Air Tank Drainage

Retired my old portable air tank -- heard a fizzing sound in the shop and found a rust blister on the bottom at the lowest point. I am not the sort who can discard something metal due to an expiration date, so I wonder if I shouldn't re-orient the next tank to put the air inlet at the lowest point?

Reply to
Dave
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Just put a drain there, and use it? If you put the air outlet, the moisture will be transferred to your tires or whatever. Normally not a Good Thing (tm M Stewart)

- - Rex B

Dave wrote:

Reply to
Rex B

Any particular reason?

Harold

Reply to
Harold and Susan Vordos

I'm not one of those sky-is-falling types, but if you know your tank has rusted to the point air is beginning to audibly escape, can a catastrophic failure be far behind? I hate to say this, but I recommend replacing the air tank. Make it into a forge or a garbage can or something, but don't use it for compressed air anymore.

That's my 2¢ worth, anyway.

GWE

Reply to
Grant Erwin

Grant, read the first line: "Retired my old partable air tank" Last line too "...re-orient the NEXT tank" (emphasis added)

I think he knows better :)

Reply to
Rex B

"Dave" wrote: clip) I wonder if I shouldn't re-orient the next tank to put the air inlet at the lowest point? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I think you should rotate your new tank a few degrees every month, so it rusts out uniformly.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

That's what I have been doing with my farm gasoline tank, rotating it each time it empties before I refill it. 25 years later, no leaks yet.

Reply to
Nick Hull

I found a time delay relay at the scrap yard. It is hooked up to trigger a valve at the bottom of my compressor tank so it opens for a fraction of a second each time the motor kicks in. Blasts the moisture out great, I haven't noticed any moisture in my lines even when hot and humid out (it gets real humid in Maine at times). The one drawback is that in cold weather the air exiting the valve can leave a little ice in there, causing a slow leak.

Steve

Dave wrote:

Reply to
Steve Smith

Putting the air inlet at the bottom does nothing while you are filling it, only when you want to drain out the accumulated water.

Fill the portable tank, rotate it till the air outlet fitting is at the lowest point (keeping the outlet hose high so the water doesn't flow that way) and vent the fill port tire chuck for a few seconds to drain any moisture, then rotate it upright and top off the air again.

When you use the air you want the valve at the top, you don't want to pass the water along to your tires or other equipment.

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

I guess my thought was that this would give you some good options. Some sort of external water collection chamber could be added at the fitting, or the water could be blown out at the first useage after filling.

Reply to
Dave

They really should put a dedicated drain valve and fitting on those portable tanks, but then their tank would cost $1 more than the competition and their sales would drop. Or so says the MBA that took over the company when the people with practical knowledge got forced out.

Show me how it's better, and I'll pay a bit more for your product.

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

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