Air Compressor drain valve: I did it!

jvitez · Jul 10, 2010

I removed the manual water drain valve from the bottom of my 25 gal Porter Cable compressor, and installed a brass 1/4 turn valve, just like was recommended here. It works great! I love GJ!

I got to use my old pipe wrench which I rarely need, which was cool. I used a 1/4" street elbow, a 6" ******, and a brass valve. I installed another street elbow to direct the stream of air/water downwards, but it was too low and wouldn't allow me to tilt the compressor to roll it. The compressor doesn't have a permanent home yet, so I do need to move it each time it's used. I still can't tilt it as much as I could before, but it's doable. It's sooooooo much more convenient than tilting it on it's side or fumbling around underneath to drain it.

Thanks everyone for all the great information available here. This is such a small thing, but so much easier. :thumbup:

lilredex · Jul 10, 2010

Assume that ****** brings you out to tank's edge? If so, add a (flex) joint before you install that valve. That way it will fold up out of the way, when need be. Princess sell them for about $5. They normally are used at the connection to air tools to give a little more flexibility. Believe they only pivot in one plane, ie, up and down. Have a couple here.......can post a pic if you need.

EDIT: This guy..... The RHS swivels through 360 deg. on thet "O" ring sealed stud.

Bull · Jul 10, 2010

What, no pics?!

fr0mastaj · Jul 10, 2010

________
Bn125

cglasgow · Jul 10, 2010

jvitez said:
I removed the manual water drain valve from the bottom of my 25 gal Porter Cable compressor, and installed a brass 1/4 turn valve, just like was recommended here. It works great! I love GJ!

Good on you! You'll enjoy having the ballcock on there. I just did the same job on my new/old compressor last week....

Cheers!
-c

jvitez · Jul 10, 2010

Ok, I've been shamed into it: here's the pics!

Sorry about the cell phone camera, my old camera died.

Lilredex: great idea about the flex fitting. I'll have a look at Princess Auto.

I've parked my compressor next to the hose reel for now. I'm not making any permanent placement decisions until I've finished the walls and ceiling, which is taking far longer than I'd hoped.

lilredex · Jul 10, 2010

Or, maybe put it on the tank........now that I see the pic.

caper · Jul 10, 2010

Anybody use the truck air tank drain valves?They save tons of time and you don't have to bend over or reach under your compressor,just pull the cable.

http://www.ryderfleetproducts.com/c...ain-Valve-60-Pull-Type/erm/product_detail.jsp

lilredex · Jul 10, 2010

Mine is on the wall so very easy to drain manually. Look at those Carquest guns yet? Pls update if you have info.

caper · Jul 10, 2010

I posted a thread here about the guns yesterday but didn't get any responses on them,no painters on the GJ I guess.

cegreen · Jul 11, 2010

Caper - on those pull-cord air tank drain valves for trucks, do you have to de-pressurize the tank, then pull the cord and drain, then re-pressurize the tank? Or can you just let 'er rip and spray condensate all over your shop? :bounce:

I have an 80-gallon tank that lives at 175psi, so it takes awhile to empty it and refill it, which I'd prefer not to do if I don't have to. Is the spring in the truck valve strong enough to close it again once it's been opened and there's air and water coming through the valve at 175psi?

Thanks,

-Chris

Stogies · Jul 11, 2010

i did the same thing on the large car wash air compressors and the smaller one in my shop. I hated getting down on my knees every day the drain them (the equipment rooms in the car washes are so humid it is like opening a faucet). Just watch your shoes. I have not paid attention and had to walk around in wet socks.

Lump · Jul 12, 2010

Guys, is there a reasonable way to arrange a drain so it will empty outside of a garage, without freezing in winter? It gets cold here in Ohio, but I need to start draining my compressor more often. But I don't want all that rusty water all over my shop floor. So I procrastinate. But my compressor is right next to the wall. I would like to set up some fittings to drain outside, right through the wall. Even better, aren't there some kind of automatic valves, which will drain whenever they sense water buildup, or perhaps on a timer?

KCarGuy · Jul 12, 2010

IR has an automatic drain. Runs on 110 VAC and can be set for how often it opens and how long it opens.

I have one on my Compressor, set for every 30 minutes and opens for 5 seconds.
It drains outside via a rubber hose, all i hear in the garage is a small click.

I have a buddy with the same one mounted on his IR compressor (its where I got the idea to buy one), and it came mounted high and just blasted air toward to floor...damned thing would catch ya off gaurd every time and scare the **** out of most people.
So, I made a mount for mine, mounted it to one of the feet of the compressor and routed it outside...works great!

Especially on this High Humid weeks, or months in the Chicago area.

Abbott · Jul 12, 2010

KCarGuy said:
IR has an automatic drain. Runs on 110 VAC and can be set for how often it opens and how long it opens.

I have one on my Compressor, set for every 30 minutes and opens for 5 seconds.
It drains outside via a rubber hose, all i hear in the garage is a small click.

I have a buddy with the same one mounted on his IR compressor (its where I got the idea to buy one), and it came mounted high and just blasted air toward to floor...damned thing would catch ya off gaurd every time and scare the **** out of most people.
So, I made a mount for mine, mounted it to one of the feet of the compressor and routed it outside...works great!

Especially on this High Humid weeks, or months in the Chicago area.

Excellent!

BirdRacer · Jul 12, 2010

jvitez said:
...but it was too low and wouldn't allow me to tilt the compressor to roll it. The compressor doesn't have a permanent home yet, so I do need to move it each time it's used. I still can't tilt it as much as I could before, but it's doable.

Could you not run the elbow/****** towards one side of the compressor instead of the back, so you could tilt it? That's what I did. Runs out the right side, I can tilt and roll just like always.

T1320T · Jul 12, 2010

Yeah, the extra fittings & drain valve is the hot ticket.... I plumbed mine like that about 10 yrs ago & would never got back to the OE petcock. I have mine tied into my water separtor also, so, I just crack the valve & can empty my tank & separator at the same time. Also, I hooked up a 3' length of hose to the valve, drilled a hole in the wall, inserted a short length of pvc (just long enough to go through the wall then about 3" outside w a 45 degree fitting on the end). So, I drain directly to the outdoors... no stains or wet floors for me.

Lump · Jul 12, 2010

KCarGuy said:

IR has an automatic drain. Runs on 110 VAC and can be set for how often it opens and how long it opens.

I have one on my Compressor, set for every 30 minutes and opens for 5 seconds.
It drains outside via a rubber hose, all i hear in the garage is a small click.

I have a buddy with the same one mounted on his IR compressor (its where I got the idea to buy one), and it came mounted high and just blasted air toward to floor...damned thing would catch ya off gaurd every time and scare the **** out of most people.
So, I made a mount for mine, mounted it to one of the feet of the compressor and routed it outside...works great!

Especially on this High Humid weeks, or months in the Chicago area.

Click to expand...

Cool! Who sells these...do you know?

35mastr · Jul 12, 2010

cegreen said:
Caper - on those pull-cord air tank drain valves for trucks, do you have to de-pressurize the tank, then pull the cord and drain, then re-pressurize the tank? Or can you just let 'er rip and spray condensate all over your shop?

I have an 80-gallon tank that lives at 175psi, so it takes awhile to empty it and refill it, which I'd prefer not to do if I don't have to. Is the spring in the truck valve strong enough to close it again once it's been opened and there's air and water coming through the valve at 175psi?

Thanks,

-Chris

Those valves are normally spring loaded. Just pull the cable to let out the water and let it go and it shuts off.

cegreen · Jul 12, 2010

Thanks 35mastr -- sounds like it might be worth a shot.

If anyone's interested, Grainger carries one of these pull-cord valves that's good up to 200psi. $7.84.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/6D913

-Chris

KCarGuy · Jul 27, 2010

The Pull-Cord Valves are cheaper,
But you never have to touch the Ingersol Rand auto Drain once it is set.

Here is a photo of mine...with a home-made bracket...mounted to one of the compressor legs. Again, mounted low and exhausts outside.

I like the fact that I can work non-stop and it drains automatic...just one more thing that I dont need to even worry about anymore. :thumbup:

leftyz · Jul 27, 2010

That's cool, I didn't even think of this. My drain is mounted about halfway up the tank as it sits now, I'm not sure why they made a tank that can stand vertical or horizontal, but you can only drain it if it's horizontal...

*sigh*

mooman · Jul 30, 2010

I picked up the truck drain yesterday from Grainger and installed it last night on my father's compressor. FAIL!
He had me take it right off.
The problem is that you have to pull the cable at a 90 degree angle for it to open, which doesn't work well with it under the tank. He also did not want a ****** sticking out far enoungh past the tank so you could get the correct angle on it. I can't say that I blame him.
We just went with a 1/4 turn valve right under the drain hole in the tank.

Air Compressor drain valve: I did it!

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