the sudden air pressure increase. it could have been far worse as the explosion blew the gas lines and meters off the wall as well.

shag766 · FOXBORO, ONT

Sacotu wrote:
Sacotu wrote:
58Chev wrote:
First thing I did when I installed my 60GAL, was to remove the small pet**** valve and extend to the edge of the tank with copper pipe and a 1/4 turn valve.
Makes for easy draining.
excellent idea. might be the project today.
Done
i like that set up. i was going to put a spring loaded valve with a pull cord like my trucks have on the tanks but that would be a whole lot less messy.

Canadian Poncho · PEI

I've always been in the habit of draining my tank after using it. It's amazing the water that comes out-especially on a hot humid day.