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Air compressor maintenance

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sparkydave

sparkydave

Jedi Knight
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Just out of curiosity, do most folks leave air in their compressors when they aren't being used? The owner's manual for mine says to drain it after every use and not leave air in the tank when it isn't in use. I've done this religiously, but I also know folks who just turn off the switch when the aren't using it, and only drain the water occasionally. It is a tad incovenient to have to wait a few minutes whenever I want to use it, then to have to hold the relief valve open when I let the air out.

-Dave
 
Hey Dave,

I drain my 30gal compressor about twice a week or more depending on usage. While the manual says I should do this daily and/or after each use I rarely do so as I feel that is overkill for everyday home usage. However if I know the compressor is not going to be used for extended or overly long periods of time – I completely drain it & shut it off.

As many of us who own compressors know – the main reason to drain our tank is to keep the water out. Thus keeping the bottom of the compressor’s tank from corroding. Failure to do so will eventually cause a tank rupture.

When I first got my compressor I religiously drained my tank every time I finished using it. But as time went on I noticed that I was getting hardly any water out when I drained the tank. So I allowed the tank to stay on longer as it got to be a real pain to wait for it to refill when I was ready to use it. Still don’t see that much water coming out but I think you could leave it on indefinitely if you drained it at least two or three times a week. Heavy everyday usage (causing the compressor to cycle on & off more) I would increase the number of drains performed a week accordingly but still keep it filled.

Another thing is to make sure all of your connections & hose fittings are properly sealed to prevent leakage the more it leaks the harder your compressor has to work by cycling on & off. Still another option would be to disconnect the primary line coming out of the compressor. Also all air tools leak and some more than others – so I always remove the tool when I am done with whatever I am doing or am taking a break.

What type of compressor do you have?

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Cheers,
Bret
 
I never drain mine unless I'm getting water out. It's a 60-gallon so it takes a while to fill and I hate waiting around for it. I did install a ball valve at the tank outlet so it doesn't leak at all when I walk away. I just shut off the valve and cut the power.
 
Thanks for the info. I only get a few drops of water out when I drain it anyway, unless I've been using my die grinder or doing a lot of blowing. To answer Bret's question, it's a Craftsman 15 gallon oil-free compressor. Not the greatest by any stretch, and the air delivery leaves something to be desired. But it was on sale and fits my needs for now. I don't think I'll get another oil free (read extremely loud) compressor, though. For as much as I use it I think it will work to drain the water once a week, but I don't think I'll let all the air out.
-Dave
 
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