Air storage tank...

[mpire]

So I have two compressors. The small one is 2 gallons that I use for little stuff. The large one is an 80 gallon compressor that I fire up when I am dong projects or something like that.

I have the large compressor plumbed to a dump line and I drain it after every use because it will rust away if I don't.

I want to have some air on hand to pump up tires and small stuff now and then and not have to fire up the big compressor or pull the little one out of the cabinet.

Do they make a storage tank that I can plumb into the system and hide in the attic? I would want to keep it charged up at all times.

Ideas?

 

[daveroy]

So let me get this straight... you drain the entire 80 Gals of compressed air after everyuse to keep the tank from rusting?? Seems a little overkill to me, how about open the dump valve for just a sec, let the water out. Keep the compressed air. Do this once a week, or once a day, your choice, but no reason to throw all the air away just cause you squeezed the water out of it.

 

[toytech40]

Ditto what Daveroy said. I drain any water from tank and close all valves and unplug and have full tank of air just waiting for when I need it, and may not plug it in if I am in a hurry to air a tire and go.

Just sayin is all

 

[mpire]

Thats why I like this board.

Lots of excellent common sense answers for questions that are really simple.

Why didn't I think of that?

Thanks Dave.



Does everyone just leave the compressor charged up all the time?

 

[WhoWhatNow]

Filled yes. Plugged in/on no.

 

[EB.Bldr]

Filled yes. Plugged in/on no.

X2 here.

 

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

mine has been full for 15 years unless being moved or serviced in some way.
I do always try to turn it off when not in use.

 

[daveroy]

MPire,

As others have said, my tank is charged and ready to go. Mine is hard wired, so its always plugged in. I have a ball Valve right at the take exit so I don't have to worry about slow leak down from the distribution lines. I do turn it off when I leave the garage, I worry about some failure causing it to run for hours if no one is home to hear it and burning out the pump.

 

[toxicz28]

MPire,

As others have said, my tank is charged and ready to go. Mine is hard wired, so its always plugged in. I have a ball Valve right at the take exit so I don't have to worry about slow leak down from the distribution lines. I do turn it off when I leave the garage, I worry about some failure causing it to run for hours if no one is home to hear it and burning out the pump.

+1 and I shut the switch off, so if there ever is an air leak, the power is still off.

 

[mpire]

Yeah, I keep mine turned off. I have it plugged into the same outlet as the dryer. Well, I have it on the same breaker, but its own outlet. I get lots of orange water when I drain it.

The only problem I see right now is that my dump valve dumps outside of my garage so I can't watch it. I ran a 1/4 inch copper line through the wall to the outside. I bet I could just give it a second and call it good.

 

[onelochevy]

Yea, it will not take long for the water to drain out. Just open it for a couple seconds and you'll be good.

 

[daveroy]

I find about as fast as I can open and shut it I get a spit of water and then air. You do live in a more humid climate than I do but a whole second should be more than enough.

 

[bradweingartner]

Filled yes. Plugged in/on no.

Ditto. Ball-valve to air system turned off also if applicable.

Though, to answer your question, yes you can buy storage tanks separately. Or re-purpose an old compressor tank.

I recently converted a 21gal formerly junky-oilless compressor into a rolling portable air tank. It's super nice for filling up tires and such at the end of my driveway where I park so I don't have to uncoil 100 feet of hose. Of course you can buy smaller 5gal tanks too, but with this I could actually run an impact or such for a useful amount of time before it was flat!

Also my re-using the check-valve with a male coupler, it fills way way faster than using a schrader valve.

And it was free.

 

[89GLH]

Towing companies have the same thing for filling up flat tires, just a tank and a hose, filled with a schraeder valve.

 

[Kenneth3]

Ditto. I live in OH, so it gets humid.

I keep mine unplugged, and only purge moisture before and after each use. A few seconds (~15 sec), then, close it back up. When it's getting used more requently (daily) in the humid months I also do a full drain once every two weeks or so.
Major problem with draining is you have to refill it. Not a issue of waiting for air, but the constant running of the motor and pump to bring it up to pressure. With the 'more cost effective' models they use an aluminum pump block and this LONG cycle to fill generate a TON of heat. With refilling, I usually fill it for a few minutes, then, turn it off... go eat dinner, turn it back on, then, stop after a few... etc etc.

You get the idea, but keeping the pump and motor from long cycles greatly increases the longevity.

I have a friend with a machine shop with tons of air capacity, and recommends the same procedure to keep the pumps in a good working temputure range.

Remember tanks are cheap... pumps and motors are not.

Hope this helps.

 

[70chevellegsp]

Ditto. I live in OH, so it gets humid.

I keep mine unplugged, and only purge moisture before and after each use. A few seconds (~15 sec), then, close it back up. When it's getting used more requently (daily) in the humid months I also do a full drain once every two weeks or so.
Major problem with draining is you have to refill it. Not a issue of waiting for air, but the constant running of the motor and pump to bring it up to pressure. With the 'more cost effective' models they use an aluminum pump block and this LONG cycle to fill generate a TON of heat. With refilling, I usually fill it for a few minutes, then, turn it off... go eat dinner, turn it back on, then, stop after a few... etc etc.

You get the idea, but keeping the pump and motor from long cycles greatly increases the longevity.

I have a friend with a machine shop with tons of air capacity, and recommends the same procedure to keep the pumps in a good working temputure range.

Remember tanks are cheap... pumps and motors are not.

Hope this helps.

Where do you find cheap tanks? I haven't replaced my 80 gallon because a new tank costs almost as much as a new compressor.

 

[boarderline]

Is this the sort of thing you are talking about ..1 line in and 1 line out from your compressor.. auxiliary air tank..this one is made from a LPG cylinder

 

[daveroy]

Ditto. I live in OH, so it gets humid.

I keep mine unplugged, and only purge moisture before and after each use. A few seconds (~15 sec), then, close it back up. When it's getting used more requently (daily) in the humid months I also do a full drain once every two weeks or so.
Major problem with draining is you have to refill it. Not a issue of waiting for air, but the constant running of the motor and pump to bring it up to pressure. With the 'more cost effective' models they use an aluminum pump block and this LONG cycle to fill generate a TON of heat. With refilling, I usually fill it for a few minutes, then, turn it off... go eat dinner, turn it back on, then, stop after a few... etc etc.

You get the idea, but keeping the pump and motor from long cycles greatly increases the longevity.

I have a friend with a machine shop with tons of air capacity, and recommends the same procedure to keep the pumps in a good working temputure range.

Remember tanks are cheap... pumps and motors are not.

Hope this helps.

So after you drain it all the way out. Then pump it all the way back up (in how ever many 'sessions' you choose) do you then drain the water out that you just put into your tank!?!

My philosophy, once I compress the air, the air cools, the water drops out to the bottom of the tank, and I burp the water out the bottom... I have 'mostly' dry air... draining the rest out and then re-filling with new 'moist' air is counter productive! Someone correct my logic please!

 

[fr0mastaj]

I also keep my main tank (30 gal) filled but turned off. But I keep this 5 gal portable tank filled for the purpose you mentioned...filling tires/doing small things. I keep it on the bottom of my tool cart, easy access!

While we are on this topic... do you guys also leave your air hoses charged too? or do you disconnect when not in use.

 

[Kenneth3]

So after you drain it all the way out. Then pump it all the way back up (in how ever many 'sessions' you choose) do you then drain the water out that you just put into your tank!?!

My philosophy, once I compress the air, the air cools, the water drops out to the bottom of the tank, and I burp the water out the bottom... I have 'mostly' dry air... draining the rest out and then re-filling with new 'moist' air is counter productive! Someone correct my logic please!

Correct. By compressing air its pressurized state will naturally 'squeeze' the moisture out which will settle at the bottom to be purged. The remaining moisture will be picked up in the filter/dryer. Don't go without at least one. You can also put inline secondary dryers to pickup even more. Any more than this is overkill in my mind unless you are painting and even then its a call that you have to make.

You can spend a boatload on dryers, filters, conditioners, but I leave that kind of money to labs and the aerospace industries.

With all that said any serious garage you should never go without a simple regulator, filter/dryer for starters. IMHO

 

[Kenneth3]

Where do you find cheap tanks? I haven't replaced my 80 gallon because a new tank costs almost as much as a new compressor.

You can have tanks reconditioned or find a good one on CL that someone burned up the pump or motor by overcycling. Jackpot!

 

[Craftsman_88]

I also keep my 33 gallon filled, but powered off and have a small 5 gallon tank I picked up at sears on sale for 15 bucks. How long do you think it would take for a tank to rustout?

 

[eurokid]

I use to work at a metal fab shop. They had two 80 gallon air compressors that were hooked up in series. One compressor was not operational so they used it as a storage/reserve tank. It worked out quite well, the extra 80 gallons of air capacity made a big difference on how often the compressor would come on. The compressor was basically working half as much as it normally would by itself with twice the capacity. And they never fully drained the tanks, only enough to drain the water.

 

[stanleyoutdoors]

Here's what I have for the occasional tire filling role.
I regular 5 hp compressor and a small air bottle made from a 10lb propane tank. When I need to fill a tire, I turn on the compressor to fill its tank. Then I go fill the tire with the air bottle (that was still full from the last time). I don't have to drag out the hose, just carry the bottle over. My cars don't fit in the garage, so the bottle is way more convenient. When I'm done filling the tires, the compressor is full, so i use that to refill the bottle. Close the bottle valve, put it on the shelf- done.

 

[klhitman]

i have a 13 gal at home that is always full and i drain it when i remember it. at work we have a 125 gal tank with a compressor that runs all the time and 2 80 gals as a back up and they have driers on them but as of draining the water out of the tanks i don't know if it has ever been done.

a buddy at work has a small pancake compressor and took one of my old 250lbs refrigerant tanks and made a storage tank out of it.

but it was bigger than this one. a few fittings and plugs and you have a good air storage tank

 

[OccupantRJ]

Yeah, I keep mine turned off. I have it plugged into the same outlet as the dryer. Well, I have it on the same breaker, but its own outlet. I get lots of orange water when I drain it.

The only problem I see right now is that my dump valve dumps outside of my garage so I can't watch it. I ran a 1/4 inch copper line through the wall to the outside. I bet I could just give it a second and call it good.

The small line will run smooth until the water leaves it, then it will start to tremble slightly. You should be able to feel and hear this although you can't see it.