Anyone ever see this before ?

[Ace Sprocket]

I picked up this Craftsman compressor a while ago, works pretty good. I went to drain the tank and found the petcock had been swapped out for a quick connect fitting. I've never seen anything like this before and can't really figure out why it was done. I had to lift it up onto wood blocks to get enough clearance to get a hose fitting into the coupling so it would drain the water out.

Anyone ever see anything like this ?

Is there a special tool that would be used to drain the tank this way ?

Right now I'm thinking of getting rid of the coupling and going back to a petcock, unless there's a good reason not to.

 

[The Cobbler]

probably just something that was added to maybe have a remote drain?
I once had a pc of air hose & a blow gun on it to drain a compressor quickly & easily

 

[Stillgottimefor1]

probably just something that was added to maybe have a remote drain?
I once had a pc of air hose & a blow gun on it to drain a compressor quickly & easily

That IS a quick-connect fitting. The odds of anything you have fitting it are about one in three . Some person put that there in place of the drain valve. (Same thread size)….could have done it out of necessity, or somebody didn’t want to drain the orange water onto their pretty floor…was the previous owner from new england?

 

[Jinks]

May have been an old guy like me with a bad back. Bending down to get beneath those tanks to drain them is a pain. Cheap for the manufacturer, but a problem for us old guys. I change 'em out to brass pipe with a ball valve out where I can reach it. Drains the same, & gives any condensation a little space to sit later in a spot that won't rust.

 

[gmcgeo]

I picked up this Craftsman compressor a while ago, works pretty good. I went to drain the tank and found the petcock had been swapped out for a quick connect fitting. I've never seen anything like this before and can't really figure out why it was done. I had to lift it up onto wood blocks to get enough clearance to get a hose fitting into the coupling so it would drain the water out.

Anyone ever see anything like this ?

Is there a special tool that would be used to drain the tank this way ?

Right now I'm thinking of getting rid of the coupling and going back to a petcock, unless there's a good reason not to.

I would put it back to original. I would not want that on mine....

 

[sweetk30]

I do a street L fitting at 90* . Then a length of pipe to side of tank . Ball valve . Hose barb and 3ft length of hose to let me drain it in a jug or bucket .

 

[madison069]

I did pretty much what Sweetk30 did, makes it easier to drain with the valve sticking out pass the tank.

 

[58Yeoman]

I do a street L fitting at 90* . Then a length of pipe to side of tank . Ball valve . Hose barb and 3ft length of hose to let me drain it in a jug or bucket .

I did the same thing, only I added a length of pvc pipe after the valve/hose that goes out the back wall of the shop, and blows the air/water into the weeds back there.

 

[FMB4]

I see nothing odd or funny about it. Like others have said, it makes for an easy way to drain the water off the tank via a hose with a shutoff valve on the end or, better yet, a blowgun (as The Cobbler wisely mentions).

Quote: "That IS a quick-connect fitting". The OP clearly mentions that in his 2nd sentence.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

The draincocks that came on those compressors were basically a POS. Any accumulation of rust from the tank would usually foul those pretty quick. But, a quick connect in that orientation probably wouldn’t fair any better.

I too, would be doing the street el and a length of pipe w/1/4 turn ball valve.

 

[Pluribus]

"Is there a special tool that would be used to drain the tank this way ?" Likely some skids, blocks, or a platform with a hole in it to elevate the tank and easily connect a hose to divert/drain it to where the prior owner wanted.

Here's what I did. Easy-peasy.

Husky Extended Tank Drain Valve Assembly 072-0023H - The Home Depot

Amazingly organize your garage or work room this time by installing this user friendly Husky Extended Tank Drain Valve Assembly. durable steel.

www.homedepot.com

 

[FredWanaker]

that is what I did only put another 90 at the ball valve, and a barb with a small hose running outside. Drain the tank after every use.

 

[engineer2]

I would replace that with a conventional elbow, tube and valve in whatever configuration suits you.
The rusty water will eventually ruin the quick disconnect.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

My guess is the original petcock broke or plugged. Someone screwed the quick connect in to plug the hole.
Like others I replace the petcocks with a street ell, ****** (or hose) and a ball valve.

 

[brownbagg]

I do a street L fitting at 90* . Then a length of pipe to side of tank . Ball valve . Hose barb and 3ft length of hose to let me drain it in a jug or bucket .

i do the same but i added a three foot scrap to the valve handle so I dont have to been over

 

[quickfarms]

I found one of those on a air tank on a truck and the tank was partially full of a wet oily goo

the tank probably has not been drained in years

 

[Ace Sprocket]

Thanks for the replies. The way it is now is not convenient at all. I have to lift the whole unit up about 6 inches to get enough clearance.

What exactly is a "Street L" as opposed to any other type of elbow ? (dont really know what "street" means.)

 

[sweetk30]

I found one of those on a air tank on a truck and the tank was partially full of a wet oily goo

the tank probably has not been drained in years

someone never pulled the chuck from towing it when broken down ........ or it broke down to much and they just left it in the tank .

but yaa water and oil mix in that tank showed lack of maintenance and a defunct air compressor with lots of blow by .

 

[racecougar]

Thanks for the replies. The way it is now is not convenient at all. I have to lift the whole unit up about 6 inches to get enough clearance.

What exactly is a "Street L" as opposed to any other type of elbow ? (dont really know what "street" means.)

MxF

 

[driftpin]

90 degrees fitting with M threads on one end, F threads on the other. Ell is short for elbow. Makes it easy to use a length of M NPT threaded pipe to continue from the F tank fixture. Add a 1/4-turn ball valve beyond the vertical wall of the tank, and a length of hose to drain into a container.

 

[engineer2]

Just go to Home Depot and ask for a 1/4 brass street ell.

 

[Copymutt]

Being as my floor is not pretty & Laying on it to reach an almost inaccessible petcock is no fun, I finagled a top side relief.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Being as my floor is not pretty & Laying on it to reach an almost inaccessible petcock is no fun, I finagled a top side relief.

I absolutley love the engineering on that! For me, a 1/4" 90° street ell, a 1/4" MNPT x 1/4" compression fitting and some 1/4" soft copper into a 1 gallon washer fluid jug works just fine.

Tommy

 

[FordTruckWench]

I too, would be doing the street el and a length of pipe w/1/4 turn ball valve.

I did the same. Drilled a hole in the tank's foot/support. Routed the pipe through this hole. That way when the compressor is shaking itself to pieces, the extended drain setup isn't torquing just the threads.

I installed the above after I totally destroyed the draincock: "Time to drain the tank, which way do I turn this thing? Oh yeah, the threads are left hand, so I need to turn it backwards. But wait, it opens by turning in, so turn it the other way. OK, it is on the bottom of the tank, i.e. the side opposite from me, so I should turn it the opposite way. Um, I'm bent double, looking at it upside down, so... turn it the other way. And I'm holding pliers "backwards" with the business end off the heal of the hand - so now what?"