Air compressor TANK question-

[MatBirch]

Is there a check valve in the DRAIN bung? I know there is water in my new-to-me tank, I can hear it and feel it. I opened the petcock, and nothing. I pulled the petcock and nothing? It looks like there is metal covering the hole from the inside?? The petcock was clean, and operated fine. I want to put in an elbow, but at this point, it seems that maybe a special fitting is needed to depress a spring loaded valve???

Thanks

 

[930dreamer]

The drain hole might be plugged with crud, poke around with a screwdriver.

 

[thebeekeeper1]

I let mine blow out under <some> pressure.

As above, you may have rust scale and crud blocking it. That's a sign of past neglect. Not good, but not necessarily fatal.

 

[MatBirch]

This is definitely not crud or rust. It's silver and shiny. I poked at it, it doesn't move. Just gives me a very firm, dense, metal on metal feel with my screwdriver
Does the petcock push up into a check valve when opened?

 

[930dreamer]

This is definitely not crud or rust. It's silver and shiny. I poked at it, it doesn't move. Just gives me a very firm, dense, metal on metal feel with my screwdriver
Does the petcock push up into a check valve when opened?

Not that I've seen in the past.

 

[64Trvlr]

What brand of compressor is it?

 

[CNGsaves]

Way too little information . . . . . what do you really have??

Pictures tell a thousand words.

 

[MatBirch]

Thanks guys-
I took a couple of pics. It's hard to shine a light into a hole and take a picture...

 

[930dreamer]

Do you think it's a broken piece of another drain petcock?

 

[larry_g]

A bit out there but do you suppose that the bung was welded onto the outside of the tank without having the hole punched first? From all I know and seen that hole should be open. Can you ask the previous owner if he ever drained the tank?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Davefr]

Can you remove the bung and take a look inside? (probably easier said then done). My guess it's a chunk of scale or debris inside the tank that broke loose and is covering that hole.

Or maybe leftovers from sort of automatic drain retrofit.

Did the petcock look original when you removed it?

I'd be temped to drill it out and then clean up the threads with the appropriate size NPT tap. Whatever the mystery, you need the tank to drain.

 

[b-body-bob]

Can you take that hex fitting out? I'd definitely give that a try before taking a drill to anything.

 

[MatBirch]

Thanks gang- I briefly tried to remove the hex fitting, but of course its ... Tight to say the least. I need to drain the oil out of the pump tonight anyway, so I'll be able to lay it the rest of the way over and get nasty with it.

Thanks-

 

[930dreamer]

Stupid question here, is the pic posted of the bottom of the tank?

 

[ZRX61]

I have that exact same model of compressor. There shouldn't be anything blocking the drain.

I also fitted mine with an elbow, 6in brass ****** & a ball valve for easy access when draining it.

I'd be tempted to stick a punch in that hole & give it some percussive maintenance

 

[MatBirch]

Stupid question here, is the pic posted of the bottom of the tank?

Yep-

I think I'm gonna try the hammer and punch route. I REALLY don't want to fight that hex bushing

 

[b-body-bob]

I agree with you, get it to where it's accessible and have at it. I'd be careful to not smack it too hard at first though, think of your hand if you really lay into it and it pops right through on the first shot.

 

[Sureshot]

Drain the pressure, install a bushing or sleeve to protect the threads, drill it out.

 

[MJB24]

Can we get some more pics at different angles of sureshots avatar while we are at it as well.

 

[Davefr]

drill it out.

The tank or the avatar??

 

[MJB24]

I know I need to know more about the avatar.

Just a few more pics.

 

[Sureshot]

I wish I had some. I have had lots of requests but after copying that pic from I don't remember where to my desktop I resized it and deleted the original, and as luck would have I ran a disk cleaner so I don't have the original and my history was erased. I looked where I thought it came from but was likely a link on a link on a link time killer.

So for now she is all mine boys. Let me know if you find her.

 

[MJB24]

Well then. Back to the compressor tank. I might not quite hammer on it yet.

It might be better to drill it. Depending on if it can break up or not. It may just land back where it was and be harder to drill if it moves around.

 

[tomshep]

Gently persuade with a hammer. If it doesn't move then drill.

tom

 

[MatBirch]

Well, I feel pretty silly, but I got it handled. I punched through with a slotted screwdriver, and once it started to go, I was able to twist and dig out the ****. Behind it was well over 2 gallons of water! It was very interesting though- the water was "layered" in the tank. The first thing out was brown, and just plain "dirty" looking. That was about 2 qts. Then it cleared up to almost totally clear for about 6qts. The last few qts were very rusty red brown with the milky oil residue at times. Those last few stained the heck out of my plastic paint mixing cup I was using to dump with. It was really ugly stuff!

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[930dreamer]

Great news, can you install a drain now?

 

[lametec]

So for now she is all mine boys. Let me know if you find her.

Her username on tumblr is ChickenTuna. That should be enough info for anyone to find her, and for me/this thread to not get in any trouble.

 

[MatBirch]

Great news, can you install a drain now?

Already done

 

[thebeekeeper1]

If you know how old the tank is, and now know it has every drop of condensation it ever produced, I would be nervous regarding the tank's integrity.

 

[All]

Everything about your story is typical. The drain obstruction, the layered strata of water inside, the requirement to force the drain open beyond just twisting the petcock... everything.

What is worse, is when the tank drains are partially obstructed, allowing just enough water to seep out by gravity, or to blow out under pressure, to mislead one into thinking that their tank is drained, when it is not.

Very good that MatBirch pursued the matter. I encountered the same thing with an older air compressor I bought used.

 

[fireguy]

Lovely picture of a lovely ********!

 

[1/2 Cup]

Drain the pressure, install a bushing or sleeve to protect the threads, drill it out.

With care

 

[G_P]

I wish I had some. I have had lots of requests but after copying that pic from I don't remember where to my desktop I resized it and deleted the original, and as luck would have I ran a disk cleaner so I don't have the original and my history was erased. I looked where I thought it came from but was likely a link on a link on a link time killer.

So for now she is all mine boys. Let me know if you find her.

She is known as "Chicken Tuna Laura Harris"

http://cooldudestuff.com/2012/08/most-amazing-****-of-the-week-goes-to-ms-chickentuna/

And she is 44 BTW.

Reverse Google image search is your friend in these situations

 

[Sureshot]

She is known as "Chicken Tuna Laura Harris"

http://cooldudestuff.com/2012/08/most-amazing-****-of-the-week-goes-to-ms-chickentuna/

And she is 44 BTW.
Reverse Google image search is your friend in these situations

46 in a few days