New (to me) compressor help me find out what it is.

[reverendjonas]

Hello guys,
Im pretty new around these parts, but have read enough to see that there are many knowledgeable people around these parts, and was hoping someone can help me out. Anyway...

I just purchased my first house, and was pleased the previous owners left me this old Speedaire compressor next to the shed on the side of the house. I should start out saying, I am a compressor newbie. I have only had oil less smaller compressors before so I know nothing. I have poked around google for a few days trying to find info on this compressor, as far as size of tank, cfm of pump etc, and have not come up with anything. So I have a few questions.

For starters, where do you drain the oil from? And what is the best oil to replace with? It works now and pumps up to 160 psi. From what the pressure switch says on it it is 145-175. Is there a setting inside to adjust this? What is the easiest way to drain the water from a horizontal tank? I have always had vertical tank compressors and they were easy with the drain in the middle bottom. Maybe the easiest thing to do is to post some pics and a vid and if you all wouldn't mind, just tell me what you see there

Thanks in advance for any info given.

Here it is in auction.

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more pics to come

 

[reverendjonas]

 

[koditten]

I would defenatly hold on to that compressor. The Speed Air brand is sold often thru Granger Industrial Supply catologs.

The plug for draining the oil is on the bottom of the compressor crank case on the front side. They are not very friendly to drain unless you add an extension tube and plug to get the oil away from the side of the compressor base. I am pretty sure the oil stain is from the previous owners draining it and letting it run down the side of the tank.

I like to use a hand oil vacuum and go thru the fill hole. I spill no oil when I do a change out. These are like minuture boat oil change pumps. They work great.

As for the oil, you really can't go wrong with Moble One synthetic oil. I don't know what area you are in, so the Moble One will still be thin enough to let the motor start in very cold weather. Moble One stays pretty consistant thru many changes in temp. With the compressor outside this could be a factor you want to consider.

I can't see in your photos the bottom of the tank. There should be a plug that you can remove with a pipe wrench. If you find a plug, I would replace it with some very short pieces of pipe (*******) and a valve that you can open and close by hand.

You have fallen into avery nice compressor that is not that old. I noticed the ASME badge on the tank has a construction date of 1976, not very old in these low rpm set ups. I really couldn 't tell from the video, but I am guessing it is quite abit quieter than the oilless unit you meantioned.

My only major consern is the lack of a safety shroud around the belt and pulleys. If your insurance man comes around he is not going to be happy with this set up. These units have huge pulleys that rely on inertia to keep them running. If someone put a body part near the belt or pulleys, there will be major injuries. I hope you will seriously consider pulling the fuses until you get a shroud built.

You meantioned that the compressor pumps up to 160 psi. You don't say if it shuts off on its own. If it does in fact shut off than the pressure switch is working as it should. 160psi vs. 175 psi is not a big enough difference to worry about adjusting the set points. That 15psi could just be your old gauge reading a bit low. No big deal.

One last thing, make sure and check your air filter, compressors need to be able to breath in air to make compressed air.

I am sure others will ad to what I have said as well.

You have a very nice compressor that many will be envious of. This unit should last a very long time, as in decades, with proper maintanance.

Kirk

 

[930dreamer]

Very nice set up. I think the motor tag says 3 hp = 10 cfm ish. Change the oil and air filter, check the belts, drain the tank for sure, clean off the old oil if you are up to it.

 

[Torque1st]

Once you get it fixed up and clean give it a nice new coat of paint. Re-glue the SpeedAire label or make a new one. The old one looks like it was hit with a torch or something. Fix the old girl up and she will serve you well.

Oh BTW, -You ****!!!
That is the official GJ way of saying: GREAT DEAL! & we are all jealous.

 

[reverendjonas]

koditten - i sure am going to keep it thanks for your advice on the oil. I live in the Phoenix Arizona area, so no worries about the really cold. I will look for the plug on the bottom and add a drain tube and probably ball valve for easy draining. As far as safety, I will be most likely moving the compressor to the other side of the shed that is there, and mostly enclosing it, so it will not be in the open but a quick wire shroud would be a good idea too. (Thanks for watching out! ) You are correct that it seems much more quiet than the other compressors I have. Even if it is not, the sound of the lower rpm motor and pump is much more pleasing on the ears than the screaming of the oil less.
As far as the PSI goes, the switch does turn off the compressor at 160 and turns it back on when the pressure drops. It very well could be an old warn out gauge. I need to get a new one of those, and a pressure relief valve because the current one leaks quite a bit.

930dreamer - Thanks for the input. That should be just fine for what I am doing with it. Not much grinder, sander, or blasting work going on around here. It will get a good bath and de-greasing once it cools down around here a bit. It is supposed to be 116 degrees here tomorrow.

Torque1st - I dont think it was a torch, just the lovely Arizona sun for the last few years! And thanks for the You **** I like the compressor, and hope it serves me well over the next years to come!

As far as the way it is wired up, it looks like it is wired from the 30 amp breaker in the breaker box, to what I think is a disconnect, then to a mag-starter. Is this correct?

Thanks again guys for all your input, and I will post any more questions if I have them.

 

[Torque1st]

As far as the way it is wired up, it looks like it is wired from the 30 amp breaker in the breaker box, to what I think is a disconnect, then to a mag-starter. Is this correct?

That would be the correct method for wiring it. It looks like it has a fused disconnect. You could go up to a 40A breaker/fuses on #10 if necessary for a motor start circuit.

I can't see the wiring well but you may even be able to remote mount a switch for it off the mag starter instead of flipping a breaker to control it.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

The pump pulley is designed to act as a cooling fan, which I suspect it is not doing mounted that close to the wall. I'd move it out a bit and build a box or fence around it. As noted, having that compressor out in the open, unattended, able to start up at any time, it dangerous with the exposed pulleys.

I have a small portable that was built without any belt guards, but I rarely use it, it stays unplugged and when I do use it, I make sure nothing can and does get into the pulleys and belt.

Charles

 

[robertlynk]

One thing I think you should do is replace the so cord going to the pressure switch with sealtite and install a switch in the circuit to the pressure switch to start the compressor.
The reason is the fused disconnect is not ment to be used to start and stop equipment hence the motor starter which uses a fraction of the current to energize. also the so cord is rubbing on the electrical housing and could short out