Extra tank on my compressor

[stringpickin]

I have read some old threads on doing this. I am fine with the extra run times and etc.. my question is why is my compressor not turning off now. It seems I have hooked it up a way that quite a few have, but it seems to be negating my pressure regulator switch to turn it off. The compressor runs until it throws my breaker. The compressor is rated for 50% duty cycle. Supposed to be able to run 30 minutes out of an hour. I have had it run for nearly 15 minutes continually many times and it has never thrown the breaker.. It only takes about 3 or 4 minutes to fill the extra 25 gallon tank. But I have to reset the breaker to finish filling the tank..So thus my question..

What I did.. From the top tank of a two tank compressor a tube runs from the tank to the Valve/switch. I merely put a T there and then put a quick coupler in the T and ran one hose to my extra tank.

I assumed that the pressure relief valve would not be affected as I assumed for all intents and purposes I just have one big tank now although connected by an air hose.

I see that where the main charge line runs in to the bottom tank from the compressor the small tube that runs from that charge point up to the valve/switch. Is that bypass somehow being negated by the back pressure from the additional tank being plumbed in right before the valve up at the top?

Please see drawing.. And thank you very much for your time an input.

 

[Mattlt]

Try removing the new tank from the system - remove the hose and put a plug/cap in the Tee fitting and see if your problems magically go away.

 

[nate379]

How big is this compressor? Most of the smaller compressors have a tank that is sized about right for the pump/motor.


Why don't you go from output of factory tank to new tank? That makes more sense to me.

 

[jduffle]

Take your extra tank and hook it up as if it were a tool, then hook your airline for the tool into the extra tank. A friend of mine did just that with his setup and it works well

Jim

 

[akdiesel]

It does seem as if your compressor is sized for its original specs and the load needed to feed the extra tank is creating your problem.
As mentioned by Nate I would also use the extra tank in series. This serves two purposes. It is easier to hook up and it also acts as a Knock Out Drum. This will help to collect any extra liquids that your first tank does not collect and drop it out in the next one. One other key is to not have the feed lines comming into the tanks from the bottom, but rather the side and the draw off the of the tanks comming out of the top to reduce the aggitation of any liquid in the tank.
The first tanks air will be warm and reduce in temp as it gets to the second tank thus knocking out liquids. It wont get rid of all the water but it will cut it down considerably.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Your problem has me wondering: what is the 'context time' for most duty cycle ratings. A 50% duty cycle could mean a piece of equipment is strong enough to run 5 minutes on, followed by 5 minutes off to cool down, with the context time (I'm sure there's a correct term for this -- I don't know it) being ten minutes. Or it could mean 30 minutes on and 30 off (like the OP suggests) with the context time one hour. It's easy to come up with a ridiculous example to make the question clearer: 'If I run my compressor at full bore for a full decade, but then let it cool down for the following 10 years, am I still exposing it to a 50% duty cycle?'

 

[beelsr]

duty cycle is measured over a 10 minute window (don't know if that's the official term, but it's what i call it) for welders. may be different for other equipment.

it's probably all standardized for the various equipment by the manufacturing engineering societies, based on typical usage patterns for the specific piece of machinery.

 

[Diggers4life]

I'm not sure I understand. Is the compressor filling past the set pressure on your switch, and not kicking off until it throws the breaker, or is it throwing the breaker before it gets up to pressure?

Does your compressor have a check valve between the pump and the original tank?

If it does, did you split the air output before the check valve or after?

I'm just thinking if you split it before the check valve, maybe having that tank of air pushing back against the output side of your pump is having an effect on it.