stickshift
Well-known member
Looking at portable air tanks online, it appears they don't have a drain hole. How do people get the water out? Periodically flip it upside down to make the one hole in the tank the low spot and then open up valve?
Portable air tanks - how to drain?
- Thread starter stickshift
- Start date
readhead
Well-known member
Water in your compressor tank is the byproduct of heat and compression. The air you put in the portable tank will probably not have much moisture especially if you have a water trap on the output of the compressor.
SeisMec
Well-known member
Once a year or after X number of uses, turn it upside down and vent the schrader valve. If a teaspoon of water comes out, X is just right. If more than that comes out reduce X. If none comes out increase X.
OP
stickshift
Well-known member
Sounds like a good approach, thanks.
jayemm
Well-known member
I just turn it upside down and let the residual air pressure purge it.While on this subject,I noticed the red ,5 gallon Craftsman I bought a few years ago has a coating inside of the tank so will definitely never rust thru considering the amount of use it gets.But even with the coating it still has a "discard by 7 years from May 2017" stamped on the bottom of one of the feet.
bas157
Well-known member
Is it safe to assume that discard date is due to lawyers and a past lawsuit?
I've got a tank that says that as well. I think it said to discard 7 years ago, think I've used it about 2 times before that date and a few times this year. Pretty sure its still quite safe to use.
Just wondering if anyone can confirm its due to a lawyer why it says to dispose of them?
jayemm
Well-known member
I guess one could ASSUME lawyers and lawsuits in the past somewhere but I just look at it as a CYA just like warnings are given in instructions for a lot of things.It could be a conservative figure that provides a good margin of safety for poorly maintained tanks.
Do large compressors that accumulate a lot more moisture have discard dates on their tanks? Although they have drain valves ,people don't always maintain those well and I think they go for many years before getting pinholes and rusting thin on the bottom.
I guess each person can do as they think best.I don't plan on discarding my tank just because of that.Like I said, mine sees little use,gets drained ,is stored indoors and has a coating on the inside (kind of like bed liner or rustproofing).It ought to last forever if not banged around or overpressured.
Do large compressors that accumulate a lot more moisture have discard dates on their tanks? Although they have drain valves ,people don't always maintain those well and I think they go for many years before getting pinholes and rusting thin on the bottom.
I guess each person can do as they think best.I don't plan on discarding my tank just because of that.Like I said, mine sees little use,gets drained ,is stored indoors and has a coating on the inside (kind of like bed liner or rustproofing).It ought to last forever if not banged around or overpressured.
Just added a second attic tank to help w/ blasting. I don’t understand how an otherwise decent compressor DeWALT 30 gal. has such a useless water bleed off.
You can’t even get your fingers on the petcock, even laying on the floor. Totally unacceptable. Here’s my fix.
Linked the petcock to a faucet handle located up top.
You can’t even get your fingers on the petcock, even laying on the floor. Totally unacceptable. Here’s my fix.
Linked the petcock to a faucet handle located up top.
Jon_E
Well-known member
Didn't think that those little portables expired. I have a Porter-Cable pancake compressor that's at least 20 years old, and I get a bunch of rusty crud out of mine every time I purge it (which is not often). My big compressor, a project case if ever there was one, is a Kellogg-American from 1940 and I doubt that would ever be considered "disposable".
seber
Well-known member
I've been using the same portable for at least 30 years. Never even thought about draining it. Guess I'll have to try that and see how much water I've been lugging around.
OP
stickshift
Well-known member
Let us know what you find!
Have had this one since about 2005. Put a new valve on it in 2016. That tag has been bugging me lately so took the valve off to have a look. A few drops of water dribbled out from the gauge it looked like. Inside had a little rust but not bad. Not sure what the powdery blue substance is. Paint I guess. Not sure why the inside would be painted
VolvoRyan
Well-known member
I just leave the valve open on the portables. Water will evaporate out..... but the air you put in them should be relatively dry. The real moisture collects in the bottom of the compressor you fill it with.
Oxidiation of the base copper.
-Ryan
Oxidiation of the base copper.
-Ryan