Runaway Compressor

[EricP]

My air compressor water drain valve developed a leak which caused the air compressor to run almost continually. The leak was the perfect size for the motor to run and fill up the tank, shut off, and then a few seconds later start running again. So this meant my system was almost continually running while near the top end of the pressure range. NOT GOOD! I caught it before it burned up a motor or caught fire, but I need to rethink my system. I have a master valve that I use to cut off air to my lines, leaving only the tank under pressure. But that did no good in the above situation. Obviously a manual switch that I (or others that use my shop) turn on and off when I come/go from the shop is a simple fix. But being forgetful and leaving it on would negate its purpose.

So what other safeguards are there to prevent a runaway compressor besides a manual switch?

 

[bad_idea]

A relay wired to the light switch.

 

[The Cobbler]

wire up a timer so you can switch it on when needed and it will shut off in the given time the timer is set for

 

[sherlocktk]

I use a mechanical timer (a 12 hour one) Go into the shop, twist the knob for how many hours I need and it shuts off for me. No remembering.

 

[Moosefire]

A good friend wired the compressors power to a light bulb with a blue light. This way at the end of the day if he goes to leave and hes staring at a lone blue light he knows he forgot to turn off the power

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[coljar]

I have a running light above the breaker panel as you exit the man door. When the manual switch is on, the light is on. You would have to be blind not to see it.

 

[ZRX61]

Mine has a service disconnect & located by the man door.


Close ball valve on tank, flip disconnect, turn off lights, walk out the door..

 

[klassenl]

Mine is tied to the shop lights. When the lights are off the compress or is off.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Mine is an oil-free compressor which I bought when they were the next and best thing. If my burned up the motor, I'd simply buy a new one.

I know it's not what you want to hear but every tool can burn up or quit working at any point. Mine is probably 16-17 years old and as far as I'm concerned, it has served me well in the garage and working on the house paying for itself multiple times. Yeah, I hope it lasts another 20 years but in reality, it probably won't.

 

[isb cornbinder]

My compressor ran away once. It later confessed to getting a call from a SnapOn 5100 impact. The offer of a little blow action was too much to resist. To keep my compressor from running away again, I bought it a Hutchins random orbital sander.

 

[threeputt]

A good friend wired the compressors power to a light bulb with a blue light. This way at the end of the day if he goes to leave and hes staring at a lone blue light he knows he forgot to turn off the power

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

What if the blue light burns out


I have a disconnect on the inside of my shop that supplies power to compressor motor. Like you over the years I have left it on but never had an air leak that bad.
Now just like pulling my doors down and locking them this is the first thing I do when I leave for the day. I pull down on that disconnect. I count this as a door because I am getting older and forget things.
Installing a manual switch is the only 100% way you are going to know. I actually got cameras inside my building and I can look to make sure I turned it off

 

[Shadowdog500]

The pressure switch on mine has an on off switch on the side. I only turn the switch on when I’m using the compressor. You could also shut off the breaker.

 

[joes169]

Another vote for a simple light bulb that's visible when leaving the shop for the night. My step dad had his compressor on a second story years ago, wired through a red light bulb, probably installed 30-40 years ago. Works like a charm for me, and I'm very forgetful....

PS, when the light bulb burns out, you simply replace it with another bulb.......

 

[rburke65]

Or you could replace the water drain valve...

 

[Dragfluid]

Or you could replace the water drain valve...

 

[EricP]

Or you could replace the water drain valve...

Thanks Captain Obvious!

 

[rharman]

I have mine on a paddle switch mounted at the exit door. Pretty obvious if it's on.

 

[sberry]

Evidently not totally obvious, fix it with copper tubing and a ball valve. Got to fix it anyway,, or in true GJ fashion could add a bunch more stuff, wires, switches, timer, probably could even find something not even occurred to us or been invented yet.

 

[Darryl2]

How often is this going to happen? Fix the leak and problem solved.

Maybe I am missing something, my last compressor that I just sold has been in my garage for 20 years. The few times that it ever started running too often when not in use I simply shut the power off on the pressure switch until I fixed the leak. I do have a ball valve after the regulator to isolate the rest of the system but I usually leave that on too as long as it’s not leaking.
I may start shutting off the new one when I get it installed but if it only tops itself off every week or so I would rather have immediate air than wait for it to recharge if it has been a while since I used it. I use my air quite often though.

Is this really a fire hazard? If so I can change my ways and turn it off at the pressure switch.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Or you could replace the water drain valve...

That is a great idea!!!!

 

[mike93lx]

worrying about all kinds of complicated relays and notification devices to avoid just plumbing in a quality manual drain, which needs to be fixed anyway? makes perfect sense.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

The pressure switch on mine has an on off switch on the side. I only turn the switch on when I’m using the compressor. You could also shut off the breaker.

X2. I've never yet found an auto drain that didn't clog or leak. I'd just eliminate it.

Tommy

 

[Docbentley]

^^^This

 

[EricP]

Evidently not totally obvious, fix it with copper tubing and a ball valve. Got to fix it anyway,, or in true GJ fashion could add a bunch more stuff, wires, switches, timer, probably could even find something not even occurred to us or been invented yet.

That is what I did when I got the compressor. I replaced the cheesy hard-to-reach petcock with an elbow, copper pipe, and ball valve. The leak actually was caused by a ruptured copper tube at the drain valve months after being replaced. Split that sucker right down the middle. That failed copper pipe has been replaced. There are numerous locations a failure could occur so I'd like to simply cut power when I leave the shop. But I can forget and so can my son and his friends who frequently use my shop, so an extra layer of protection is reasonable. There might be a cutoff lever on the pressure switch, I need to check. A light may be sufficient as well. Sorry to offend all those that think an extra safety measure is unnecessary. My shop, my investment, my choice.

 

[Dragfluid]

Evidently not totally obvious, fix it with copper tubing and a ball valve. Got to fix it anyway,, or in true GJ fashion could add a bunch more stuff, wires, switches, timer, probably could even find something not even occurred to us or been invented yet.

Hell yea,,,,,,,,,, connect it to WiFi. Port it to your phone. Give it a static IP address and we can all take turns being in charge of shutting it off.

 

[outdoorspace]

Mine is connected into my home automation server with Zigbee, does that count? There is an automation that will turn it off after a set time. There is also a button on the wall to turn it on/off.

 

[Dragfluid]

That is what I did when I got the compressor. I replaced the cheesy hard-to-reach petcock with an elbow, copper pipe, and ball valve. The leak actually was caused by a ruptured copper tube at the drain valve months after being replaced. Split that sucker right down the middle. That failed copper pipe has been replaced. There are numerous locations a failure could occur so I'd like to simply cut power when I leave the shop. But I can forget and so can my son and his friends who frequently use my shop, so an extra layer of protection is reasonable. There might be a cutoff lever on the pressure switch, I need to check. A light may be sufficient as well. Sorry to offend all those that think an extra safety measure is unnecessary. My shop, my investment, my choice.

Nobody's offended. Just having a little fun.
You really need to fix that leak. Get some help and tilt the tank some so you don't have to stand on your head work on it.

FWIW, I've got a main disconnect next to the compressor and I shut that off at the end of the day, along with the air valve.

 

[coljar]

X2. I've never yet found an auto drain that didn't clog or leak. I'd just eliminate it.

Tommy

I had trouble with mine clogging. I had the timer set for the quickest cycle(.5 sec.) and what I found was it didn't have time to blow any dirt or rust out in that time. I increased it to 1 second and haven't had anymore issues.

 

[rburke65]

Well it just crossed my mind that we often over think a given situation.

 

[matt_i]

You can use a timer-on delay to compare if the motor is ON (contactor energized) vs. the expected state of being OFF, and disable the contactor at that point if there's an issue. Reset the timer when the motor is found to correctly be OFF. Choose a time interval which is greater than the longest time it takes to fill the empty tank plus a few single digit minutes.

With automation (thinking of a PLC although this one function could probably be boiled into a hardwired relay circuit) you can do all sorts of wild stuff. You'd need contactor control of the motor (and not direct operation via the pressure switch) at bare minimum.

 

[Dragfluid]

Well it just crossed my mind that we often over think a given situation.

Just now?
How long've you been a member here?

 

[pcmeiners]

Rigged mine with dual Time Delay Relays off Ebay. If it runs continually for a chosen set time, it turns off until the power to the compressor is reset.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...313&_nkw=Time+Delay+Relays+dual&_sacat=181696

example of a 220v timer, can be gotten in any voltage....

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-220V-A...490819?hash=item4b5315e443:g:~2MAAOSwyLlXpUPO

 

[exranger06]

Well you apparently still remember to always shut off the master air valve, so I would just install a switch right next to it. Or at least put up a sign right next to the valve that says "remember to shut off the compressor, dummy!" (Or something to that effect) And maybe install an indicator light, just in case you forget to turn off the switch AND the valve. I think that should cover pretty much every scenario.

 

[brooktre]

laissez faire

What’s the worse that could happen?
1) The compressor burns up and you need to post here on opinions for a new one.
2) The compressor burns the whole garage down and you have to replace everything (many more posts and opinions).
3) Of course if there is a chance that anyone could be injured you act on one of the previous recommendations.

 

[pcmeiners]

What’s the worse that could happen?

4) Garage and house burn to the ground. Hot ambers start a forest fire destroying 500 homes, 800 vehicles, and 40 Snapon boxes. The run away compressor owner gets sued by all the home owner, the state and the local government. The state takes away his wife and kids as escrow until all the lawsuits are settled.
Now if this was in in California, the hot ambers would burn 2000 homes, 10000 vehicles, 4000 Snapon boxes. The scorched earth allows massive land slides during the rainy season, so many slides, the weight shifting triggers the biggest earthquake California has seen, the governor issues a Prop 65 warning that earthquakes cause cancer. California splits down the center north to south, moving westward 40 miles, mostly due to the weight of unused tools in Cali garages. California succeeds from the USA, with no contest from the USA government, as California threatens to stop all strawberry shipments if fired upon. Eventually California is recognized as a country, joins the UN, applies for foreign aid and becomes the wealthiest, most screwed up nation in the world.

 

[nh_yota]

Add an infrared motion detector and timer to the motor switch so the motor will not run if motion is not detected for 30 minutes.

 

[SGKent]

What’s the worse that could happen?

4) Garage and house burn to the ground. Hot ambers start a forest fire destroying 500 homes, 800 vehicles, and 40 Snapon boxes. The run away compressor owner gets sued by all the home owner, the state and the local government. The state takes away his wife and kids as escrow until all the lawsuits are settled.
Now if this was in in California, the hot ambers would burn 2000 homes, 10000 vehicles, 4000 Snapon boxes. The scorched earth allows massive land slides during the rainy season, so many slides, the weight shifting triggers the biggest earthquake California has seen, the governor issues a Prop 65 warning that earthquakes cause cancer. California splits down the center north to south, moving westward 40 miles, mostly due to the weight of unused tools in Cali garages. California succeeds from the USA, with no contest from the USA government, as California threatens to stop all strawberry shipments if fired upon. Eventually California is recognized as a country, joins the UN, applies for foreign aid and becomes the wealthiest, most screwed up nation in the world.

actually it would break into many smaller countries that war with each other.