Why did my 5 hp, 20 gallon compressor leak water oil?

[Cat Cracker]

yes i felt a pin hole there just now, seal with the sludge, what do i do?


If you have a pin hole leak in the receiver, the vessel is compromised. Bottom line is if you continue to use this vessel, it is a safety risk. The chance of catastrophic vessel failure is low.

A vessel with capacity of 20gal of air @ 175psi can create a wallop!
Is there a pressure relief valve on it.

Unless you are running moisture sensitive equipment with the  compressor, reduce the operating pressure if you have to use it. Higher operating pressure = greater water volume  precipitated in the receiver. Why 175psi? Drop the regulator 100psi and you will have less water accumulation.
Time for a new machine.
BLEVE's aren't fun, even with compressed air.

[FJ_Hooligan]

How is this even a question?

[mtc]

yes i felt a pin hole there just now, seal with the sludge, what do i do?


If you have a pin hole leak in the receiver, the vessel is compromised. Bottom line is if you continue to use this vessel, it is a safety risk. The chance of catastrophic vessel failure is low.

A vessel with capacity of 20gal of air @ 175psi can create a wallop!
Is there a pressure relief valve on it.

Unless you are running moisture sensitive equipment with the  compressor, reduce the operating pressure if you have to use it. Higher operating pressure = greater water volume  precipitated in the receiver. Why 175psi? Drop the regulator 100psi and you will have less water accumulation.
Time for a new machine.
BLEVE's aren't fun, even with compressed air.


there is a pressure valve on it, what is the pressure set at on these things?

[mtc]

How big/heavy/bulky is the tank?

Replace it is the obvious answer.   I see them come up on Craigslist from time to time when the pump or motor die. 

One answer you may get away with is to do your best to clean the inside of the tank.   Get a rubber stopper - like the type with the bolt or lever to make it expand into the hole.  Then mix up a quart or more of fiberglass resin and pour into the tank, put int the stopper, and let it dry.   Hopefully it will fill in your pinholes.  And hopefully the rubber stopper will keep it out of the threads so you can replace the drain fitting.   And hopefully there is enough safety factor built into the tank it will serve for many years without an explosive failure.  I don't know where or how the tank is mounted and what the results of a rupture would be.

Or replace the tank.   

how can you access the inside of the tank, it does not open up,

it's 20 gallons ,the device requires all 20 gallons and the motor, and engine is mounted on top of the tank

[mtc]

No. It is pipe thread, a little pipe dope or Teflon tape will do it. I would inspect that tank. 19 years in water is a long time. Perforated tanks aren't funny.
Ted

yes i felt a pin hole there just now, seal with the sludge, what do i do?

mtc,

If you have a pinhole due to rust (what else, really?), the welds in that tank are very likely to fail one day, and maybe not very long from now.  Rust attacks the welding.  You got twenty good years on that old tank, so I would not complain.  The oil in the water tells me the compressor itself is getting old, too.  It's your call about rebuilding or replacing that compressor.  Contact the manufacturer, if possible; there may be a rebuild kit available from them for the compressor.  If the compressor is doing what you need, it may be okay as it is, for some time.

As for the rusted tank, by far the best option (short of an entire new compressor assembly) would be a new air tank.  The new air tank does not have to look or mount like the old tank.  It probably does not need to be twenty gallons, either, but that old rusted tank you have can be dangerous.  Just like the drain line, you can plumb up a common iron-pipe connection between the compressor and a new air tank.  Make sure that any new tank is rated to hold the full pressure that your compressor can put out.  I would not attempt to repair the old rusted tank.  Make sure that the new tank has a drain valve to remove oil and water from the tank.  You can install an oil/water separator into the air line that keeps the compressed air from the tank "pure," as in free of oil and water.
.

might be a good project to look into, separate the pump/ motor and learn what size iron pipes will fit in a new tank, i do need a 20 gallon tank

[mtc]

mtc,

If the compressor is difficult to access, most tank drains use standard plumbing threads.  Figure out what you need, to add a few feet of common plumbing pipe (metal, not plastic) to the tank drain.  The new pipe should end in a cap or valve (for draining) that is in an easier location for you.  Remove the current drain valve fitting from the tank bottom, and replace it with the new plumbing.  The new drain piping will make it much easier for you to drain any liquids from the tank on a regular basis.

Just a thought . . .
.

look what i found

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200658775_200658775

[Carson City Paul]

let's just say this is not for automotive use, but since you guys are mechanical geniuses , i'd thought i'd give it a shot in here...

never drained it for the time in my possession 3.5 years, i know i know, hard place to access. it's got to be 19 years old and never drained....

this today i noticed after cleaning up the mess, over a gallon of oily watery sludge on the floor, called a firend and he told me to drain it.

so i unplugged it and bled the air out and wrenched the bottom drain plug , and the remaining sludge came out, it was not pretty.

put it back and plugged it in, it started to run and fill... and it holds 175 psi of air, and is working fine


mystery...

what hole allow the ~1 gallon of watery sludge to come out yet is has no holes in the tank since it hold air? no corrosion, no rust

help explain please and thanks

I have worked as a machinist for over 50 years. I was always taught to open the drain valve at days end. Never allow condensation to build up in the tank.

I still practice this method to this day and have never had a problem with tank failure.

[mtc]

let's just say this is not for automotive use, but since you guys are mechanical geniuses , i'd thought i'd give it a shot in here...

never drained it for the time in my possession 3.5 years, i know i know, hard place to access. it's got to be 19 years old and never drained....

this today i noticed after cleaning up the mess, over a gallon of oily watery sludge on the floor, called a firend and he told me to drain it.

so i unplugged it and bled the air out and wrenched the bottom drain plug , and the remaining sludge came out, it was not pretty.

put it back and plugged it in, it started to run and fill... and it holds 175 psi of air, and is working fine


mystery...

what hole allow the ~1 gallon of watery sludge to come out yet is has no holes in the tank since it hold air? no corrosion, no rust

help explain please and thanks

I have worked as a machinist for over 50 years. I was always taught to open the drain valve at days end. Never allow condensation to build up in the tank.

I still practice this method to this day and have never had a problem with tank failure.

this one is in the attic of a business, and spray tan booth, not auto shop application, no excuse the last compressor i tried to drain had no water in it, and that set the neglect for this failure