draining compressor

[locaddy]

I'm new here, but been snooping around for a while now. I just recently put up a 25x30 steel building, poured 4" slab and ran electricity out there. Well I got a deal on a compressor years ago but only recently got to run it. At the end of the night I went to drain the condensation and I couldnt get it to work. Theres an illustration on the tank showing to turn this wingnut on the bottom (pic below). I turned and turned but its just spinning free, not letting any water or air or anything out. Any suggestions on what I might do?

This is the compressor.

this is the wingnut.

Any help is appreciated! And sorry if this isnt the right place for this...

Mike

 

[kbs2244]

Try turning it the other way.
It is not unusual for them to have what would seem to be left hand threads. When you turn it to the right, like you were tightening it, you are lifting a plug off its seat and it will start to blow.

 

[locaddy]

Hmm did'nt try that but I bet thats what it is. Ill check when I get off work. Thanks!

 

[toms73novass]

sometimes the wing breaks free of the tube and the whole assembly has to be replaced.

 

[AndrewHR]

sometimes the wing breaks free of the tube and the whole assembly has to be replaced.

When you replace it make sure you replace it with a 1/4 turn ball valve or something similar. Its much easier to drain that way

 

[jhchoppers]

If you deside to replace it, put a auto drain in. You can get them on sale for about 10 bucks. I have one on my Curtis, and its was the best 10 bucks spent in a long time.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=46960

Hope this helps....

 

[Willy Victor]

It might be full of rust or mud, take an awl and poke it up or use a piece of wire.

Willy

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Dump the pressure off the tank, remove the petcock completely and replace it with a galvanized street elbow and a 6 or 8 or 10 or whatever inch long pipe ****** you need to get out from under the tank, then install a small 1/4 turn ball valve on the ******. Add some bracing to the ****** or street elbow doesn't crack and add a barb fitting on the ball valve outlet and some hose to allow you to drain the tank into a bucket, etc.

What has happened is that your petcock wing is simply swedged on the screw in/out part of the petcock and the swedge has broken loose and the wing is spinning, like having a loose poprivet holding something down.

Charles

 

[iiibdsiil]

I'm betting it's exactly like Charles and Tom said. I had this happen on my old compressor. I was too lazy to fix it, so I just grabbed a cheap pair of vice grips and put it on the threads, and left it there...

Relocating it is the smart thing to do though. One day you'll get a ton of water on the floor, and you'll be pissed you have to lay in it to close it. But that's what creepers are for Of course, you could just open it at the end of the day and close it in the morning after the water has dried, but I was never smart enough and decided to empty it after I had water spitting in my face from the air tools.

 

[ImportTuner]

I'm betting it's exactly like Charles and Tom said. I had this happen on my old compressor. I was too lazy to fix it, so I just grabbed a cheap pair of vice grips and put it on the threads, and left it there...

Relocating it is the smart thing to do though. One day you'll get a ton of water on the floor, and you'll be pissed you have to lay in it to close it. But that's what creepers are for Of course, you could just open it at the end of the day and close it in the morning after the water has dried, but I was never smart enough and decided to empty it after I had water spitting in my face from the air tools.

You had that much water in your tank that it was spitting in your face when you used your air tools ...

 

[locaddy]

Yeah looks like the thing is fubar, spins free both directions. So I just need to remove the brass part and replace with a 90/******/1/4 turn ball valve? I dont need to mess with that big painted part that looks like it would come out do I?

 

[locaddy]

...And could I do like iiibdsiil said on that style drain and turn the threads to get it drained for now?

 

[russlaferrera]

My recommendation is to install a 1/4 street ell on the bottom of the tank, to a adapter 1/4 npt to a 1/4 " compression fitting add 2-3 feet of 1/4 copper tubing, connect to a inline valve to more tubing , to a can ,or outside. It sound like a lot of work, but it isn't. The benefit will be you don't have to bend down to empty the tank. No water on the floor.

Plan "B" was suggested. Buy a auto tank drain.

 

[RAYJAY]

mine

 

[iiibdsiil]

...And could I do like iiibdsiil said on that style drain and turn the threads to get it drained for now?

Yes, I had the same little drain thing with the same exact problem you had. Just don't put it off for a year like I did, and end up moving and leaving the compressor behind before you fix it

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Yeah looks like the thing is fubar, spins free both directions. So I just need to remove the brass part and replace with a 90/******/1/4 turn ball valve? I dont need to mess with that big painted part that looks like it would come out do I?

Correct, remove just the brass hex, don't mess with the larger, red painted plug.

Charles

 

[Rusty105]

Just did the same Mod on my compressor. The wing nut drain thing just gave up, so I got the street ell, 4" ******, and ball valve, done deal. BUT my question is this. Can I pull off one of the BIG plugs and take a look inside. The compressor is about 15 years old, and I have not treated it like I should have ( I was young ). I would like to see if there is any corrosion, or just some surface rust.

Thanks

 

[Junkman]

You will need a large pipe wrench, and possibly a "cheater pipe" for additional leverage to get the large pipe plug out of the end of the tank. Make sure that the air pressure has been bled off first. Once you get the plug out, you can shine a light into the tank, and then look around. If you are unsure of any area, give it a rap with a ball peen hammer. If it is bad, the metal will dent easily, indicating that you should replace the tank immediately. I have seen some air compressor tanks that were so old, that they were put together with rivets and they were still in perfect condition. I was neglectful with my first tank and didn't drain it as often as I should, and it rusted through. I will only accept partial responsibility for the loss of that tank, because I only had it for a few years, and it was more than 30 years old when I got it, and I have no idea of how it was cared for prior to my getting it.

 

[cc_rider]

You shouldn't HAVE to take the large plug out, unless you just really want to. It's just an adapter to put the small drain line into. There's probably a plug just like it on the side of the compressor too. The plug has pipe threads in it for the valve, or the street elbow you're going to put on. When you put the new drain plumbing on, use pipe sealing compound in the can or tube, don't bother with Teflon tape. I've never had much luck with Teflon tape on air lines, but the 'goop' works like a charm.

If you want a really trick setup you can get a self-draining valve. It has some kind of float or something so it opens whenever water builds up. The downside is you have to plumb in a drain line so it doesn't dump all over the floor.

c.

 

[TNToy]

Remember, if you remove the large plug... getting it to re-seal without hissing air when you decide to install it is your responsibility.

The larger the plug, the harder it is to get a perfect seal.

 

[Rob G]

local Harbor freight is going to have these on sale for 6.99 next week. How do they work?

 

[Rob G]

I ment the one jhchoppers was talking about

 

[chicane]

This is a great thread. I have to admit that I haven't always drained my compressor like I should. Last year I replaced my drain plug and switch and also cleaned out my Campbell Hausfeld (10yrs old bought new) compressor, there was a lot of rust and gunk in there. I noticed some distinct rust spots near the bottom.

I want to make sure the integrity of my compressor is still good after 10 years, is there a way to have it pressure tested? Is that going a little overboard?

 

[Uncle Buck]

Judging from the way the picture looks, you may either have to elevate the compressor, or make a cut in the concrete to allow for really any normal drain improvements such as those suggested by others. Or perhaps the picture was taken at a bad angle. If the space is as tight as it appears in the picture I do not think you could fit a 90 degree street elbow, or a 90 elbow with close ******* on either side with the compressor setting on the floor as it now does.

 

[mikeyr]

I wouldn't mind knowing how those HF units work also...what do they do ?

I know they somehow drain...but how ?

 

[toms73novass]

How they work, is that they use a shuttle valve. On one side of the shuttle valve is connected the "head pressure" tube (I don't know what else to call it but, the tube that when pumping has pressure in it and when not has not pressure) and on the other is the tank drain tube.

When the pump kicks on the pressure in the "head pressure" line pushes the shuttle in one direction and when off it goes in the other direction.

What happens is that the condensation fills in a little reservoir when the shuttle is in the off position and then drains when it switches over, there is also a little puff of air that helps it to get out when the shuttle makes it transition.

The only fault that I have found with mine is that on the shuttle there are two orings and one of them has dis lodged slightly which caused it to leak air. I unscrewed the unit and re set the oring and has been good ever since. However, this happed to the first unit that I purchased and returned and happened with the second unit. It was a 10 minute fix and really was not big deal.

The other thing I did not use was the plastic hose that comes with it. I used copper tubing, because the plastic hose got hot and expanded and split.

For 7 bucks it is effective and cheap, which I use on my 20 gal compressor. On my 120 gal 7.5 hp I have an electronic timed valve. (It came that way)

 

[bmwpower]

I felt the $40 extra for an electric model was worth the piece of mind.