Catastrophic air compressor explosion *warning*
- Thread starter wazzabie
- Start date
Lucid Moments
Well-known member
This same video has been seen on here before. Not too long ago IIRC. You can see clearly in the video where the drain bung has been welded on and not done skillfully. I think if he had taken it out of service when it (probably) started leaking previously he wouldn't have had the catastrophic failure.
Kscardsfan
Well-known member
But then he wouldn’t have been able to make a cool video
yup. same video resurfaced . last time was a few weeks ago, several times over the last years it pops up .
American Locomotive
Well-known member
Very rarely do compressor tanks fail catastrophically like this from rust. As mentioned, you can see where the drain bung has been welded on before. The tank told them many years ago that it had enough, but they welded the holes shut and kept it operating.
laser3kw
Well-known member
here ya go...
GJ air compressor explosion (link)
GJ air compressor explosion (link)
WordMan
ALLIANCE MEMBER
It failed at the seem, not at the repair (crappy or not).
I think it was just run past its lifetime.
I think it was just run past its lifetime.
I didn't watch the video, but the problem with horizontal tanks is they get a "ribbon" of water on the bottom which, over decades, forms a line of corrosion and reduced metal thickness; this can cause them to unzip. With the same drain intervals, vertical tanks are much less likely to catastrophically fail IMO.
APEowner
Well-known member
I think the point is that when it needed a repair that should have been taken as a clue that it was time for a replacement. Yeah the repair wasn't the failure point but if there's one spot that needs a repair their are likely others.It failed at the seem, not at the repair (crappy or not).
I think it was just run past its lifetime.
Looking at the screen capture above it looks to me like it's rusted all the way through at the failure point and was likely leaking. Obviously, that's pure speculation on my part but that's what it looks like to me.
The take home message is still the same. Compressed gassed can be dangerous. Drain the water regularly and don't use old, suspect, pressure vessels.
yelchevelle
Well-known member
I think that I saw someone say before when that video was posted that the thin wall tanks have like a 10 year design life. That tank looks way older. My commercial grade/asme horizontal tank that is probably 40-50 years old looked perfect on the outside. It got a couple of pin holes in it middle of last year when I took it out of service. I am going to cut it open when I swap everything over to a new tank.
I am convinced that the vertical tanks will last longer because they drain all of the water out of them. It’s easier for moisture to get caught in a horizontal tank. I am still looking for a suitable vertical replacement tank.
I am convinced that the vertical tanks will last longer because they drain all of the water out of them. It’s easier for moisture to get caught in a horizontal tank. I am still looking for a suitable vertical replacement tank.
haveissues
Well-known member
It looks to me like it was rusted through along the weld to me as well. Who knows, maybe there was a repair there also that got a bit of red paint and it isn't apparent.
joel63
Well-known member
Ok, I'm going to switch to cordless in my shop.As much as cordless tools have overtaken the use of air tools, I don't know if an auto repair shop can ever completely get rid of air? I need it to blow out dirty/plugged hoses/passages, blow dirty filters, air to fill tires, pressurize things to check for leaks, etc, etc. Far too many uses for air in a shop to completely get rid of the air compressor.
I rarely use my compressor these days.... but when I do, I always cringe the entire time it's running after seeing similar threads/stories over the years on the internet of blown compressor tanks. In fact, I used my compressor the other day to run my little air body saw for about 15 minutes and the thought of an exploding tank was on my mind the entire time the compressor was running. After seeing this thread, I'm going to completely drain my tank (60 gallon upright) and thoroughly inspect with a bore scope before using it again. If it's even slightly questionable, I will replace the tank. Luckily there is an air compressor manufacturer about 2 hours from me that will sell new replacement tanks direct to the public. I doubt they're cheap but it's better than having it blow up in my face someday.
I wonder about wrapping the tank in a ballistic material like we do with superchargers on nitro cars, and transmission/reverser housings? Something to help contain a catastrophic failure from hurting anyone or destroying the shop. I bet Dennis Taylor, Simpson, Impact, RaceQuip, etc could sell ballistic compressor blankets for your most common size compressor tanks. They would probably cost a fortune but it might be worth the money depending where your compressor is located. Just a thought...
finn
Well-known member
I watched the video. He claims the tank was ten years old. Looks like a late eighties compressor to me, based on the pump design and general condition and cleanliness.
Also, his understanding of relative humidity and water accumulation is a little wanky.
Also, his understanding of relative humidity and water accumulation is a little wanky.
vavet
Well-known member
Ya know...we wouldn't have these problems if we made compressor tanks out of PVC.
Packard V8
Well-known member
How you feel is not arguable, but air compressor tank explosions are literally the last thing I worry about. Bottom line for me, in sixty years in and around commercial air compressors and having personally owned dozens, I've never seen a catastrophic explosion failure, but have seen several of the cheapo homeowner tanks rust through. They all just began with a clearly defined pinhole leak in the low point of the tank. JMHO, but in the subject tank in the video more likely there was some part of the pressure shutoff and/or overpressure relief valve which failed and drastically overpressurized a junk tank.
Just a bit of trivia, but a neighbor asked me to look at a leak in a 5hp Ingersoll Rand homeowner tank he'd been using for years. At a glance, I could tell it was a 1980s big box cheapo and the leak was around a roofing sheet metal screw which has a rubber washer under the head. It been used to patch a pinhole leak in the bottom of the end of the tank. He'd never noticed it and it had held 140 PSI for all that time.
jack vines
neophyte
Well-known member
The Girandoni Air Rifle was invented in the late 1700s, and used a compressed air tank that acted as the buttstock for the rifle.
The small air tanks were made from forged wrought sheet iron, that was riveted and brazed into shape.
It’s estimated these air reservoirs for the rifles were pressurized to around 800psi.
I’m not sure wether anybody has tried to pressurize an original Girandoni rifle after 200+ years.
The video doesn’t say what brand the compressor is/was, or when it was manufactured( I presume at least the tank would be dated)
Also, the tank mostly failed right next to a weld, and despite welds supposedly being as strong or stronger than the surrounding material, welded stuff mostly seems to fail near welds, either do to corrosion, or metal fatigue
The small air tanks were made from forged wrought sheet iron, that was riveted and brazed into shape.
It’s estimated these air reservoirs for the rifles were pressurized to around 800psi.
I’m not sure wether anybody has tried to pressurize an original Girandoni rifle after 200+ years.
The video doesn’t say what brand the compressor is/was, or when it was manufactured( I presume at least the tank would be dated)
Also, the tank mostly failed right next to a weld, and despite welds supposedly being as strong or stronger than the surrounding material, welded stuff mostly seems to fail near welds, either do to corrosion, or metal fatigue
Agreed - test your pressure relief valves - at least annually.
Wouldn't be the first time a cheap pressure switch stuck, and kept right on pumping.... until something else gives up.
Last edited:
WordMan
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Watching the video, I don't see any rust. A vertical seam going to be a flex point and eventually, it will crack along the weld.
I do agree, the fact it needed repair meant it was time to replace it.
Like you said, "The take home message is still the same. Compressed gassed can be dangerous. Drain the water regularly and don't use old, suspect, pressure vessels."
Lucid Moments
Well-known member
But the fact that it needed repairing should have been all the indication needed that it was past its useful lifespan. I know this is Garage Journal and we like to fix things instead of replacing them, but some things shouldn't be fixed. Like pressure vessels.It failed at the seem, not at the repair (crappy or not).
I think it was just run past its lifetime.
Last edited:
WordMan
ALLIANCE MEMBER
nadogail
Well-known member
That tank was over due for replacement.
FredWanaker
Well-known member
I knew the pilot on that one.
haveissues
Well-known member
Happened to me. Forgot it on, pressure switch stuck the next time it kicked on and the compressor was pumping while blowing air out of the pressure relieve poppet for a good 24 hours before I found out. I replaced the pressure switch and installed a mag starter with a indicator light to remind me it is on.
They won’t rust.Ya know...we wouldn't have these problems if we made compressor tanks out of PVC.
foghorn1966
Well-known member
Or just replace the safety valve after 5 or 10 yrs or if the tank is new to you. They are not much money.
My comment the last time this was posted was this wouldn't have happened if the guy scrapped the tank when it first started leaking. Yes, the repair didn't fail but that meant the rust got more time to weaken the whole tank.
The compressor is a Campbell Hausfeld, "5hp" 120V. Based on the color etc I think a Husky model. Since this is a "5hp" 120V compressor it was built prior to the 2004 inflated HP lawsuit settlement. I'm guessing something like this model
In the video he says he bought it brand new about 10 years ago. I think his is misremembering since by 2010 they weren't selling "5hp" 120V compressors unless that was some really old stock. His tips to keep moisture out of the tank were largely not true. The pump ***** air and water vapor into the pump. Once the hot, compressed air cools in the tank the water starts to condense. Some of that cooling is due to dropping from pump head temp to room temp. However, using air from the tank causes the tank to further cool and condense the water even more. His plan would only help if you had the cooler after the head and a water separator before the water made it into the tank.
One of the video thread posters mentioned the possibility of the compressor ingesting a combustible vapor. The pressure and heat in the tank then causes the mixture to combust in the tank.
I had a similar, upright 20 CH gallon model (same belt housing). For a number of years it was on loan to others. When I moved to my current house I got it back and... the tank promptly sprang a leak... I fixed the tank by replacing it with a tank from an oil free compressor that went bad.
Assuming the pump and motor survived the ride, they could be the basis for a rebuilt compressor. They are good parts and not too noisy.
Edit:
Looking at one of his other videos, the compressor looks to be a MY 2000, so about 20 years old.
The compressor is a Campbell Hausfeld, "5hp" 120V. Based on the color etc I think a Husky model. Since this is a "5hp" 120V compressor it was built prior to the 2004 inflated HP lawsuit settlement. I'm guessing something like this model
In the video he says he bought it brand new about 10 years ago. I think his is misremembering since by 2010 they weren't selling "5hp" 120V compressors unless that was some really old stock. His tips to keep moisture out of the tank were largely not true. The pump ***** air and water vapor into the pump. Once the hot, compressed air cools in the tank the water starts to condense. Some of that cooling is due to dropping from pump head temp to room temp. However, using air from the tank causes the tank to further cool and condense the water even more. His plan would only help if you had the cooler after the head and a water separator before the water made it into the tank.
One of the video thread posters mentioned the possibility of the compressor ingesting a combustible vapor. The pressure and heat in the tank then causes the mixture to combust in the tank.
I had a similar, upright 20 CH gallon model (same belt housing). For a number of years it was on loan to others. When I moved to my current house I got it back and... the tank promptly sprang a leak... I fixed the tank by replacing it with a tank from an oil free compressor that went bad.
Assuming the pump and motor survived the ride, they could be the basis for a rebuilt compressor. They are good parts and not too noisy.
Edit:
Looking at one of his other videos, the compressor looks to be a MY 2000, so about 20 years old.
Last edited:
msharley
Well-known member
By test, i mean prove it yourself. Should even do that with a brand new one.
Rust on the inside of a tank from moisture buildup is fairly normal unfortunately, especially if you do not drain it regularly. It's best to check the tank and see what the test date is on it and go from there to figure out it's service life.
AceofSpad3s
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2014
- Messages
- 1,808
I hide somewhere else when I turn on my harbor freight pancake.
I open the drain valve every time I use it but never noticed any water, is most cases of severe tank rust primary from people never at all draining them at all?
I open the drain valve every time I use it but never noticed any water, is most cases of severe tank rust primary from people never at all draining them at all?
finn
Well-known member
Failure like this is why I get a little uneasy whenever someone spouts off a recommendation to look at used compressors on one of the recurring “what compressor should I buy?” threads..
Compressors are tools that have a finite life. Some longer, and some shorter. There are ways to proof test tanks, ie hydrostatic pressure testing, but very few people looking for a bargain would ever part with the money it costs to do that.
Having said that, two my used compressors, and one I bought new, date to the seventies. Two of them are in compressor rooms that, conceptually, at least, would provide at least some minor mitigation should the tank fail. Not much, but some.
Two of the compressors are in locations other than my primary shop, and are only used maybe ten times per “working season “, but the third, a Champion VR series dating from about 1975 or so, is in regular use, and is a candidate for replacement.
I hate to spring for the $3500 it will probably cost to replace it, but I guess the kids can deal with it as part of my estate settlement.
One thing I have done, is join the mass migration towards cordless tools, so that reduces my reliance on air in the shop, and subsequently, reduces cycles on the receiver. I have also dropped the setting below the factory 175 psi tank setting.
Compressors are tools that have a finite life. Some longer, and some shorter. There are ways to proof test tanks, ie hydrostatic pressure testing, but very few people looking for a bargain would ever part with the money it costs to do that.
Having said that, two my used compressors, and one I bought new, date to the seventies. Two of them are in compressor rooms that, conceptually, at least, would provide at least some minor mitigation should the tank fail. Not much, but some.
Two of the compressors are in locations other than my primary shop, and are only used maybe ten times per “working season “, but the third, a Champion VR series dating from about 1975 or so, is in regular use, and is a candidate for replacement.
I hate to spring for the $3500 it will probably cost to replace it, but I guess the kids can deal with it as part of my estate settlement.
One thing I have done, is join the mass migration towards cordless tools, so that reduces my reliance on air in the shop, and subsequently, reduces cycles on the receiver. I have also dropped the setting below the factory 175 psi tank setting.
VolvoRyan
Well-known member
If practical, it's probably wise to but DIY-er compressors in a well ventilated enclosure/closet, so if it goes 'splody the shrapnel is contained. It's a low probability event, but if you can lower the risks a bit more, why not?
I know of one person who had a compressor explode years ago. Details are fuzzy now, but it was in a garage closet and the damage was basically limited to blowing the closet door off.
I plumb easy-to-access ball valves and a hose out the door on my compressors so I can drain them, and leave them empty. Cordless tools do limit the amount air I use. Bittersweet, as I like air tools.
-Ryan
I know of one person who had a compressor explode years ago. Details are fuzzy now, but it was in a garage closet and the damage was basically limited to blowing the closet door off.
I plumb easy-to-access ball valves and a hose out the door on my compressors so I can drain them, and leave them empty. Cordless tools do limit the amount air I use. Bittersweet, as I like air tools.
-Ryan
I mentioned that more as a safety point. The tank leaks it's not getting used any more.
I drain my conoressors after use for that very reason.
I have another tank the compressor itself is getting moved onto.