Air tank bung replacement - size suggestions?

[HotRodHudson]

I've been working on setting up my air compressor lines to my 60 gallon single stage kobalt compressor at our new house and I've been frustrated with the small size of the 3/8" port on the tank bung. The compressor has 3.7 running hp, with 11.5 SCFM @ 90 PSI & 155 max PSI.

This morning I thought I'd see if the bung would budge & got extremely lucky that if popped free. So before I go buy a replacement bung with an increased port, I wanted to ask for recommendations. This is the air bung, not the water drain bung.

Here's what I was thinking: 3/4" bung port then run copper. 3/4" copper line to 3/4" ball valve, then to a 3/4" copper tee. One end of the tee would go to supply the main air system for the shop with filter, regulator & rapid air 1/2" master kit. The other would be used as a future need, in case I need high volume &/or full pressure, perhaps a blast cabinet.

 

[EOC_Jason]

I would connect the ball valve to the tank. That way just in case the copper line developed a leak or break your pump wouldn't be running if you weren't around.

3/4" sounds reasonable. My tank was actually 1/2" that I just used an adapter to go to 3/4" and left it at that...

 

[sberry]

The engineer that built that didn't make a mistake, the 3/8 was fully adequate for this comp.

 

[HotRodHudson]

I agree the closest to the tank the better but I haven't been able to find a 3/4" male threaded end on any ball valves. Since I have some left over 3/4" ball valves with sweat ends for copper, I figured I'd just use those. Hopefully I can get done without too many fittings between the tank bung & the ball valve.

 

[pattenp]

The engineer that built that didn't make a mistake, the 3/8 was fully adequate for this comp.

You should know you're wasting your time. Apparently HotRodHudson didn't like the answer he got in his other post that up-sizing the 3/8" bung isn't going to make any noticeable difference in air flow on that compressor. It's just a guy thing that bigger must be better.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Well sometimes it's about making it look nice and clean. Since he already had 3/4" parts, rather than use adapters to upsize you can just replace one piece and make it look stock.

 

[sberry]

There is no real harm in it but it doesn't do much. Only reason I even comment is for others thinking that they have to do this and that there is some gain. It wont help a blast cab, the only place there would be gain is in a truck tire shop with larger impacts and the unit is too small to start with. A 3/8 hose will drain )1/4 for that matter) this comp 3x as fast as it can make it up.