Rusted Compressor Tank

[BJ42LX]

I picked up an old Sears compressor from CL. The tank was leaking but the motor and compressor were good and strong.

Before scrapping the tank I decided to cut it open and investigate the leak and surrounding metal. As you can see in this pic the PO tried to plug the leak with a screw and rubber washer. It didn't work, which is why he gave up on it. He said he bought the compressor new from Sears about 30 years ago. My guess is he didn't drain it very often!



When I rolled it over I could hear the debris sliding around inside the tank.







As I was prying and twisting on stuff it split open a crack that was held together by the paint on the tank! The PO's screw was at one end of the crack.






The panel I cut out. You can see the screw and the thin area right next to it.



Rust and scale inside the tank.



Rust and scale dumped out on the ground. A good 3-4 pounds worth!



Tank waiting for scrappers to come and get it.

 

[brianh]

What you cant weld on a patch? a little bondo and paint and its good as new.

Of course if you had not cut the chunk out a few more screws and washers would have saved you the work.

 

[ZRX61]

Could have made a nice vertical smoker out of that....

 

[LWW]

That's exactly what I was thinking! Would make a great smoker/grill!

 

[redmondjp]

That's exactly what I was thinking! Would make a great smoker/grill!

Nothing quite like rustywood-smoked bacon, mmmm!

I inherited that same compressor from my grandfather, with the same problem! Still have the motor laying around somewhere . . .

 

[thebeekeeper1]

Good lesson on buying used compressors. Thanks, OP!

 

[Crazy_Pilot]

A fellow was killed near my hometown a couple years ago in a compressor explosion. He initially lost his lower leg but complications developed overnight and he didn't survive. It was a story that many of us have lived, three guys hanging out and working on a car together.

Pressure vessels are no joke. If you're shopping for a used compressor make sure you get a look inside it somehow.

 

[DekeT]

What you cant weld on a patch? a little bondo and paint and its good as new.

Of course if you had not cut the chunk out a few more screws and washers would have saved you the work.

I just know you woodworkers are having a little joke at the expense of the metal guys, right?

 

[beamrider]

I just know you woodworkers are having a little joke at the expense of the metal guys, right?

Hey hey hey! Woodworkers don't use Bondo!

*now where did I put that 2 part wood filler......*

 

[sc3013]

I had the same think also. But you need to save the top mounting plate. It will save time when you find another tank. Because you will already have a template for mounting motor and pump.

 

[CNGsaves]

^ ^ +1 use plasma cutter or cutoff wheel and retrieve the mounting plate.

Great job OP knowing immediately that tank was NOT SAFE and you cut it open to investigate.

Good luck getting new tank setup. Good candidate would be 26 to 33 gallon vertical Crappsman oil-less that are screaming noisy and people sell on CL from $50 to $150 all the time. Tank like that would be low cost replacement.

 

[goforride57]

That's exactly what I was thinking! Would make a great smoker/grill!

More like a cigarette **** can or a trash can. Or fill with cement and make a boat anchor.

 

[Lassen Forge]

I owe someone for one hell of an idea. Prolly ZRX or LWW.

I have an ancient Sears 30 gallon gas powered horizontal compressor that was my dads about mid 1970's, hasn't run in 15+ years, prolly longer. I don't have to look inside to know what the inside looks like. Was trying to figure out what to do with this thing, a 30 gallon BBQ project sounds just about perfect. Thanks!

 

[454ragtop]

Don't really see how a rusted tank like this could explode. Seems it would be more likely on a sound tank, with an overload or shutoff valve failure. Once they get thin like that, it's just going to pop right there.
Jim

 

[Showkey]

I had that exact same compressor in the OP 30 years ago and it failed exactly the way same location.

Sold it for parts............

 

[CNGsaves]

Don't really see how a rusted tank like this could explode. Seems it would be more likely on a sound tank, with an overload or shutoff valve failure. Once they get thin like that, it's just going to pop right there.
Jim

^ ^ ^ Just do search of prior GJ threads for air tank explosions. Plenty of them out there and pictures of similar 20 gal horizontal tank exploding. They've been out there a long time, design is prone to rust, people rarely drained water, etc. Compressed air is STORED ENERGY so when tank lets go, it IS explosive energy.

Bleed through rust on bottom of tank and that crack is screaming warning sign that tank was not safe to use. Heck a few taps with ball peen hammer could have went through bottom of that tank (of course with no air pressure).

Good job OP destroying that rusty old tank.

 

[brianh]

I just know you woodworkers are having a little joke at the expense of the metal guys, right?

I do metalwork too, I was thinking of a thread years back about a guy wanting to weld on his tank, it went on for pages. Just being a bit of a smart ***.

A rubbers sheet and strap clamps would have fixed it right up no bondo needed.

 

[454ragtop]

^ ^ ^ Just do search of prior GJ threads for air tank explosions. Plenty of them out there and pictures of similar 20 gal horizontal tank exploding. They've been out there a long time, design is prone to rust, people rarely drained water, etc. Compressed air is STORED ENERGY so when tank lets go, it IS explosive energy.

Bleed through rust on bottom of tank and that crack is screaming warning sign that tank was not safe to use. Heck a few taps with ball peen hammer could have went through bottom of that tank (of course with no air pressure).

Good job OP destroying that rusty old tank.

Very familiar with rusted out tanks, never saw one explode, seems they're like the OP's, they start to leak.

 

[BJ42LX]

^ ^ +1 use plasma cutter or cutoff wheel and retrieve the mounting plate.

Yup. Did that.

This compressor is built like a tank (Ha! Get it?! A tank! ). At first I thought it was build by Speedaire for Sears because of the color. However, there was a different name tag on the tank. Darn if I forgot to get a picture of it.

 

[Fretters]

Very familiar with rusted out tanks, never saw one explode, seems they're like the OP's, they start to leak.

Had a similar discussion on another forum a while ago. A buggered tank will usually just leak. Seems the explosions are usually reported when someone has either upped the pressure cut-off point, else apparently the other suspected cause is oil ignition. There's a document on that latter subject somewhere. Can't recall, but I seem to think it may have been an OSHA document.

 

[airsanford]

It was Campbell Hausfield. The 106 beginning the model number is their supplier code for Sears.

 

[kiatech]

I had the same exact model with the same problem

 

[goforride57]

^ ^ ^ Just do search of prior GJ threads for air tank explosions. Plenty of them out there and pictures of similar 20 gal horizontal tank exploding. They've been out there a long time, design is prone to rust, people rarely drained water, etc. Compressed air is STORED ENERGY so when tank lets go, it IS explosive energy.

Bleed through rust on bottom of tank and that crack is screaming warning sign that tank was not safe to use. Heck a few taps with ball peen hammer could have went through bottom of that tank (of course with no air pressure).

Good job OP destroying that rusty old tank.

From the reading I did, one particular case was ruled to be compressor oil in the tank/air lines and a combination of heat and pressure that caused an explosion, according to osha. Much like how a Diesel engine works.

I'm not saying that compressor tanks don't have the ability to have a spontaneous catastrophic failure. Just don't believe everything I read. There's always more to the story, as osha's investigation revealed.

Never understood most members on here and why they are so cheap. One guy bought an industrial grade 80 gallon compressor for 450 bucks. Brought it home and the bottom of the tank was full of rust. He said he was going to spend 500 on a new tank. ???? Stated he was still getting a good deal. Could have just bought a cheap brand new ingersoll rand and would have saved all the frustration. Just don't understand why buy someone else's junk? There's a reason why they are selling it.

 

[n8n]

From the reading I did, one particular case was ruled to be compressor oil in the tank/air lines and a combination of heat and pressure that caused an explosion, according to osha. Much like how a Diesel engine works.

I'm not saying that compressor tanks don't have the ability to have a spontaneous catastrophic failure. Just don't believe everything I read. There's always more to the story, as osha's investigation revealed.

Never understood most members on here and why they are so cheap. One guy bought an industrial grade 80 gallon compressor for 450 bucks. Brought it home and the bottom of the tank was full of rust. He said he was going to spend 500 on a new tank. ???? Stated he was still getting a good deal. Could have just bought a cheap brand new ingersoll rand and would have saved all the frustration. Just don't understand why buy someone else's junk? There's a reason why they are selling it.

If it was truly an industrial grade compressor, I'd rather have an old compressor on a new tank than a new consumer grade compressor on a new tank...

My grandfather had the same compressor as the OP. My dad may still have it...

Sent from my XT897 using Tapatalk

 

[C96]

Could have just bought a cheap brand new ingersoll rand

Lol…sorry, that’s nothing more than “cheap” offshore new junk now days.

I too would prefer an old industrial unit, at least they didn’t start out as junk

 

[dutchgray]

Lol…sorry, that’s nothing more than “cheap” offshore new junk now days.

I too would prefer an old industrial unit, at least they didn’t start out as junk

I would to, was looking at a mates old one recently, tank was 45 gallon but it was a 200psi compressor (now set at 150) and the tank tag said it was made out of 1/4" plate with a 7/16" bottom, I would trust that over a modern thin one any day.

 

[jimbbski]

I had a 20+ year old Sears 5hp 20gal compressor. Well I didn't drain it often enough and the tank developed a leak in the bottom. I searched for a replacement tank and the cost was as much as a new compressor (But the oil less kind, NEVER!). So I started to look for used compressors. I found someone selling a Sears compressor with a 30 gal. tank. It was an oil less compressor but I only wanted the tank.

I got it home and stripped it down to a bare tank. I removed the two plugs in the end of the tank and found a mostly clean tank interior. I dumped in some rust removal fluid and sealed the tank and rolled it around every few hours. I then flushed the tank, and let it dry. I then poured in an epoxy based metal primer paint. Let that dry for a few days and then re-assembled the compressor with parts from my compressor. I only needed to weld an extension to the motors mounting plate to get it to all work.

I also replace the reed valve and other items on the compressor to sort of "tune it up".

 

[SARG]

Ditto on the same failure & I drained mine EACH time I used it. It rusted out around the drain and I drilled it out & installed a metal tire valve which kept it in service for a year or so until I bought another unit. Now it's stuffed into a corner of the barn.

 

[michiganman18]

What you cant weld on a patch? a little bondo and paint and its good as new.

Of course if you had not cut the chunk out a few more screws and washers would have saved you the work.

LOL.

Yeah i dont see the problem