Blown up compressor tank

[gearhead9056]

That is interesting. When I got my 1990 Quincy 5hp compressor I called a local compressor company and asked about the tank. The guy I talked to said that they rarely see failures in the tanks except when they have been bolted down. He explained that when the tank is bolted rigidly to the floor the vibration of the motor weakens the welded seams.

That makes sense to me although it was on suspension bushings so it did have some flex, I wouldn't have bolted it down except it liked to wonder

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[TMcCay]

My 5hp Quincy likes to wander. I went to a local farm supply store and bought some of that recycled rubber stable mat and place under it. Much quieter and no more movement.

Glad that no one was hurt! I have seen a video about air tanks blowing up and it will make you shudder at some of the damage that is caused when they blow up.

 

[LG63]

I hope some of our welding experts will jump in here. If it's like most tanks I've seen the cylindrical portion is a rolled and welded shell with caps (heads?) welded at each end. It appears the shell tore away from the heads right along the weld seams. Doesn't this suggest a bad weld?

 

[gearhead9056]

It blew about five inches from the weld I would assume the cylinder peeled of the caps as it blews

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[SALIV8]

Damn. Never seen anything like that. Especially from ingersall rand.

Mine is bolted to the floor loosely on rubber pads ill have to double check my setup. I have had one failure before but it just leaked air and water like a constant auto drain. Lol

 

[Punchwood]

I hope some of our welding experts will jump in here. If it's like most tanks I've seen the cylindrical portion is a rolled and welded shell with caps (heads?) welded at each end. It appears the shell tore away from the heads right along the weld seams. Doesn't this suggest a bad weld?

I'm a CWI but without all of the pieces in front of me I wouldn't do a failure analysis on that.

I will say however that I would tend to believe that if the failure was due to corrosion it wouldn't have exploded like that one did. With a corroded spot, or especially a strip of corrosion, that area could rip open violently, maybe even enough so to move the unit several feet.

That thing looks like it went over pressure big time and just exploded. It found the week spot alright. Was that weak spot a weld? It's possible, but that weld also held together probably thousands of times before this event.

My GUESS is that it was way over pressure. Like I say, without all of it front of me................

 

[EOC_Jason]

I have an old Sandborn 20 gallon horizontal (has wheels)... Anyhow, one end developed a pinhole leak... Okay, not a big deal it got scraped a lot moving around... Welded it up...

About a year later the other side developed a pinhole leak...

Figured that was a sign to stop using it and get a new tank... Still sitting in pieces right now, one of these days I'll get a tank and transplant the pump & motor...

 

[beakie]

I'm a CWI but without all of the pieces in front of me I wouldn't do a failure analysis on that.

I will say however that I would tend to believe that if the failure was due to corrosion it wouldn't have exploded like that one did. With a corroded spot, or especially a strip of corrosion, that area could rip open violently, maybe even enough so to move the unit several feet.

That thing looks like it went over pressure big time and just exploded. It found the week spot alright. Was that weak spot a weld? It's possible, but that weld also held together probably thousands of times before this event.

My GUESS is that it was way over pressure. Like I say, without all of it front of me................

I will second that.

regular operating pressures would not have cause the tank to become a projectile.


was the tank drained regularly? from day 1? (bought used, left with sitting water in it, etc)
did you notice it running in the time before it blew? (if you were within earshot of it)
was there an alternate source of heat near it? (introducing a source of extreme heat, exponentially raises the pressures inside the tank, and in very short order)

 

[b974k]

The last tank I saw that exploded blew an eleven foot hole in a cinder block wall and the tank landed 200 feet from the bldg. so you would have to fortify the bldg. quite a bit. In this case the regulator and blow off valve failed. This was a new installation

 

[TractorJeff]

Obviously the guys in denial are the ones that are over on the Thread "See my Vintage Restored Air Compressor". Those guys are so Proud of their Vintage Restorations and how they still use them everyday!
I saw an upright blow its lid through the roof(never to be found), throw wood splinters 100 feet, unwrap its steel cylinder till it was almost flat. The sound was heard by a Farmer a half mile away standing beside a piece of running Farm machinery!
Tanks blow up period!

 

[Prototyper]

The safety relief valve was set to 125 but it might have been the wrong size. It has to be able to lose more air than the pump can create or the pressure will continue to rise. Could have been a mismatch. Could also have been a legitimate failure of the tank like others have mentioned (rust) at a pressure lower than the tested limit.

I'm gonna have to say no way to that possibility. The smallest, 1/8" NPT ASME relief valve sold by McMaster Carr is still rated to flow 78CFM at 125PSI. There's no way that little compressor could over run even the tiniest of properly-functioning relief valves.

Fatigue failure of the receiver material, likely exacerbated by a flaw in a weld or the material itself.

Scary as all hell! Compressed air is a force to be respected and feared.

 

[nine4gmc]

That's crazy

 

[LG63]

If it was over pressure, I'm surprised the motor didn't go down on overload. Seems like the amps would have skyrocketed near the end.

 

[Johnny A]

In "my opinion" tanks that explode like this have bad safety valves. I have heard about this happening back in 1992.

The unit I heard about was discovered to of had a bad cut off switch & pressure valve. The unit was running all night & it exploded when the station was closed. When a new unit was put in it was discovered that the copper lines through out the service bays had leaks. The guy was surprised that a cooper line did not burst before the tank.

It was discovered the next day by the guy pumping gas.

I would love to know more about the brand,yr mfg,psi,cut-off switch condition/rating & pressure switch condition & psi rating.

HERE IS A LINK OF ONE EXPLODING............

Thank god no one was killed...

 

[jkwilson]

If it was over pressure, I'm surprised the motor didn't go down on overload. Seems like the amps would have skyrocketed near the end.

It seems like I remember it isn't as severe as it seems like it might be. Something like 25% power increase for 50psi pressure increase.

 

[DenisG]

http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/pdf/cof_study_material/a_35_st_mat.pdf

 

[slickgt1]

Holy ****. I have a 10 year old 5 gal I am debating on upgrading.

How do you check if there is rust in these things. I drain daily, and doesn't seem to be too dirty.

 

[mechanic217]

I have had two tanks leak, both were horizontal and leaked on the tanks welded seam, after the second one I went to vertical tanks and only turn the compressor on when I need it, also drain the tank when I'm done.

 

[Twiggss]

holy ****!!

 

[LG63]

I have an aging horizontal tank as well but I think this failure took such a extremely rare sequence of events that it's very unlikely to occur in a tank that is simply rusted. It seems to me that rust would be a much less catastrophic event because the thin portion of the tank would be somewhat self relieving as it went from a pin hole to a larger rupture. That's purely my seat of the pants opinion, I have nothing scientific to back it up.

 

[Chaznsc]

I think you can JB WELD it back together.

 

[The mean fish]

I was expecting a "blown up" compressor tank diagram or something. That's frightening to say the least.

 

[Boost Creep]

does anyone know why nobody has any type of coatings inside their tanks to prevent rust and hopefully prevent these types of things from happening?

 

[beakie]

does anyone know why nobody has any type of coatings inside their tanks to prevent rust and hopefully prevent these types of things from happening?

rust didn't cause this.

way way too much pressure caused this.

 

[rohartman]

this is why I turn power off to my compressor unless I'm using it.

 

[TheOtherChris]

I currently run a 60 gal upright "Rocket" brand remanufactured compressor that I bought Nearly 30 years ago. During a normal week it gets pumped on Saturday (when power is cheaper) and gets used for little stuff all week.

Now I wonder every time I am in the garage.

 

[vonhef]

Here is a YouTube video of another failure:

This one is also reported to be a smaller horizontal tank.

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[alan camby]

A air compressor is a air pump that takes in whatever gas is in the area of the pump.
I wonder if it is possible that just the right mixture of a gas was pumped in and a explosion somehow took place inside of the tank. Thinking gasoline fumes, natural gas, starting fluid, heck even propellant from a hair spray can.

Having a tank just blow up like a bomb does not make any since to me.
A steel tank with any kind of wall thickness should not do this IMO. My IR has a minimum wall thickness of .190", if I remember correctly. 125psi just ripping the steel to pieces is hard to comprehend.

 

[dwm]

Alan, you're on the right track.

Kerosene and gasoline in the proximity of an air compressor is essentially a recipe for a bomb. Torpedo heaters, even when properly adjusted, typically do not burn all of their fuel. Especially at start and worsened if you don't adjust the mixture as needed. Many of them also emit some fumes when not in use. Mine is always on the opposite side of my 4-car garage from my compressor, and I unplug the compressor if I am using the heater.

My money would be on the explosion being caused by a combustible fuel/air mixture in the receiver. Wouldn't be the first time and won't be the last.

So glad no one was hurt!

 

[alan camby]

In todays world, when a accident happens in a industrial setting or any place where someone is on the time clock. Some agency, such as osha, will investigate the cause of the accident.
here is a exploding tank that was investigated. Unfortunately the failure resulted in death.
http://www.cdc.gov/NIOSH/FACE/stateface/ca/05ca010.html

Failure was reported as a combustion taking place in the tank.

 

[Punchwood]

The combustible being introduced to the receiver is a really good point. I hadn't thought of that.

As far as the rust argument goes, I'm not buying it. These things exploding is the result of bad relief valves and sticking pressure switches.

For those that have concerns about their own compressors/tanks- You can always have someone come out from your local NDE lab and UT them. I would guess that would cost at least a couple hundred dollars though.

I leave my compressor unplugged unless I'm using it. Much less wear and tear/stress on everything that way.

 

[gearhead9056]

You guys are starting to over think this a bit, there was no fiery explosion and no signs of one anywhere if I missed watching it, no smoke either. Its as simple as it did get rusted to much, no welds blew they are all intact. Then some the switch and relief failed and it blew.

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[Punchwood]

Well like the title says yesterday my compressor tank blew up. Luckily nobody was in there and the damage is mostly cosmetic. The compressor was on a half wall that had 2x12s for a top and I think the energy that the wall absorbed really saved the wall and ceiling.

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In pic 4- You see that piece of the tank sticking out pointing at the mud bucket?

Notice how the base metal tore right long the toe of the weld?

That area where it transitions from weld metal to base metal is called the HAZ, or, Heat Affected Zone.

Is that the same area where the rust was?

 

[gearhead9056]

No it was about four inches over from that, I guess you can't tell in the pics but it stretched and blew in the middle towards the opposite end, and the part your talking about was torn in the process

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[WhoWhatNow]

No it was about four inches over from that, I guess you can't tell in the pics but it stretched and blew in the middle towards the opposite end, and the part your talking about was torn in the process

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Was the rust primarily in the area were the drain **** was?


I agree, I think this was due to weakening of the tank due to rust.

 

[pepi]

It was cheap line off brand made by IR and I believe the plate said about 17 years old. I put a new motor on it about a year ago and I put a new switch and release valve on it at the same time, the tank was rated for 150 and the switch was set at 120 and relief valve was 125, the bottom of the tank looks like here was about a two inch strip of rust along the bottom so I suppose it was just weak enough to blow.

The rust thing on the bottom is a good guess, I could not help but notice that the rupture was along the bottom. Auto drain would have save it. 17 year old tank was not the problem the water in that tank was the problem. Even if it was rusted some when purchased, auto or regular draining would have prevented this.... Learn anything from the experience ?

 

[DekeT]

does anyone know why nobody has any type of coatings inside their tanks to prevent rust and hopefully prevent these types of things from happening?

Many manufacturers offer epoxy coating inside the tank as an option.

 

[gearhead9056]

Even if it was rusted some when purchased, auto or regular draining would have prevented this.... Learn anything from the experience ?

I did drain it regularly myself but I only had it for about a year so it was to late and as for what I learned, definitely buying new and gettin an auto drain (which I was actually thinking about doing this summer)

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[jkwilson]

A few other home compressor explosions can be seen here

I think I'd look into reporting this to the manufacturer and even look into reporting it to a state agency. That might get a failure expert to look at it and learn something. Our equipment today is much safer because of such investigations when accidents happen.

The tank in this thread seems to be in very good condition compared to the others in the link as far as visible corrosion.

The whole idea is worrying to me. I do a good job of draining my tank, but I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who never drain them. Scary for sure.

I had thought before about a block outhouse for my compressor for the noise, but this makes me think about digging a pit next to my shop for my compressor. It would be quiet, and with a heavy concrete lid it would contain any kind of failure. Maybe a 36" culvert on end and pour a concrete pad at the bottom. Only practical with a loader to lift it in and out for service, but not an issue with me.

 

[DenisG]

Did you retrieve the pressure relief valve (safety valve) and test it?