Have any of you extended your drain valve on your air compressor? I hate crawling down there under it, and when I move it was thinking I'd raise it a foot and extend some piping out from under it. Is there a kit, or what do you guys use?
Air tank drain
- Thread starter Scramblur
- Start date
AJ1978
Well-known member
Depends on what kind of tank you have, or compressor. On my Champion and Kellogg I used galvanized pipe the size of the thread on the bottom of the tank. I run a 90 then a ****** out to a location that wont get stepped on etc and put a valve there with a turn down 90. On my other compressor that gets used continually, I have it plummed to an auto tank drain (electric) and it cycles every hour I believe, this is piped outside. I guess it depends on your application. I have friends who had a craftsman,etc and had a petcock only on the bottom they did similiar with some fittings 1/4" or 3/8 and some valves, a trip to the hardware store for sure.
Falcon67
Well-known member
I went 1/4" out of the bottom of my 60 gal to a 1/4 gate valve, then a 90 up to 1/2 pipe because I got tired of hunting 1/4 stuff. Then out of through the wall just above the plate to the outer shed. Flip open valve, let it spew a bit, close it up.
AJ1978
Well-known member
I only asked because recently a friend bought a compressor that had a metric plug in the bottom, what a mess that came to be. Good luck on it. The valve to drain it, and fittings were all at one of my local hardware stores. Although to me it's not even close to a hardware stores of the past..... Amazing how things change
gary300
Well-known member
Here's what I did on my 30 gal verticle compressor. 1/4" 90 degree street elbow, 6" tube, ball valve and another 6" tube. In the picture, it looks like it could get stepped on, but that is not the case.
Torque1st
MEMBER EMERITUS
I used a 90° reducer elbow and a piece of 1" galvanized pipe to form a "reservoir" for the water. The reservoir keeps the majority of the water out of the tank. Then I used another reducer elbow to a 1/4" nylon tube. I remote mounted a valve where it was easy to reach and plumbed more 1/4" line to outside. Reducer elbows are not a common fitting so you will have to go to a specialty supplier to get them.
That is what I wish I did but finding the fittings can be hard.
xJoey Dubsx
Well-known member
I always see automatic "remote" ones on craigslist...
:tard:
:tard:Like the others, I used a 90*, ball valve and a ******.
Jay H 237
Well-known member
Here's what I did on my 30 gal verticle compressor. 1/4" 90 degree street elbow, 6" tube, ball valve and another 6" tube. In the picture, it looks like it could get stepped on, but that is not the case.
I did a similar set up to my roll around 26 gallon CH. Extending the drain out some and the ball valve is much easier than the petcock, and I can kick it open with my foot instead of getting on my knees all reaching under there.
Rigmaster
Well-known member
I did the 90 degree thing with ball valve too on our compressor at work.
I've heard of folks using truck air tank drain valves, they have standard pipe thread on them and you can get them with a short piece of braided cable on the end, all you have to do is pull the cable and the valve opens, release it and it seals back up. I bought one, but I need to raise my home compressor up a bit to get it to fit- I think I will use some hockey pucks with holes drilled in them to raise the feet up a bit.
I've heard of folks using truck air tank drain valves, they have standard pipe thread on them and you can get them with a short piece of braided cable on the end, all you have to do is pull the cable and the valve opens, release it and it seals back up. I bought one, but I need to raise my home compressor up a bit to get it to fit- I think I will use some hockey pucks with holes drilled in them to raise the feet up a bit.
Torque1st
MEMBER EMERITUS
A reducing elbow is one of those fittings that most people aren't even aware exists. A more common alternative is a bell reducer.