I just noticed yesterday that my 20 gal Campbell Hausfeld air tank has developed a small pinhole from rust on the tank. I would like your opinion as to my next move. Unfortunately I also need to fix the paint on the hood of my DD so I may not be able to replace the unit with the one that I want for some time.
Air Compressor Tank Rust... What to do
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If it's got one hole, there is bound to be more ready to pop through. I'd spring for the new one.
Hey Craig :waving: To be honest with you, a 20 gal tank really isn't big enough to work on cars anyway..It really wouldn't be worth investing in fixing IMHO...
Look in the papers, maybe you can find a used one & save some cash....
I'm also looking for a new compressor, I want to paint my car at the end of this summer & my old one just isn't big enough to get the job done....
Look in the papers, maybe you can find a used one & save some cash....
I'm also looking for a new compressor, I want to paint my car at the end of this summer & my old one just isn't big enough to get the job done....
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Repeat after me: EXPLOSIVE DECOMPRESSION. Also: SCHRAPNELL (sp?) you get the idea.
You want to repaint your car?!?!?! I thought it looked pretty good when I saw it over the summer at the BBQ.
Thanks for the replies thusfar everyone!
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Yah, like John said.........get a new, bigger one. You need it anyway. When you gat a new one with a 60 gallon tank, remove the plug in the bottom. Replace it with a 90, and plumb it with pipe out past the bottom of the tank. Put a ball valve on the end. That will make draining it easy. I do it every time when I'm done using mine, just so it won't rust up inside.
Get rid of it and getr something else.
Yeah I know..... My car is probably better then a five footer, but I really want something that I'm happy with & I can be proud of...
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yeah, what they said...... I also have the ball valve on my compressor :thumbsup:
and..... if you have a shed out back, remove your stuff from the tank, trash the tank but set everything else up in the barn (make sure to grab the pressure valve and "pop off / pressure release" valve) plumb the shed / barn with 1/2 - 3/4" pipe making 1/2" drops with "T"'s at the botom..... quick disconnect sockets coming out the horizontal and a drain cock valve at the bottom vertical. use a "cross" or 2 "T"'s to mount the pressure release valve and the pressure shut off valve...... bingo, an air compressor with just enough air tank space (the lines) for shed stuff :thumbsup:
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285 Posts
What you should do is replace the tank or all new. I have done the welding of the tank for a temp fix because I never drained the water. until I replaced the compressor. I still have the old one and it is still holding after 8 years not using it all of the time. I kept it as a spare just encase.
Get a new one!!!! The only way to be sure the tank is safe after you fix a pin hole is to have it hydrostatically tested to 25% over it's rated capacity. If the tanks is rated at 150 psi then it would require 187 psi to ensure structural integrity and with a rusted tank I'll guaranty you it will fail at that pressure...
Get a new one and turn your old tank into a planter or BBQ grill...
Get a new one and turn your old tank into a planter or BBQ grill...
I don't get the explosion thing. You get a hole in it, the air leaks out slowly. If the hole gets bigger the air leaks out faster. Where are you getting it will explode. Even if a seam is split the air will just escape. An explosion would only occur if some type of compressed fuel vapor was present along with ignition.
I am not trying to be a smart a$$ here, I just don't see it how air explodes especially at as low a pressure as 125 psi. I have never been afraid of my air compressor tank blowing up.
I saw a picture of a an air compressor that had a rusty tank and it exploded!
Took out the sheetrock, itself, and everything around it. There were pieces of the tank stuck in the sheet rock all over the garage. Nobody was hurt this time. If you have to use it, barricade it with something to block shrapnel if it does blow.....like a Ford. 8^)
Took out the sheetrock, itself, and everything around it. There were pieces of the tank stuck in the sheet rock all over the garage. Nobody was hurt this time. If you have to use it, barricade it with something to block shrapnel if it does blow.....like a Ford. 8^)
It's not only a matter of pressure, it's also a matter of how and where the vessel will fail. If you have ever shot spray cans, you might have noticed that some will just leak out of the bullet hole, and some will explode. Or take a balloon and stick a piece of tape to it, then poke a hole in it. This will cause a slow leak. Do the same thing without the tape, and it will pop. The difference is in how strong the area around the hole is, and a rusted pinhole usually means that the area around it is rusted and weakened too.I don't get the explosion thing. You get a hole in it, the air leaks out slowly. If the hole gets bigger the air leaks out faster. Where are you getting it will explode. Even if a seam is split the air will just escape. An explosion would only occur if some type of compressed fuel vapor was present along with ignition.
I am not trying to be a smart a$$ here, I just don't see it how air explodes especially at as low a pressure as 125 psi. I have never been afraid of my air compressor tank blowing up.
"Explosion" might not be the correct word for it as there's no combustion involved, it's more like a very rapid and violent expansion of the compressed air. Someone who's more mathematically inclined than I am might be able to use Boyle's law to calculate how much air there actually is in a 20 gallon tank at 100-130 psi or so. But "explosion" is a pretty good description of what can happen when all the air escapes rapidly. Anyway, a damaged pressure vessel might just leak a bit, it might crack open in a slow and "controlled" manner, but it could also explode.
The thing is that you don't know what it looks like inside. It might be ok to weld, but if it has rust and thin spots, you might actually weaken it by welding, instead of making it stronger. IMO, the bottom line is: Is it worth the money to take a chance?
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