Good/Bad Idea

Steve This is done as needed. Sometimes one uses check valves to prevent feedback or duplicate routing or whatever. As long as you watch pressures there is usually no problem. About a year ago I bought a 6 tank system that had a sophisticated array of check valves and the like. I kept all the valves etc and sold the tanks on Ebay. Bob AZ

You can connect a large series of tanks to one compressor. It provides a larger volume of air before the pressure drops enough to turn on the compressor.

The connecting lines between the tanks should be larger than the outlet pipe.

Note that this is usually only done in cases where you have air needs that surpass what your *compressor* can give you. Your volume storage will give you X amount of time before the compressor kicks on and starts *trying* to keep up. Add twice the volume and you get to run that same tool two times X amount of time before the compressor starts running and *trying* to keep up.

This is assuming, of course, that both tanks are of equal volume and can handle the same pressure. Adjust math as necessary if not. Obviously, in some cases it makes more sense to get a higher volume compressor rather than adding tank to the system, but if you only *occasionally* overwork your compressor and have a tank sitting around...

--Donnie

I put my old 50 gallon tank in the boat shed and ran a line to my new 60 gallon compressor in the shop. I was concerned about wearing out the new compressor but the engineer at the local commercial compressor sales company told me that while it does lengthen the run time it reduces the cycle time so you come out about the same. There is a small drop in efficiency with big tanks because with longer run times the cylinder heats up more and the actual volume of ambient temperature air goes down. The advantage for me is that I don't have the big pressure drop from the long run to the shop..

Greetings:

If you have a long compressed gas pipe run, you can use the second tank at the remote end as an "accumulator", or buffer to supply intermittent high volume demand that the pipeworks otherwise couldn't supply. In between the demand, the system catches up as the remote tank refills at whatever flow rate the pipes allow.

Regards, Jim Brown

I'd say it's a particularly good idea if you intend to use lots of air in short bursts, then have some time for the tanks to refill. The only downside that I see is that you will have more connections to keep from leaking.

Pete Stanaitis

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Steve B wrote:

The two hardest things on a motor are starting up and overheating

Most compressor motors are meant to run without overheating (there is a term specifically for the heavy duty that the application that a compressor motor mafes. And its called "compressor duty"

Runn> Should I, or it even smart to hook a volume tank to a compressor that

Good idea, increasing storage capacity and allowing the compressor to cycle less.

Make sure that the tank is rated for the pressure involved. Some of the larger compressors cycle on @ 150 PSI and off @ 175 PSI, which is often beyond the pressure of smaller compressors. Could be the tank is marginal for the application, if not under rated. It's not uncommon for single stage compressors to cycle off @ 125 PSI.

Harold

I put a 60 G tank on my basement air network in anticipation of installing a main compressor out in the garage when it's finished. Currently I fill the system from a little portable electric compressor. Once it brings the system up to full pressure, it runs for no more time than if the "surge tank" was not there, but it does allow for intermittent very high consumption with minimal pressure drop, and it will provide a cushion when the air is (eventually) coming through 200' of

-- --Pete "Peter W. Meek"

I have two older (pre-screamer) traditional Craftsman compressors. I have them connected in tandem so I will have higher volume when I use the sandblaster or other tools that need higher volume at high pressure.

I don't use any check valves at all. The compressors each have their own, between the tank and the compressor outlet port.

My shop is over 100 feet long, between my machine shop and an automotive work area on the other end. I put a compressor at each end and my air line (pvc pipe) runs the length of the shop with a tees and two QC outlets every

I have one compressor set at the max pressure cut off and the second set a few lbs lower so the second seldom starts and if it does, it is not at the same time (both compressors are on the same circuit breaker so I can turn them both off when I leave the shop.)

I have been warned by others, that PVC is not a good idea, but since my shop is so long, I needed a cheap method and so far I have not experienced an problems. We will see if there is when the weather gets well below freezing. The only problem area I can see is in the water traps at each QD tee.

Typical PVC pipe air installation problem sequence: No Problem, No Problem, No Problem, No Problem, No Problem, No Problem, No Problem, No Problem, No Problem, BANG, shrapnel, problem. If the shrapnel happens to hit you or some other person, a very expensive problem (or it all becomes someone else's problem, as it's no longer a problem for you).

I have done exactly this, and it does beat up the compressor if you are using a lot of air. If you use large volumes sporadically, I don't see a problem. If you leave it on all the time and have sloppy air fittings, it will be dead in a year.

"yourname" wrote

If you leave it on all the time and have sloppy air fittings,

next question:

I buy those cheap quick connects at Home Depot. They leak a lot, or some do and some don't. What's a good source of quality quick connects without paying an arm and a leg?

Steve

You local auto parts store. Milton is the name-brand. If you are more than a casual hobby user, there are industrial-grade variants that last longer and flow more air. But for most people, the M-type (M for Milton) is probably what you are already using.

- - Rex Burkheimer WM Automotive Fort Worth TX

Steve B wrote:

I buy from msc or mcmaster and have no problems, but understand they have a lifespan. a few years in a busy setting, a few weeks in a wet one.

Milton and most other name-brand couplers have replaceable parts. Heavy use will wear the steel balls into the brass body, make the holes oblong. Then you toss 'em. Lincoln makes a steel-body M-style coupler. If you can find those they last a lot longer. Buy a few sets of replacement seals when you buy them.

Why do you say that? I use extra tanks to AVOID having to run large lines for long distances. It gives me near-full pressure for high-volume uses and lets the compressor and long lines catch up during "rest" periods.

I haven't yet, but I have considered making a 25# propane tank into a surge tank to allow me to run a large air wrench at the end of a long, small hose, with the tank and a short length of larger hose at the point of use. Lugging the tank seems like it would be easier than managing (and buying) such a long piece of 1/2" hose. (I'm talking several hundred feet.)

-- --Pete "Peter W. Meek"

As long as the tank is serviceable, it will only take longer to fill up both of them the first time. What will probably happen is that you'll get a longer on-time and longer off-time. (IOW, you'll have more air use before the compressor kicks in again, and when it does it will take longer to get to the turn-off setpoint.)

There's a possibility that the motor is so close to the hairy edge that it could overheat during the run cycle, but if it doesn't, the benefit is longer off-times.

PV = TK, you know. :-)

Cheers! Rich

Isn't there some kind of law against using a propane tank for compressed air?

Thanks, Rich