Leave air in compressor, or drain it?

[kunkernator]

So, what do you guys do? Do you leave your tank pressurized when you are not using it? Or drain it and refill it? I am talking about overnight, or over a few days. Is there any harm in leaving it pressurized? I hate having to wait for my tank to fill up.

 

[ZRX61]

Leave it full.

 

[trackwelder]

I leave it full.

 

[hickfied]

I leave it full and drain the water out weekly to monthly.

I also drain it every time i use a spray gun.

 

[Regnar]

Drain it. I like to take the pressure off the seals and drain out all the moisture in the humid air here. Im a weekend user.

 

[6-Speed]

I don't use my compressor very often so I prefer to release the air out to keep the inside of the tank dry.

 

[TwoInch]

i leave mine at full cut out pressure.

i drain the air to remove water depending on how much i am using it recently. i may drain it three days in a row, and i might not drain it for a week. all depend.

no reason to dump all the pressure out every day though, only to have to build it back next time. might as well not waste the electricity.

 

[TwoInch]

I don't use my compressor very often so I prefer to release the air out to keep the inside of the tank dry.

in what regard? leaving it pressurized does not create moisture. cycling it creates moisture. the moisture does not disappear if the tank is at 0 psi..

 

[kunkernator]

Thanks for the responses. Has anyone ever had an issue with leaving it full? I think this is what i am going to start doing.

 

[metaldad]

I leave it, as I have it.
meaning........ at full pressure

 

[Milton Shaw]

I leave mine full but do cut off the ball valve that connects to the air lines. This is so that if a hose breaks the compressor will not run forever. The moisture in the tank is already there why add more by filling it with fresh wet air. Just drain every day or so and you should be ready to go.

 

[gte718p]

I live by water, full of air=full of water. I drain mine down after use unless I know I'm going to need it the next day.

 

[#1SomeGuy]

I leave mine full at whatever it was at...I'll usually shut it off when I'm close to done the job so it sits a little lower than the cut in pressure. Then turn the regulator (relieving kind) down to 0 so it drains the air from my hose, then drain the water out. I have only had it empty a couple times in the last year whenever I have to service or clean up fittings and such.

I find myself using compressed air more than once a week for something, so it makes sense just to leave it filled.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I live by water, full of air=full of water. I drain mine down after use unless I know I'm going to need it the next day.

Sorry, no logic at all to this statement. The only way water gets in the tank is by operating the compressor. You run it, water condenses in the tank. Bleeding off all of the pressure every day, and pumping the tank up from zero pressure introduces more moisture in the tank, than just leaving it sit, with pressure on it.

In deed, you should open the water drain and get all of the water out, which can be pretty frequently in moist climates, but depressurizing the tank each day makes no sense.

However, its your compressor and your electricity, do as you think best.

This discussion comes up about once a year. Put a good tank outlet ball valve on the compressor, and close it when you are not using it, and it should hold pressure till the next time.

I have a portable Sears compressor made in the early '70's that I bought new. It has a ball valve on the tank outlet and will hold pressure with no leakage what-so-ever for months at a time.

Charles

 

[devoncoolman]

Leave mine full all the time. Just shut power off and main ball valve @ tank in case a hose blows. No issues. Nice if i gotta quick blow something off or air tire up. No need to even fire it up. Wastes electricity and produces more water in the air. You wont gain anything from draining the air out of ur compressor. Just make sure u have a ball valve @ your tank.

 

[bluebolt]

I have a ball valve on my 80 gallon stationary IR to isolate it from the piping system and a ball valve aded to drain it. When I turn it off I close the piping valve and bleed the water out of the tank until I can hear all the water gone. The drain goes outside so quick and easy.

 

[JJThrasher]

I drain mine every 1-2 months.

 

[KPSquared]

I've never heard of anyone draining the air out of a compressor before. . . Unless they had a leak overnight. I don't understand why you would.

When I want air, I want it now, not when the tank gets full.

I drain the water every couple days and that's about it.

 

[theknurl]

my compressor is always on.....

i drain it when i remember

the tank is dated 1946

i'm 3 blocks from the Pacific Ocean

 

[larry_g]

I live by water, full of air=full of water. I drain mine down after use unless I know I'm going to need it the next day.

I'm with Charles on this. Makes no sense. I would think that if you fill the receiver it will be full of hot moist air. As it cools, like overnight, it will drop out the water. Crack open the water drain in the morning and you will have the driest air possible FOR YOUR SYSTEM. If you fill just before you go to work then you will be using hot wet air.

For the record I leave my system pressurized.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[ezriderga]

I leave mine pressurized all the time and drain it about once a month. Been using this same compressor for 7 years; no problems.

 

[e-tek]

I was taught to drain them every day (working in autobody shops) and was told you don't want even a little water sitting in the tank overnight - or longer - causing rust.

However - as is often the case - you gents have bent my outlook yet again! I do hate not having air when I want it - whether for the lift or tires or just blowing stuff off. I often thought: it's just gonna leak out the lines anyways, so why not empty it. Never even thought about closing the ball valve to keep the pressure in it.

I will however continue to release the water after a day of use - for as dry as it is here, it accumulates about 1/4 cup every 4-6 hours of run time.

 

[larry_g]

I was taught to drain them every day (working in autobody shops) and was told you don't want even a little water sitting in the tank overnight - or longer - causing rust.

Absolutely drain the water. But no need to depressurize the whole receiver. Have you tried draining again in the morning? Curious to how much water will fall out of suspension during the overnight cooling.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[TwoInch]

I will however continue to release the water after a day of use - for as dry as it is here, it accumulates about 1/4 cup every 4-6 hours of run time.

thats all ya need to do.

crack the drain for a few seconds to blow out whats settled, and be done. you will have air as soon as you need it tomorrow, or next tuesday.

 

[ZRX61]

I have a ball valve on my 80 gallon stationary IR to isolate it from the piping system and a ball valve aded to drain it.

Ditto again & a service disconnect that I throw after I shut the ball valve & the tank is full.

 

[Chadwilliam1]

I leave mine full and i just drain the water. I have a 90 degree pipe fitting and 1/4 pipe and 1/4 ball valve. I dont drain the water every day but every few days i drain it.

 

[chris142]

My new quincy wont hold air over night. My old ch did and the tank rusted out.

 

[e-tek]

my new quincy wont hold air over night. My old ch did and the tank rusted out.

interesting.

 

[kenfain]

I leave mine at full pressure. Why pay to re-pressurize if you only need to put air in a tire or something. When not in use the unit is shut down, to prevent cycling in the unlikely event of hose failure or any other unforeseen event. I close both the ball valve at the output and switch the unit off. This thing is not gonna start on it's own, until I'm ready. As for draining the water, I drain using a ball valve, into a five gallon bucket twice a day, if I remember. Morning and night, one quick blast. No matter if it's used or not. Compressing air creates moisture, so does condensation. Just the heating and cooling of the day. The way I see it you can't over drain a compressor. And it's just right there ....

 

[the1nonlyjl]

It doesn't hurt to keep leaving tank full if you plan on using it again within a few days. For a long period of not using it, leave it open...

 

[EOC_Jason]

I leave the one at the shop always full, but I do make sure to always drain out the moisture. Sometimes I'll use it several days in a row, sometimes I won't use it for a week. I do have a valve though that goes to my line around the shop, and that I keep closed unless I'm using it, and I drain that so there isn't pressure on the soft hoses & reel.

At home I need to work on that poor old compressor, it slowly drains out over time, but it doesn't get used that often so it's not a big deal.

 

[metal4130]

I have a 120 gallon tank and there is no way I would drain it out every day! That would take forever and it is so loud. I do have a float style auto drain on my tank so I know there is never any water in the receiver.

 

[Jamie V]

I have an automatic blow off valve that blows a bit of air out of the bottom (water with it) every so long. You can set time and duration. I think mine opens every 1/2 hr for like 2 seconds.

 

[Just_George]

I have an automatic blow off valve that blows a bit of air out of the bottom (water with it) every so long. You can set time and duration. I think mine opens every 1/2 hr for like 2 seconds.

+1 - works like a champ!

 

[ilovevocs]

Same thing here. My IR has auto drain plumbed into my basement and sump crock. It was easier then plumbing it outside due to adjacency. I have to run the drain on a timer so it doesn't cycle at night, kick in compressor, and wake the neighbors. Also have ball valve shut off when not in use.