Air Compressor drain

[dragonballz]

I have one of those portable horizontal air compressors with 2 wheels and a handle. It has a regular threaded plug on the bottom that I have to remove to drain it. I want to replace it with the valve so it's easier to drain. What's the best type? Will Home Depot carry it? Petcock?

 

[b-body-bob]

Home Depot or Lowe's will have a drain kit including fittings, some pipe, and a ball valve. Pick one up, then walk back to plumbing and find the same parts on the shelf because they're probably cheaper individually.

 

[madoc1]

got the complete kit at tractor supply. 19$ I think it was.

 

[dragonballz]

Thx guys

 

[rande]

I created one of these kits myself from parts at Home Depot. Later I found the ball valve at Harbor Freight for 1/3rd the cost.

 

[bareass172]

I hate to admit, but HF does carry the exact same ball valve much cheaper. And the suggestion to buy the rest of the parts in the plumbing section at HD is spot on. I will tell you, I have an upright and a horizontal like you mentioned and I was able to put the street 90 w/ a ball valve on the upright but it wouldn't fit under my horizontal (it would have dragged the ground). My horizontal is small though, just for rolling to a job that I can't reach with hose from the big one. When I couldn't fit the ball valve on mine, I opted for a Home Depot replacement version of my original with a knurled screw. Several years with it, no issues.

 

[pburressiii]

I did the ball valve fix and never looked back. Love it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

1/4" street 90°

6-8" of 1/4" pipe (whatever it takes to get the valve accessible)

1/4" quarter turn ball valve

Install. Crack a beer.

 

[stage20]

1/4" street 90°

6-8" of 1/4" pipe (whatever it takes to get the valve accessible)

1/4" quarter turn ball valve

Install. Crack a beer.

easiest and cheapest method. at the end of the ball valve you can install a compression adapter then route a piece of copper or aluminun tubing where you want to drain it.

 

[Rookie2]

radiator petcock from and auto parts store.

 

[rlitman]

radiator petcock from and auto parts store.

Never seen a radiator that needed to hold more than 18PSI. Probably not a good part to use on a 100+PSI compressor tank.

 

[stage20]

Never seen a radiator that needed to hold more than 18PSI. Probably not a good part to use on a 100+PSI compressor tank.

what a lot of cheaper compressors come with, or a version of it.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Brass radiator petcock will hold the pressure just fine.

Charles

 

[bas157]

ballvalve I think is best, this could be another option:
http://www.zorotools.com/g/Pneumatic Drain Valve/00024421/None
http://www.zorotools.com/g/Pneumatic Control Drain Pull Valves/00152430/None

 

[compaddict]

Something I need to do.

 

[dragonballz]

Thx guys. I just installed the valvr with the Home Depot replacement with a knurled screw. Cost under $4

 

[dlcwent]

ballvalve I think is best, this could be another option:
http://www.zorotools.com/g/Pneumatic Drain Valve/00024421/None
http://www.zorotools.com/g/Pneumatic Control Drain Pull Valves/00152430/None

This is close to what I have on mine. Love the ease of use. Allows you to drain it everyday with the ease of pulling the cable. You can get them at any place that sells "real truck" parts. Under $20.00

 

[mikeed]

any pictures of finished product.. Im a visual kind of guy. I intend to do this. will post mine when finighed. cheers

 

[dragonballz]

any pictures of finished product.. Im a visual kind of guy. I intend to do this. will post mine when finighed. cheers

This is all I installed. A ball valve wouldnt have fit. I dont have enough clearance.

 

[tsbrewers]

any pictures of finished product.. Im a visual kind of guy. I intend to do this. will post mine when finighed. cheers

there are a few pics in this thread showing the drains being extended out to make it easier to drain. Also replaced the drains with a better 1/4 turn ball valve.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=154022

 

[stage20]

This is all I installed. A ball valve wouldnt have fit. I dont have enough clearance.

A ball valve wont fit. You need a street 90 and a ****** too

 

[b-body-bob]

A ball valve wont fit. You need a street 90 and a ****** too

The kits I mentioned initially include a street 90 and about a 6" ****** along with the ball valve and an adapter bushing for the tank IIRC.

It doesn't matter how you drain it, it just matters that you do drain it.

 

[JonnyC]

I just bought one of those cable operated drain valves. It was like $6 from Amazon.

 

[stage20]

The kits I mentioned initially include a street 90 and about a 6" ****** along with the ball valve and an adapter bushing for the tank IIRC.

It doesn't matter how you drain it, it just matters that you do drain it.

Thoe knurled fittings get stuck the you need pliers to open them over time and just become a hassle to me. They are cheap and effective

 

[b-body-bob]

Thoe knurled fittings get stuck the you need pliers to open them over time and just become a hassle to me. They are cheap and effective

I agree about the hassle factor. Even the ball valve becomes a PITA having to bend over, wait on it to drain, etc. I'm thinking about one of these zero-loss auto drains. Definitely overkill for the OPs small wheeled unit though.

http://products.gosuburban.com/item...-2/zero-loss-pneumatic-piston-drains/152-0000