Gonna try it anyways... Automatic Drain

[mayday0017]

Well I have read close to 100 different reviews of the harborfreight automatic tank drain for air compressors. There are VERY VERY mixed views ranging from "I have been using mine for 15yrs" (which I question how long they have been around) To I put it all together and it leaks it's *** off.

Quality & Design:
Mostly what concerned me was the point of failure in these units. I took the one I bought 2 years ago off the shelf and took it apart. The engineering logic is bullet proof. The design I can poke some small holes in but all and all should work (only real problem I see would be a dirty tank). The quality of manufacturing on the other hand.... some people had some pretty bad issues from threads not being cut to cracks in the metal. These things are 8 bucks & made in China. Do the right thing and open it for inspection before you leave. China depends on you to be their quality control.


Common failures and fixes:

Plastic Line
The most common failures seem to be the line going to the unloader valve line. It is plastic and people have had issues with it getting hot and rupturing. This I'm not sure if I would say is Harbor Freights fault.... If you read the instructions the splice kit is only intended to be used on plastic unloader valve lines. Now it could be that the plastic Harbor Freight uses isn't as good, but it could be people are connecting their plastic line to a metal line. Solution: Avoiding this issue is not that hard, you simply go drive to the hardware store and pick up fittings to make a metal line attach and connect it instead.

Valve Leaks
For this I have read of 2 complaints... When people complain about the leaking valve it has been narrowed down to O-rings or the lack of using Teflon tape. The valve is assembled without the use of Teflon tape and I think many people just bolt it all together and get mad when it leaks. The bigger complaint and I fully believe is the O-rings, it has been said for some people that they noticed they are mangled and that is the cause for the leak. Or that the o-rings were too big and had a lot of play in them causing the leak. Solution: In both instances I have found people that accepted that slight problem, went and picked up some other O-rings and slapped them in... I have also read you can pick up the little $3.99 O-ring kit from Harborfreight and it has the O-rings needed to fix the unit.

Fitting leaks
Some people have also complained the fittings leak around the unloader valve line. This issue to me makes me question if the unloader valve line on their compressor was the size intended for the fittings. But who knows... I don't consider it an issue. Solution: The reason I don't see this as an issue, is to overcome the problem with the plastic line mentioned above you would be replacing with a metal line and new fittings, so get the right fittings for the job and if it leaks it is your fault and no one else's because it is deffently possible to splice into a line without it leaking.

ConclusionWith all of the information above, I have decided to give the drain kit a try. The design idea is great, the design itself as I mentioned has 1 real flaw I see... Where the o-rings allow the water and dirt/rust to pass by them (this is the design intent), over time as they slide back and forth on this mess you can expect the o-rings to wear out. If you put the drain kit on from the time the compressor is new however I don't think you would get enough rust buildup in your water to cause any problems.

I have one of these units I bought 2 years ago for another compressor and never got around to putting it on but after some research and the desire to have an automatic drain I am going to give it a try. Will it work? Who knows... I am confident I can get it to function and seal up with no leaks. Will it last? The only real parts to wear is 2 o-rings and a rubber diaphragm. I don't see the diaphragm being an issue but the o-rings might need to be changed. I plan on replacing the ones that come with the unit with some tighter fitting ones from day 1. Will they ever have to be replaced? I would expect so, but as easy as the setup is to take apart, if I have to change them once every 2 months that will be much less effort then draining the tank daily. I would suspect they will last much longer than 2 months though, I really don't see why they shouldn't last for years and I hope they do.

I will take pictures of my entire setup from start to finish and try to give part numbers and a cost for each "extra" thing I had to buy. The kit itself is $8 typically and I would expect once everything is said and done I'll be closer to $25-30 in cost. But if it works it will be the cheapest auto drain I have seen, and even cheaper to repair or maintain over time.

More to come...

 

[boosteddsm92]

That would be great, subscribed!

 

[Steevo]

It is almost useless to use the feedback on a forum as a gauge of a products value or functionality. There are almost always a 50/50 mix of pro/con responses. Unless something is a complete POS, you will hardly ever find a large margin of difference if you count up all the positive and negative responses.

I look forward to following your thread and seeing how this works out for you, as I need one too.

 

[IONH]

...
My only concern would be HF product (****) vs Good USA made product for the $$. Good luck, hope it works out for you.

And then you get these comments where just because it costs 1/5 that of an American made product it must be junk. Sometimes these comments are shadowed by the "No really, I bought it and it's junk (maybe you should buy American next time)"

 

[mayday0017]

Well, I got the drain setup all installed just waiting to get the pump together and everything fired up so I can test it out. I don't have the exact part information on me right now so I will update later with more detailed information on the exact parts used. Attached are pictures of my configuration, how I tied into the unloader valve line, and which o-rings I replaced.

During my removal of the O-rings I inspected them for play or damage and honestly they looked perfectly fine. I don't suspect there would be any issue with them but because they are a common failure point I went ahead and replaced them.

I cut the 3 ends off of the T provided with the harborfreight kit and used it where the factory 90 was going to the unloader line from the check valve. I then used the factory 90 on the harborfreight valve for my copper line to connect to.

Other then that I used 1/4 line to 1/8" connector fitting on the copper line going to the T, and used a 1/4" to 1/8" converter going from the unloader line to the T and s standard 1/4" connector going to the 90.

All and all I am happy with the install I think it looks clean and everything is taped up well so should have no leaks. I didn't add the T before the automatic valve because I think the automatic valve should be enough, but I do plan on busting the lines loose after the first time I use my blaster and seeing if this is true, if not I will add the T with a manual valve after the ball valve. By leaving the ballvalve on I will also be able to close it if there are any leaks making it a manual drain system again until I have time to fix it.

 

[machine_punk]

So, my question is, after you take the HF model apart, replace the O-Rings, buy copper tubing, and fittings...how much did you spend? While I am not opposed, in general, to HF, if you are going to modify the part significantly, does the cost now approach the cost of a US-made part? I don't know the answers to these...or even what a US made equivalent is (i.e. who makes it, where can you buy it, how much does it cost, is the quality there, and what parts do you have to buy to get it to fit your compressor?)

If it is a truly China- vs. US-made issue, then I'm wondering if you have any data on the US version of an auto drain.

Now, if your argument is essentially, "Look at what I did...HF is near me, nobody near me sells US-made auto drains, they have auto drains, I can modify it for a reasonable price to bring it up to the quality I want," then cool.

Then indeed, what you did is cool...it looks like you have engineered solutions to the problems which present themselves with this unit (and I look forward to seeing if this is truly a good solution...I keep my compressor pressurized most of the time and I'd like to have an auto drain...but I'm not in a hurry. If there is a reasonable US-made option out there, I'd consider that too).

But whatever the other issues are...great job on figuring out the problems, engineering solutions, and installing an auto drain.

M_P

 

[mayday0017]

Great questions!

Total cost $25ish...$30 MAX

USA made equivilent, I don't know of any honestly.... Only ones I know of other then this are electronic (anyone else know of any?) They are much more costly, complex, and in THEORY have more room for failure because the Harborfreight valve only has 2 O-rings to wear and SHOULD be very reliable (only time will tell).

Honestly if I had a compressor with a plastic unloader valve line I would prob just install the kit with all of the supplied equipment and install the T as far from the tank as possible. Doubt you would have any problems doing this....

Also I prob wouldn't waste the $$ on buying a pack of o-rings after inspecting the ones on my unit I don't see that there would be any issue with them. The only reason I went ahead and replaced them is because on here in the 1st post I had mentioned I was going to and I wanted to make sure the metric kit from HF had o-rings that would fit incase anyone else needed them.

 

[mayday0017]

LOL in my search since you asked I did find our super expensive friends over at Master Tool Repair that will **** you ever chance they get sell the same one listed here for $62, wonder if they buy it from Harborfreight too

http://www.mastertoolrepair.com/drain-valve-automatic-drain-kit-p-507.html

 

[J66442]

I tried one. First with the plastic line, blew the line almost immediately although I was below the rated pressure. I upgraded to copper line. Now one of the o-rings slips out of position every so often, requires me to drain compressor and re-build valve. Last time I had to mess with it I put a T in the bottom of the tank with a manual drain on one side and another shut off to the harbor freight valve. It worked two days before it blew again.

I think I replaced the o-ring last time I put it back together. Still no luck.

 

[mayday0017]

I tried one. First with the plastic line, blew the line almost immediately although I was below the rated pressure. I upgraded to copper line. Now one of the o-rings slips out of position every so often, requires me to drain compressor and re-build valve. Last time I had to mess with it I put a T in the bottom of the tank with a manual drain on one side and another shut off to the harbor freight valve. It worked two days before it blew again.

I think I replaced the o-ring last time I put it back together. Still no luck.

Good feedback, Can you provide me some info so we can document it for others on here?

What PSI was the compressor?
What material was the unloader valve line made of?
If plastic unloader valve line did you tie in as far from tank as possible?
How long did the unit work before you had problems with the o-rings?
Have you replaced the O-rings before, if so what size, type?
When you had O-ring failure what happend to the o-rings (cuts, torn, rolled off)?
Any pictures of your setup?

 

[EOC_Jason]

I have to say your thoughts were along the same lines as mine....

I want to add an automatic tank drain but all the electronic ones are basically ****. Any little debris and they get stuck open. Also they will still cycle even if your compressor hasn't.

The ones that tie into the unloader line on the other hand only cycle as much as the compressor does. The action is more of a sheering and shouldn't be affected as much against small things.

I've considered getting the HF model like you did and tossing everything except the valve assembly itself.

The only companies I've seen that use this style of drain are Compressed Air Systems and Champion. Champion has a weird setup from when I've seen it. CAS units almost look the same as HF... I don't know if there would be any better quality as they are probably made in China too..

The only other issue too is all the water it will shoot out. Can you hook a drain line up to them? I want to hook it up to a 15HP compressor which gets drained daily... If I just put the auto-drain in and let it dump on the floor there would be a huge mess!

 

[bd8134]

I have the Harbor Freight in use on my compressor and it works ok.
For me though I found it a pain to get it installed and working.
Had to use a copper line, the t piece was poorly cast and leaked, all I ended up using was the valve itself.
My time is better spent than working on this cheap muck.
I try to avoid Harbor Freight for everything now. I have learnt my lesson on a couple of purchases.
I put a small plastic box under the outlet to collect the water.
It does not collect much water, just a few drops each time.

 

[mayday0017]

The only other issue too is all the water it will shoot out. Can you hook a drain line up to them? I want to hook it up to a 15HP compressor which gets drained daily... If I just put the auto-drain in and let it dump on the floor there would be a huge mess!

Standard 1/4" output on the valve, can hook it up to an old piece of airline and run to a drain or outside if you want. From what I've read elsewhere (and might be home use) people just toss a rag under it and since it spits out every cycle there is never enough water to run off anywhere...

 

[mayday0017]

EOC thanks, didn't see the CAS setup before.

Honestly the CAS setup is really nice, line from pump to tank goes down the side and into the side of the tank instead of the top like most do, then the unloader valve is located on the bottom of the tank and functions as an unloader valve and a tank drain. And since the fill line is on the side of the tank and the unloader line points down some moisture that condensed in the built in after cooler or in the line might actually go straight down the unloader line instead of into the tank.

All of that being said, their valve looks like the Harborfreight... Would be nice to have one to open up and check out too....

 

[dude67]

Good feedback, Can you provide me some info so we can document it for others on here?

What PSI was the compressor?
What material was the unloader valve line made of?
If plastic unloader valve line did you tie in as far from tank as possible?
How long did the unit work before you had problems with the o-rings?
Have you replaced the O-rings before, if so what size, type?
When you had O-ring failure what happend to the o-rings (cuts, torn, rolled off)?
Any pictures of your setup?

I live in Florida and it's swampy here. I bet I get close to 1/2 cup of water out of my compressor when using it for 2 hours. You do know that it is suppose to leak a tiny bit
while you're compressor is off? Then seal up while it's running. Honesty I couldn't hear if it was leaking while my compressor was running, it's to loud.

1. 135psi
2. Brass
3. I didn't use the plastic line from the start, copper tubing
4. It's been on for 12 years and no problems
5.no
6.N/a
7. My set up looks just like the one in the post #6.

 

[EOC_Jason]

EOC thanks, didn't see the CAS setup before.

Yeah, the local quincy rep recommended them since I was originally looking for a 10HP / 120 Gallon VERTICAL unit. CAS is located in Dallas, TX (somewhat local for me). Supposedly they own their chinese manufacturing plant that makes the pumps, and source the best parts from around the world (probably best parts for a certain price range). The pumps look like the usual Saylor Beall copies, nothing wrong with that. We *were* going to pull the trigger on one of them, but ended up getting a cheaper compressor elsewhere for the time being, and hopefully in the future we'll be upgrading to a rotary.... If it was a long-term thing, then I probably would of gone with the CAS model. If my craftsman every dies in my shop and I can't find anything good on CL, then I'll probably try them out.

 

[mayday0017]

Dude 67, Thanks for your input! I was confused at first as I thought the other guy was answering my questions and it didn't match up with his review. Glad to hear you have made it 12 years with no issues, hope I have the same luck!

 

[J66442]

What PSI was the compressor? 150psi
What material was the unloader valve line made of?

plastic, rated in instructions at 250psi. on line it said wp 10k

If plastic unloader valve line did you tie in as far from tank as possible?

The factory plastic line I tapped into was only about 18 inches long, the line to the release valve was tied to was roughly 4 feet long.

How long did the unit work before you had problems with the o-rings?

Compressor doesn't get a lot of use, after adding copper line it worked for a few months, but it wasn't daily use maybe bi-weekly.

Have you replaced the O-rings before, if so what size, type?

I remember trying to replace o-ring. I have two o-ring kits and various faucet o-rings. I also remember trying to match up an o-ring at home depot but I can't guarantee for this or another project. no sizes that i remember and instructions don't identify size.

When you had O-ring failure what happend to the o-rings (cuts, torn, rolled off)?

Rolled off, no visible damage.

Any pictures of your setup? not yet, raining today

 

[buening]

They look very similar to the ones provided on the IMC Belaire compressors like the one I have. They use a plastic tube and I have my tank set at 175psi and haven't had a single issue with mine. No clue how the quality compares to HF version though! See below for the IMC one

Edit: Its only a mere $98 for the drain from Alltiresupply.com. Belaire is pretty proud of their items though, nothing is cheap from them!

 

[mayday0017]

They look very similar to the ones provided on the IMC Belaire compressors like the one I have.

They look pretty much identical.... This is going out on a limb and asking a lot, but if you have one of these would you mind draining the tank down and turning the nuts on it so we can see what the insides look like? Might help figure out any design differences. If not I understand, some people don't care to take things apart that arn't broke. Growing up I'm sure some of my friends parents wish I had this motto it was many years before I got good at putting things back together or learned what NOT to take apart. (springs are the devil)

 

[buening]

Actually its pretty good timing, as I have the compressor unhooked and will be adding casters to it. I'll try to remember and check it out and snap a few pics.

 

[mayday0017]

Actually its pretty good timing, as I have the compressor unhooked and will be adding casters to it. I'll try to remember and check it out and snap a few pics.

Awesome, this thread looks like it might solve the question I have had and others as well about the harborfreight auto drains. It seems people love them or hate them, personal belief is even if the only thing good is the valve itself and you have to change o-rings it isn't much more work then buying the AD3MTD you mentioned by Belair for $98 except it's $8 + $3 for a big o-ring kit.

 

[buening]

....and it would give me an option for a cheaper rebuild kit in case I have issues with mine! I noticed Belaire wants $245 for their electronic auto drain

 

[mayday0017]

Buening, any updates/pics?

My update: I have finally fired compressor up a couple weeks back. So far drain does not work at all, it never changes with compressor start or stop. I haven't had time to look into it, but nothing is leaking, I will say if I open the valve I put between the tank and the automatic drain air and water drains out so the automatic valve isn't closing ever.... When I find time to look at it I'll post my findings.

 

[buening]

Here are is a pic of mine dissassembled, sorry for the delay. Did you make sure the brass plug was removed (center of my pic) Edit: you pic doesn't show the plug so I assume you left it off. Verify you are getting something from your tube that actuates the drain.

 

[buening]

Looks to be VERY similar to yours except mine has a plastic plunger/valve and yours is brass.

 

[ms fowler]

Thanks for the thread.
I think I will stay with my manual gate valve.

 

[SHAGGY101]

necropost...but did you ever get it to work?