Do you leave your air compressor on?

[onething]

+1 on a breaker not being a switch.

I killed my old, good compressor because it was on all the time and never drained. It finally developed a hole in the bottom of the tank. Before that, it developed an oil leak and had to be rebuilt because it was running while I was not around to check on it for weeks at a time.
With the new one (the louder one), I kill it and drain it every day. If I drain the tank daily I get 3 or 4 ounces of water, and I'm sure that would lead to a big puddle in the bottom of the tank if I didn't. I don't like the idea of leaving water in the bottom of the tank.

Any suggestions for a good automatic system would be appreciated.

 

[gtkane]

I used to leave the power on, until a few years ago...the belt got chucked and the motor burnt out after running for a couple of days(7.5hp).
Now I shut off the ball valve and kill the power.

 

[Zrexxer]

I leave mine pressurized full time, but shut the controls off when I'm out of the shop. I used a Cutler Hammer switch wired in series with my compressor's pressure switch.

Buddy of mine had one left on and it blew the flex hose connecting it to the piping; the compressor ran all night trying to make pressure, overheated, and seized a bearing. The machine didn't have a mag starter so luckily the breaker tripped when the motor went full locked-rotor and it dodn't burn the shop down.

 

[Strouty]

Not anymore, some of you guys had pretty good arguments. I turned it off at the pressure switch, but I am thinking of adding a real disconnect.

 

[jethro29]

always off when not in use,to risky to leave on all the time.imho.

 

[REAL HOT SCHITT]

I only have it on in working hours, after that i kill it for the nite and drain the reciever prior to goin home. (if equipt with auto drain moisture trap etc? It still requires to drain at reciever due to temp variation between inside and outside atmospheres.).

Killing it when not used after hours saves on stresses on reciever / pump due to load, and money due to not having machine wasting on needless start up current... Which is "x time actual use current..ie; energy.

 

[hofferwood]

I don't think I will find another one like this for $50.00. Off 'till using, always pressurized, drain water weekly, bleed regulator to 0.
Why? Look up "Bad luck" in the dictionary, You'll see my picture
The reg./switch combo on the motor is a good one.

Chuck

 

[Aspen RT]

Thanks for all the responses guys, I'm with the most of you, I just don't like to have it on when I'm not around.

 

[ket-tek]

Been on since 2002.. Never had any leaks, holds pressure all the time. It's in a separate shed attached to the back of the garage so 'out of sight, out of mind' I suppose.

Never thought about it to much previously, but now you guys got me thinking about adding an accessible disconnect and power light in the garage. Might as well add one more project to the list..

 

[Thruxton]

Thanks for all the responses guys, I'm with the most of you, I just don't like to have it on when I'm not around.

You know, I do have to edit my "24/7" earlier reply, because when we go out of town, all shop circuits are off. I never think about the compressor, because it is still full when I get back- no leaks. But as others have commented, I would be uncomfortable leaving it on when I am away for any length of time.

 

[83trekker]

My Father -in -law and I were having this discussion.


Do any of you leave your air compressor on 24/7?


Personally I don't.... but I know someone who does. (Hint, Hint)

Nope, once the compressor started up and the belt fell off, tank ran for 1, 5, 10, 16 hours?? untill i noticed it.

 

[ZRX61]

Hell no, heard to many cases of people having an air leak while out of town & the pump running itself to destruction before they get home.. They usually detonate over night if left running.

 

[Catalyze]

I leave mine on. It has a ball valve shut off at the tank before it connects to the air line flex hose. I shut off the ball valve unless I am in the shop. If I go on vacation, I shut off the shop except the radiant floor heat in winter. Tank water drained every Sunday...just a routine that I seem to remember.
Craig

 

[Traditional hotrodder]

I shut off the ball valve leading to all the air lines every night. But haven't unplugged my 80 galllon 2 stage since 2000, except for draining the tank and an occasional oil change.

 

[dykstra]

Off.

 

[lowmad]

I turn mine off whenever I'm not using it. I have the compressor in a shed behind my shop, with both a breaker in the shop and a service disconnect beside the compressor (code requirement).

After it was only about 3 years old, the pressure switch gave up and the thing ran until the safety valves popped off.

I also have a ball valve plumbed at the compressor and where the line comes through the back wall of the shop, so I can cut the compressor and the air off while just leaving a couple feet of line and the tank aired up.

Paul
'56 Nomad

 

[ptschram]

W/R/T switches, I found a 30 amp DPST switch at my local small town hardware store.

As the starting current of my compressor shouldn't exceed 20 amps (hasn't blown the breaker) I feel pretty confident that the switch can handle the current. By using a double pole switch, I am certain that both legs of the 220 are disconnected when I turn it off.

The switched circuit switches an outlet that is dedicated to the compressor. This way I have a positive disconnect immediately adjacent to the compressor should I need to isolate the compressor for service, etc.

I also have multiple ball valves that allow me to isolate various portions of the shop-again, makes maintenance or modifications much easier for me, and should a hose break, I can repair that section while the rest of the shop can continue to work. My shop is 48 X 64 and is not open span, thus I have a little more difficulty running airlines to various portions of the shop.

Air is the second thing on in the morning and the first thing off in the evening. Having the switch near the door is also handy should it be left on and something bad happen as I only have two paces into the building to shut it down.

 

[saabman]

I routinely turn mine off. There are period (winter) where I dont go in to the shop for days.

 

[Motorhead Extraordinaire]

I used to leave my air compressor on until one night it started up in my shop which is only 30 feet away from my bedroom. It just so happened to be the first "nice" night and all of the skylights were open after a fun night out on the town with my wife.

Well, nothing destroys a much needed sleep than the humming noise of a well used air compressor. After dragging my **** out of bed at 3AM to shut the damn thing off, it is now off at night (usually).

Every once in while I'll forget and it's into the bathrobe once again. Ugh!!!!

Joe

 

[MartyO]

You guys have me re-thinking my approach.

 

[mrpowderkeg]

I turn mine off, shut the ball valve, and shut the breaker off. I actually trip all breakers in my shop except for the alarm and lights, nothing is on or charging when I do, but my biggest fear is an electrical fire when I'm not around. My idiot shop neighbor leaves his on all the time, it kicks in about once an hour. He's blown a few hoses and that damn thing has run for days. I worry about it over heating and burning the shop down, but now I have his phone number and call him when it happens.

 

[dougmac]

Off when not in use.

I also close the ball valve when it is not in use. My tank will hold air for weeks with the ball valve turned off.

 

[MP&C]

I leave my air compressor on (no sense wearing out a 60 amp breaker) but I do close the ball valve on the compressor and disconnect any air hoses, as they would be the likely failure point.

 

[bill9860]

I am only out there weekends - and don't always use it then - so I turn it off

 

[Man Cave]

I have a check list when leaving my shop. All welding bottles off, compressor off . My shop is a 100 ft. behind my house but I don't want to hear my compressor kick on in the middle of the night. I also hang around the shop at least 15 minutes after welding or cutting just in case that stray spark lights something up.

 

[jam0o0]

in the space i currently borrow we have a small compressor hooked to a hose real. it stays on all the time. if there is nothing attached to the hose real then it usually only runs once a day. if the hose were to break the compressor would run for a wile until the over heat protection kicked in. i get the over heat to kick in every time i try to run a die grinder for any length of time. so i know it works. plus the thing is on a surge protector that is getting old so it trips most times if the compressor is getting hot and inefficient.

 

[ptschram]

in the space i currently borrow we have a small compressor hooked to a hose real. it stays on all the time. if there is nothing attached to the hose real then it usually only runs once a day. if the hose were to break the compressor would run for a wile until the over heat protection kicked in. i get the over heat to kick in every time i try to run a die grinder for any length of time. so i know it works. plus the thing is on a surge protector that is getting old so it trips most times if the compressor is getting hot and inefficient.

You sir are asking for a house fire.

Refer to the lost half my tools thread for why you should be turning your compressor off.

Borrowed space, compressor that overheats running a die grinder, surge protector that trips when compressor gets hot, yep, sounds like a fire on its way.

 

[Plump]

You guys have me re-thinking my approach.

Me too. Always left it on so it would be ready to use whenever I needed. I drain the water frequently but the idea of a hose going and the motor burning out is pretty scary. I'll be switching it off from now on to prevent catastrophe.

 

[Cuda]

I have a switch on mine at the pressure switch. I flip it off after every use. I just feel safer about it as mentioned in all the previous posts.

 

[Man Cave]

I just don't get why guy's have their compressor on when they aren't present. I'm an aviator, in airplanes we don't want anything powered up we aren't using. Eliminates a source of smoke or fire, just like it would at home.

 

[Ohio Auto]

I shut it off at the compressor after every use. Also drain air out of the line from the compressor.

 

[hetkind]

My compressor is rated 100% duty cycle and has wiring to support continual running. It lives in a compressor shack behind the shop...when I leave town I shut it down, sometimes...

Howard

 

[xcgates]

When I was at school, procedure was to shut off power, and turn off the valve leading to the hoses when you were leaving the shop.

Any compressor I get is likely to be on the smallish side, and I will do the same thing.

::EDIT:: Heck, I turn off my computers when I go to sleep, and when I leave for work unless they are doing something. All that is plugged in and drawing power are two radios, the back porch light, microwave and fridge.

 

[gsport]

i shut mine off too and close the ball valve at the tank... the air line has a ever so small leak that i've just never gotten around to fixing, and drain the moisture from the tank after each use.

 

[oldgoat]

I don't shut mine off but I do shut off the outlet valve so that in case the hose breaks I won't burn up the compressor.

 

[steel 35]

I close the ball valve as well. I use it too often to wait and if I wait I will forget what I was doing.

 

[tig]

I just ordered a Hunter PRS-52 pump start relay (220v, 30 amp, 24v control) that I will control via my home control system to keep the compressor off unless I am in the garage. My current plan is to use the motion detector as the primary trigger (say with a 90 minute timeout). Or I could use whether the lights are on. Or a combination.

My compressor is in the garage attic and my breaker panel is on the far side of the garage in a locaiton thats a PITA to get to, so I really need some sort of remote switching. Turns out I have 24v digital IO control with an available port right next to the breaker panel, so mounting the pump start relay will be easy.

 

[ptschram]

My compressor is in the garage attic and my breaker panel is on the far side of the garage in a locaiton thats a PITA to get to, so I really need some sort of remote switching. Turns out I have 24v digital IO control with an available port right next to the breaker panel, so mounting the pump start relay will be easy.

I wouldn't say that mine is in an "Attic" but it's on the second floor. If something happened, access would not as clear as I'd like due to the physical arrangement of the shop. I've run both legs of the 220 to a DPST switch right next to the light switch that is right next to the door. It's convenient to remember to turn off/on as leaving/entering the shop and should there be an emergency, I can kill power to it on the way out.

I like your motion sensor idea!

 

[tig]

I have successfully finished the project of making my compressor power be remotely controlled by my home automation system. Details in this thread:

A photo of the pump-start relays in place:

 

[snorky18]

I've had a pressure switch fail and let the compressor keep pumping up past the design psi, till the safety valve opened up. Since then, I've always tried to remember to turn it off every night or when i leave the house.