kywildcat
Well-known member
I have a older air compressor that has a pin hole in the tank........is it possible to have that welded in a safe manner??
Air compressor tank
- Thread starter kywildcat
- Start date
kams1973
ALLIANCE MEMBER
That is probably an indication you need a new tank.
Torque1st
MEMBER EMERITUS
New tank time. There are probably dozens of "almost" pinholes besides the one that is leaking.
IF anyone even agreed to weld the tank it would have to be pressure tested after welding and I highly doubt it would pass. Nobody that is certified to weld pressure vessels would risk their license welding pinholes on a rusted out tank.
IF anyone even agreed to weld the tank it would have to be pressure tested after welding and I highly doubt it would pass. Nobody that is certified to weld pressure vessels would risk their license welding pinholes on a rusted out tank.
i know people who have had patches welded on their tanks. They havent blown themselves up yet but i'd never do it personally because i dont like to mess around with large pressure vessels. Its just not worth it. If its rotting through, its time.
Torque1st
MEMBER EMERITUS
IT BLOWS UP! The tank turns into shrapnel.
Its not just shrapnel. Assuming a catastrophic failure of a rather large tank at a high pressure in a really major way most of the actual damage will be from the effects of blast overpressure. Think of it like a bomb without the explosives aspect.
kams1973
ALLIANCE MEMBER
You should be able to find a usable used tank to make a conversion without breaking the bank.
kinda what I'm thinking..
djd99
Well-known member
This is the wrong place to be asking this question my friend, nobody here will recommend welding the very small holes in your tank, although it's been done hundreds of times.
I remain in between if I didn't have the funds I would red green up and start welding, However if I did have a few bucks Id look on craigslist for a good deal there out there.
I can show you many Right now I have 2 2 stages compressors 1 80gal the other 60gal 2 spare 2 stage pumps and One really nice 30Gal quicny compressor. All scrap yard finds and reconditiioned! The last one is being rebuilt now to throw on the shelf.
I'm not telling you to does this but I would take a 1/8 drill bit, drill a hole where the pin hole is and see if it's just that spot. If it's all thin than pitch the tank.
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Dale B
Well-known member
I have an old Dayton Comp that got a pinhole near the drain . After pounding around with the point of a welding hammer to check the condition of the tank bottom ,I just welded a half of a 1/4 union over the hole and plugged the previous drain hole. Now the repaired hole is my drain . Its been 6 mo's ....still waiting for the explosion. I expect it will develop another leak some day , and I expect a pinhole leak , just like this
one.
one.
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PSYKO_Inc
Well-known member
You didn't know? If you look at an air tank wrong it will EXPLODE and take out the WHOLE TOWN! 
Torque1st
MEMBER EMERITUS
Naaah, only the garage....You didn't know? If you look at an air tank wrong it will EXPLODE and take out the WHOLE TOWN!
kams1973
ALLIANCE MEMBER
You guys need to respect the potential energy stored in the tanks. The odds it will explode and throw shrapnel everywhere may be slim, but there is still that chance. Saving a few bucks, imo, is not worth being severly injured, thus causing a decline in you and your family's quality of life because you are no longer employable.
djd99
Well-known member
And you could get hit by a truck and die tomorrow but it's most likely not going to happen.
Sometimes a small pin hole is just that a small pin hole. That doesn't mean it's a exploding tank waiting to happen. Everybody here just loves to bring the worst out of every situation. Because it could happen but it doesn't mean it will.
I wouldn't of asked this question here as I would already now what 99% of you would of said however I would inspect my tank further and If I deem it's only a small hole Id go about fixing it.
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I knew this question would get similar results to the infamous PVC air line...
I have done this because of lack of time and money. I had one small pinhole. Tapping with a hammer all around it was very solid. I ground all the paint off of the area, and TIG welded a patch of about 1 1/2" x 1". Be very sure to not undercut with the welder, as this will create a huge stress riser and weak spot in the tank.
I KNOW my weld is as strong as an weld on this tank. I also KNOW I didn't weaken the tank by undercutting. I am not worried about this in the least. But if you are a questionable welder, don't do it.
I did find out that my tank was full of foamy brown sludge. I took out the water plug and rinsed the tank out a few times to get the goop out. I added a ball valve so draining the water out daily is now easy and only takes a few seconds. Should have done this years ago..
Obviously, I will find out that I'm an idiot, so those that are chomping at the bit to tell me, just save it.
I have done this because of lack of time and money. I had one small pinhole. Tapping with a hammer all around it was very solid. I ground all the paint off of the area, and TIG welded a patch of about 1 1/2" x 1". Be very sure to not undercut with the welder, as this will create a huge stress riser and weak spot in the tank.
I KNOW my weld is as strong as an weld on this tank. I also KNOW I didn't weaken the tank by undercutting. I am not worried about this in the least. But if you are a questionable welder, don't do it.
I did find out that my tank was full of foamy brown sludge. I took out the water plug and rinsed the tank out a few times to get the goop out. I added a ball valve so draining the water out daily is now easy and only takes a few seconds. Should have done this years ago..
Obviously, I will find out that I'm an idiot, so those that are chomping at the bit to tell me, just save it.
if there is a hole, that means there are thin spots elsewhere. i agree w/ previous posts, it's time to replace the tank. risk assessment. if you can avoid a risk w/ an allowable amount of effort, avoid it. you could get hit by a truck, should you stay in your house to avoid it? no. should you stay out of the middle of the highway? probably.
an air tank blowing up would be a real *****. easily avoided by buying a new tank rather than repairing a worn out tank. i'm not the type to advocate buying new rather than repairing old normally. but when it comes to safety, i don't take needless risks.
ben
an air tank blowing up would be a real *****. easily avoided by buying a new tank rather than repairing a worn out tank. i'm not the type to advocate buying new rather than repairing old normally. but when it comes to safety, i don't take needless risks.
ben
Rixter58
Well-known member
This topic hits home because I fought this battle in my head over the last couple years. My first major purchase after I got out of Tech school (1978) was a new Dayton 5HP 2 stage vertical compressor. Well, as life takes it's turns I ended up in a small place with the compressor having to be left at my folk's for several years. Was over there one day helping Dad and asked, "How long since the compressor was drained?" He says "The last time that you drained it". Dumped what seemed to be 3-5 gallons of rusty water out of it that day. When I moved to a bigger place and got it moved home, everytime the compressor kicked in that image of all that water draining out flashed through my mind. Tank never leaked, but still worried me the whole time. this summer the motor quit and I was forced to make a descision....put a new motor on a compressor with a suspect 32 yr old tank?.....or replace? I ultimately replaced it with a new Castair. Truth be told, I really had a better compressor with the old one. It would reach 175 psi quicker and the cooling fins on the charge lines caused the old one to make MUCH less water in the tank. I'm now 6 months into this compressor thing and trying to debate in my own mind if I should put the old compressor on the new motor and tank. Pi$$e$ me off to see those 2 compressors sitting next to each other. Back to your original point....you ultimately have to decide what peace of mind is worth to you. Looking back, I wish I had just bucked up and bought a new tank earlier and bought a motor later when that went bad. Either way, I can see that I'm going to have a good compressor to sell sometime in the future.
Warrenator
Well-known member
I read somewhere that compressor tanks are considered "wet" tanks and are certified as such, has to do with pressure vessels and safety and that sort of thing. Which I take to mean, a little water isn't going to hurt it. It's meant to be wet.
That being said, if it has rotted out to the point of a leak I would scrap it, no question. I assume the metal is thin in that area and might give way in a way to cause damage to persons and property. A weld repair might be OK if it was seriously taken apart, X-Rayed, inspected, and hydro-tested, but nobody is going to do that with a compressor, just junk it.
That being said, if it has rotted out to the point of a leak I would scrap it, no question. I assume the metal is thin in that area and might give way in a way to cause damage to persons and property. A weld repair might be OK if it was seriously taken apart, X-Rayed, inspected, and hydro-tested, but nobody is going to do that with a compressor, just junk it.
Torque1st
MEMBER EMERITUS
It is not just undercutting during welding. There is the HAZ and induced stresses that cause problems. There are always people that say no problem, weld it up, patch it, put a screw in it, use PVC, etc, they have done it, seen it done, no problems... The bottom line is that it is your tank, not theirs, and if it blows up it is your life, your family's life, friends lives, your livelihood, and your shop that is on the line. One must ask if a few bucks is worth it...
On the other hand there are ways to test the tank after welding if you have the equipment and knowledge. If you don't have the equipment and knowledge take the tank to a certified tank or pressure vessel shop for evaluation. They will most likely tell you to replace the tank if the compressor itself is in excellent condition. It is not economically feasible to repair a simple tank. A compressor tank is a wear item with an economic lifespan. There are laws and rules for pressure vessel design and repair that are there for everyone's safety. A pressure vessel is a potential energy bomb and should be respected.
BTW, lawyers just love it when someone knowingly skirts the rules and law just to save a few bucks.
On the other hand there are ways to test the tank after welding if you have the equipment and knowledge. If you don't have the equipment and knowledge take the tank to a certified tank or pressure vessel shop for evaluation. They will most likely tell you to replace the tank if the compressor itself is in excellent condition. It is not economically feasible to repair a simple tank. A compressor tank is a wear item with an economic lifespan. There are laws and rules for pressure vessel design and repair that are there for everyone's safety. A pressure vessel is a potential energy bomb and should be respected.
BTW, lawyers just love it when someone knowingly skirts the rules and law just to save a few bucks.
djd99
Well-known member
If you really don't feel safe with your repair skills than maybe you shouldn't be trying to repair a minor problem with a compressor tank and if you really feel uneasy just build a closet around it. Like I said inspect the situation and go from there. Drill a hole and see how much material is around it, actually it doesn't get more simpler than that. OMG I think my tank just exploded uh no false alarm.
sberry
Banned
I might be tempted to hook the old setup together and plumb it al together Having 2 pumps is great for volume and spare.
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Torque1st
MEMBER EMERITUS
I don't have to, you obviously already know. But then we have all done idiotic things and have gotten away with it. Some of the things I have done in the years past can still give me nightmares. It is a wonder I am still alive. But then the rules we live with nowadays like OSHA, bike helmets, etc, etc makes it seem like a miracle any of us old guys have survived. Unfortunately a number of us didn't survive, -hence the rules we have...
BTW, a "closet" will not help at all if a tank explodes. It will just add more splinters etc to the blast front.
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Rixter58
Well-known member
Believe me, the thought has crossed my mind. That said, I'm right back to worrying about the old tank and purchasing another motor.
sberry
Banned
Use the same tank for both units.