How much does your air comp leak?

[arthur1920]

OK,
So, I assembled the Iron pipe, ball valves, water sep, regultor, couplers and etc, joined by a hydraulic hose. My compressor leaks down about 1 lb/hour.

It was worse, I used bubble soap to check the connections and fixed the obvious ones. It's in the piping cause when I shut off the first valve it doesn't leak down..finally.

Anyway, do all your compressors not leak down at all?

Art

 

[Lyaec350]

Mine is about the same... 1 lb/hr at 125 psi. Less at lower pressures. It will stay above 90 lbs for a week or so. I just turn off the compressor and main valve right outside the tank every day when I leave the shop (after draining any water) and figure that's acceptable. Still holds 70-80 lbs indefinitely in the pipes which is more than enough for filling tires/blowing the odd thing off.

 

[wilbilt]

Mine loses about 1 PSI/hour as well. That's with the first valve closed at the tank.

It needs a new check valve at the tank inlet. I took it apart and cleaned it (which helped), but it still leaks a bit.

 

[chammyman]

I have yet to see a compressor thats not totally empty by the next morning

I have no idea how they manage to keep them pressurised for weeks like some on here say they do.

 

[arthur1920]

I have yet to see a compressor thats not totally empty by the next morning

I have no idea how they manage to keep them pressurised for weeks like some on here say they do.

The compressor I replaced, would hold air almost forever as long as the coupler was good and didn't have a tool on it. It's about 25 years old, Sears two hp, 25 gallon, on wheels. I just needed more air.

 

[Wrench-Bender]

If no tools are connected to mine I think it would hold air for ever, but the one I had before would be empty within 8 or so hours.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Mine is always on, it kicks in every 4-5 days to recharge, with a 30 gallon tank.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Mine is always on, it kicks in every 4-5 days to recharge, with a 30 gallon tank.

Yeah, but yours is intercooled..

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

Craftsman 33 gal. No leaks. The longest it's been pressurized is about a week

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I have yet to see a compressor thats not totally empty by the next morning

I have no idea how they manage to keep them pressurised for weeks like some on here say they do.

I close the ball valve at the tank outlet, and the compressor doesn't leak, neither my little 12 gal, 1 hp Craftsman ('70's vintage) nor my 7.5hp/80 gal two stage Husky. Both seem airtight. The little one sits for months between uses with 100 psi in it.

Charles

 

[Stanger]

I have a Kobalt 60 gallon. It doesn't leak down at all. It isn't uncommon for it to go unused for months. When I turn it on the pressure is right where I left it and the compressor doesn't kick in.

 

[MarkH]

The more pipe, filter, couplers, etc usually the greater leak down. The use of soldered copper has usually helped me. Less screw joints to leak. Then I go after it checking the filters as well as the remaining screw joints. Last one is down to about 5 lbs a day.

If I close the valve at the tank, it stays up. What I find helpful is having a few other turn off valves at other points in the system. I am able to turn part of the system off and check it section by section for leaks. May be able to get it even better over time.

The few people I know who are not having an air loss and it was the same for us until we started feeding distribution systems have the tank that goes right to a coupler. When we started adding especially filters the slow leaks started. Good filters took us down to about 1-2 lbs an hour more work took us down the rest of the way.

On setting up a distribution system, I have a rule of thumb. Expect to spend as much on pipe, filters, regulators, lubricators, solder, etc as I do on the compressor.

The last system had parts from around the world. 3 of the 4 from China were the biggest culprits and leaked and could not be fixed. Mexico was 0 for 4, USA was 0 for 50, UK was 0 for 5, Italy was 0 for 10, and Taiwan was 0 for 5 for defectives.

 

[wrenchr]

Disconnect the air hose when not in use!!! That is the only way mine leaks.

 

[rickairmedic]

I have a 5 HP Us General 60 gallon no leaks here I do have a ball valve on it but its after some black iron and a filter dryer.


Rick

 

[Stanger]

My compressor is set up so that it goes through a ball valve first before it hits the filters. That way I don't get any leaks when the ball valve is off.

 

[MarkH]

Actually it may leak, but it is past the ball valve and does not drain the compressor down so the air loss is measured in tenths of gallons usually.