Compressor dropped during move, now junk?

[davejo]

The compressor was in the bucket of my tractor when it toppled off onto its head on the dirt. I fixed some minor damage to the air cleaner and unloader valve but i'm worried about the tank being compromised: It must have scraped along the bucket edge on its way down and there is a gouge in the side

Its all wired in and ready to go but I'm afraid to pump it up...suggestions?

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Doesn't look THAT bad, but getting it hydro'd couldn't hurt...

Tommy

 

[ScottsGT]

I wouldn't be worried. But I would hit that spot and smooth it out with a sander to relieve any stresses a hard edge might cause. If it does give, it would probably slowly split and cause a leak, not a chunk blowing out throwing shrapnel.

 

[KU_MechE]

That's a decent scrape and it's probably not worth your life. The likelihood of failure is low, but the consequences are high.

 

[mrpizza]

Id run it.

 

[KU_MechE]

Just FYI:

 

[myredracer]

Run a weld bead over the gouge?

 

[rsanter]

Not likly to hurt anything.
You could always put the compressor outside, you Can always put the compressor outside, you save space in the shop and if it ever fails there will be a wall between you

Bob

 

[KU_MechE]

Run a weld bead over the gouge?

Since the vessel is code stamped "U", the repair must be carried out by a firm holding a valid "R" stamp. All required works such as procedures, calculations, tests, .. etc. must be submitted for review and approval by the AI of an international third party inspection agency authorized by ASME.

 

[gungatim]

Run a weld bead over the gouge?

if it were mine in my shop, that's exactly what I would do. mig it up...but I am sure many others would scrap it.

 

[goodysgotacuda]

Since the vessel is code stamped "U", the repair must be carried out by a firm holding a valid "R" stamp. All required works such as procedures, calculations, tests, .. etc. must be submitted for review and approval by the AI of an international third party inspection agency authorized by ASME.

I'm not trying to be an smart ***, but if it isn't done by the specified firm...who's going to hunt you down? Or what are the consequences for an home application?

 

[JoeFin]

I'm not trying to be an smart ***, but if it isn't done by the specified firm...who's going to hunt you down? Or what are the consequences for an home application?

None

He not exactly producing these things for commercial sale or applying for a Boiler Permit. Run a bead on it if your worried about it and be done with it

I would be more concerned about the alignment of moving parts

 

[bad_idea]

I'm cheap. I don't sweat the safety nazi ****. I would scrap the tank.

The juice isn't worth the squeeze. Buy another tank. That could be upwards of 50% of the wall thickness of the tank. Many of the newer tanks are rather thin.

 

[rweaver]

Run a bead of wire over it, smooth it out and paint

 

[Stuart in MN]

I'm not trying to be an smart ***, but if it isn't done by the specified firm...who's going to hunt you down? Or what are the consequences for an home application?

It may not be likely, but a potential consequence could be failure of the tank under pressure.

If it were mine I'd take it to a place that could test the tank, I wouldn't try welding on it at home.

 

[Hghgrad]

I'd weld it and never look back.

Is 120psi going to blow steel to pieces? Nope


It might leak, but that's about it.

 

[dodgejunkie]

That little scrape won't effect squat! Run it.

 

[JerryB]

When you consider that the tank is 25 years old, along with an amount of damage that is difficult to ascertain, I would at least have it hydrostatic tested. If that cannot be done for a reasonable price, I would absolutely scrap it.

For all who are recommending welding on it or just using it, you need to review the video above. You could easily be condemning someone in the OP's household or some neighbor to serious injury or death in the event of a failure, either of the tank wall due to unseen damage, or weld failure, or material failure in the heat affected zone.

No one's personal safety is worth trying to save a damaged 25 year old piece of equipment. Doubly so where high pressures are involved.

 

[SGKent]

it is already 25 years old. What is the inside like? How thick is the tank? I blew the photo up and frankly I would not trust my life with a deep gouge without the opinion of a certified shop along with a hydro. Another solution is that many folks buy these cheap buzz compressors that die in a couple years and they are left with a burned out compressor but a good tank and they just want to get rid of it. See them all the time for sale. If the hydro comes back good and the certification is there use it. Not being overly metaphysical here but sometimes these things happen for a reason. Just send it off to a specialist and hydro it.

I did find this is another thread. You might be able to find a Craftsman or Campbell Hausfeld tank that is similar cheaper than anything else.

Your tank says Melben products on it. Melben is owned by Campbell Hausfeld.
I have a similar Sears air compressor with a tank that also says Melben on it.
The compressor head on my Sears is a Campbell Hausfeld. ... but I was able to find a Campbell Hausfeld air compressor that was similar to mine).

 

[Strouty]

Ultimately it is up to you, but there is a lot of ignorant advice in this thread. Welding a pressure vessel is never a good idea unless you are certified to weld them or have been trained to weld them specifically. If you don't know what a pressure vessel is, then DO NOT weld on it at all, ever. The tank is 25 years old, but it is a good one, it is rated to 200 PSI and the side thickness is .199". If it is a vertical tank, it is probably not rusty inside where you scratched it, it would be worth looking at just to see how rusty the tank is anyways.

For the people saying 120 PSI can't do any damage, I am sure your PVC airlines have been working fine for years now.

Personally, I would do internal investigation and maybe check it with an ultrasonic thickness gauge. Having it truly hydrotested will probably cost more than a new tank.

 

[404]

My suggestion is to sand away the paint and re examine. My opinion is that the damage is not as bad as the photo suggests. Certainly Hydrotest is a good idea, lots of people doing it on youtube.

Personally I would sand out the scratch with sandpaper before I welded on the tank. YMMV.
The scratch acts as a stress concentrator.

 

[Strouty]

A true hydrotest would have the tank submerged in water to see how much the overall tank expands. The ones you see on youtube are all but entertainment for the ignorant.

 

[matt_i]

An ASME pressure vessel won't fast-fracture on you. The design and the material spec are engineered so its criteria is "leak before break" in case of a problem ranging from over pressure to sudden cold temps to damage. There are a lot of case studies and learning on this from past histories on ship hulls to propane tanks as large as a house which were fails. One key element is that the base material has enough ductility to shunt or stop crack propagation rather than allowing it to continue to grow.

Being that the tank has a data plate on it, its likely not an el cheapo tank. With medium risk I would use it as-is, if the metal thickness is not sufficient for the hoop stress it will blowout there, non-catastrophically other than lots of air escaping. Low risk would be to change it for a new one. High risk in my book is to weld on it as you are introducing some unknown carbon content and internal tensile stresses from the molten metal freezing that are not currently there.

 

[nadogail]

If you decide to run this compressor, first consider the words of Dirty Harry; Do you feel lucky?"

A replacement compressor can be purchased cheaply.

The old tank can be repurposed into a wood stove or something else.

 

[1redTA]

how much is your safety worth?

 

[mizzoutrover]

I would not weld it, that is not an acceptable repair for a gouge in a pipeline....
The gouge should be completely sanded out and the remaining wall thickness identified. A retest of the tank with water is the best thing to do but the gouge must be completely removed to keep it from failing sometime in the future. If the tank thickness is not reduced by 20% or more I personally not be concerned. The dominate way internal pressure acts on a pipe or cylinder is via hoop stress which means defects along the long axis of the cylinder at or most concern. .....
download the excel spreadsheet at the following link, it will help determine the safe working pressure
http://kiefner.com/wp-content/uploa...Revised 20150601 Length Calc Corrections.xlsm
the following link in the user guide
http://kiefner.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/KAPA.pdf
I'd be surprised if the damage is too deep to be a problem but you should do your homework

if the numbers work out OK, I wouldn't worry about pressure testing it, if they don
t workout OK, scrap the tank

 

[Robby321]

That little scrape won't effect squat! Run it.

Agree 100%! Its not some OXY tank with 2000 PSI. 120 + PSI is nothing! Damn, crazy friend mine would take a liter soda bottle and drill out a hole on the cap. Glue in a rubber Schrader tire valve and screw it on. Shove 120 PSI in, take it out back and shoot it with a pellet gun! BOOM, find the cap, another bottle and repeat! So I'd just "fergedaboutit"..Put some duct tape over it if ya want. All I'd do at MOST. Use it! Some text and a vid link...

"A quick test of my setup to see if the bottle top would hold with no leaks. The two o-ring seal did not leak and the bottle burst at around 150 psi."

 

[1redTA]

can anyone say shrapnel

 

[nehog]

Take the hardware off the tank, take the tank to a certified shop and have it tested. It will either fail or pass either way it is safe, and you are safe.

And bang your wife.

??oh, wait...

 

[JerryB]

Go to the internet and find lots of advice that has some (even minor) potential to seriously injure or perhaps kill someone!

Since there is a common thought here about 100psi being harmless, could someone please explain why the original tank was manufactured and marked as a code vessel? I'm pretty certain the manufacturer would not go to that level of expense for something that is totally benign. And, that coding was before it was damaged!

To the OP: I would strongly recommend that if you decide to follow either the ". . . just use it as is," or the ". . . just weld it up and use it" advice, you will ask for the advisor's insurance policy name and numbers.

I've spent over 50 years designing and building equipment with everything from cryogenics to extremely high (>4000F) temperatures and high vacuum to extremely high pressures (>3000psi) without an accident that harmed a person or facility. There is no way that I would allow a questionable item like that damaged compressor tank unprotected in any shop.

To repeat: Go test it. Or, just replace it. Either path will make certain you do not hurt someone or something.

 

[Bobcat753]

I'd turn it into a nice big smoker. Good project and you get a new compressor that isn't structurally damaged. I can already smell the BBQ cooking!

 

[Ironhorse74]

I wouldn't like to be looking over my shoulder every time the compressor turned on. Welding itmis a bad idea. Bobcat had the right idea turn it into a smoker or a planter or a firepit or go on Pinterest and find something that turns you on. It just isn't worth it.

Brad

 

[bigcreek]

If it wasn't too deep I wouldn't worry about it, if it had too much depth for comfort I would weld a patch over it

 

[davejo]

Thanks for all the responses! I actually lost sleep over this last night so I'm going to look into the professional hydrotest possibilities around here. It looks like I can get a new tank for around $600 so it would have to make sense financially.

http://www.compressorworld.com/80-gallon-vertical-air-tank-with-top-plate.html#sthash.hueNmqY0.dpbs

I also found a compressor with a bad motor locally for less than that so that's a possibility, depending on its tank condition.

A similar replacement compressor would be in the $2000-2500 range for a commercial type 80 gallon two stage 5hp ph1, I don't want to spend that.....

 

[77Mini]

Just personal opinion but I wouldn't weld the gouge. I would clean it up and weld a patch over the gouge. (As long as you are a competent welder)

 

[jonjon1]

I would sand it and bondo it up, then paint the tank to look brand new, then sell it on craigslist and use the money to buy a new tank....

Just kidding, lol.. From my seat the scratch doesnt look too bad, I think I would just face that side towards the wall, lol... A new tank costs as much as a new compressor.

I think if you are not going to run that machine, you have 2 optiions that may not hurt the picket as much as others..

1 sell that one and buy a new compressor, you can get a new one..
http://www.zoro.com/ingersoll-rand-electric-air-compressor-2-stage-24-cfm-2475n75/i/G2885382/ with the 20% off coupon that will be around $1750...

OR

Buy a cheap 80 gallon and throw your pump and motor on it, and put the new pump and motor that came with it on the old tank, then sell that, I am sure there are people out there that wont be bothered by that scratch... There are plenty of 80 gals out there for $800 shipped, and with a new pump and motor on your tank you should be able to get $400, so you get a new tank for $400 and an hour of swapping parts around, not too bad...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005AOLB68/?tag=atomicindus08-20
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-80...Stage-Electric-Air-Compressor-C801H/203187346


good luck. Home depot used to have the industrial air 5hp on sale for $1199, which was a steal, one of my guys bought one for his house, and it has a baldor motor, and nice solid pump (same as curtis), he bought a bag starter for $80 and it works great, for $1300 there was no better deal of a compressor that I have seen, BUT now its back up to $1600 on home depot.com, so a moot point...

 

[c39er]

I'd never weld on the sides of an air tank. It could make the tank even more dangerous.
Leave it or buy another.

 

[sberry]

If you sand that off you will find its only a scratch. Don't do anything, fire it up.

 

[hawkeye2]

http://www.surpluscenter.com/shop.axd/Search?keywords=Tank&page_no=1&fq=1_category:8
80 gal tank $349.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I'm not trying to be an smart ***, but if it isn't done by the specified firm...who's going to hunt you down? Or what are the consequences for an home application?

None

Except for the consequences of it RUPTURING...



Tommy