Need ideas for compressor tank

Hogleg

Member
I have a perfectly good 220v horizontal air compressor that has a leak in the tank. Read about the fears of patching the tank and what could happen if there is further corrosion. Think the PO did not drain it enough.

What is the best way to replace the tank, without spending an outrageous amount of money for a sears replacement tank. I saw a guy that used a new 100 lb propane tank and made an upright compressor. Any ideas on this? What bungs need to be added to the tank. Can I turn it upside down, and replace the pol valve with a drain, and then weld in a bung for the air input?

Need pics if possible.

John
 
I made a bunch of air tanks out of large steel pipe by welding 1/4" plate in the ends. Set them beside presses using air cylinders to speed up recovery time. I wouldn't be afraid to patch an air tank. However I would cut out a large enough area to insure I was welding the patch to non rusted steel. They are manufactured by welding.
 
Propane tanks are rated for 250 pounds at 650 degrees and 650 pounds at 250 degrees or some such if memory serves correctly. Welded together pipe fittings would allow you to build something so you could drain at the very bottom, take air out above that, and put air in at another point, all of that screwing into the now bottom on an inverted tank. That would allow not needing to weld to the propane tank.
 
A leak is a leak , just like an innertube. Patch it and use it . We have all seen pix of air tanks that are ripped in half from an explosion , that is caused by a failed safety pop off valve or a pressure shut off switch that is stuck on .
 
This thing is nearly 40 years old now, and not nearly as pretty, but still working.

I'm not encouraging you to try anything reckless.
a189892.jpg
 
Some one is likely to jump me for this but I have used a water heater tank for that. Matter of fact while I was replacing a lower element in my water heater a week or so ago I noticed it said right on it tank is tested for 300PSI. I have a compressor on my pick up truck and the tank is a water heater tank wit ha pop off of 150psi
 
Those tanks were minimal new.... I have pulled them out of the dump they had rust pin holes in them.... I have welded a crack in a good tank but I don't think I would on a cheap tank...

Weld a Crack maybe, rust pin hole absolutely not...

I have a American air compressor built in 1942 it had a valve issue in the head I sent the head off around 1995 to be repaired it was lost that may have been a good thing...

Not to knock you compressor you get what you pay for....
 
About forty years ago a neighbor asked me if I wanted a water heater that was freight damaged. It was a 50 gallon size electric heater that was glass lined. I had just moved out on the property we have now and was about to get some kind of air compressor. I had a 1 1/2 horse motor, a pump, and access to all kinds of plumbing and such. Looked at the plate on the water heater and it said pressure tested to 300 pounds. I stripped all of the outside off of that tank, plugged un needed holes and used it with my makeshift compressor. I have since rebuilt the pump once, and had to work on the pressure switch a couple of times, otherwise it's still holding about 130 pounds of air without leaking. I open the drain about once a year or so and get maybe a quart of clear water out.

Anything rated for 200 or more ought to do OK though. You just need a bottom access for the drain, and a couple of places for the incoming air, outgoing air, and the pressure switch. They could probably be combined but it's easier with more places.
 
Be careful with pressurizing tanks. Make sure whatever you use is specifically rated for it.

A couple of decades ago some kids were killed at a party near me when someone came up with the idea of pressurizing a beer keg instead of using a pump. Turns out that beer kegs are only rated for somewhere around 12 pounds of pressure, or at least they were when that one blew up and the shrapnel killed the kids that were the closest. These guys came up with the idea of using a compressor, or air in a compressed tank to charge it so they wouldn't have to keep pumping it and...KABOOM, party over.

Good luck, be careful.

Mark
 
Only running a 110 volt pump unit but got 5 free 20# (4.7 cu. ft. each) propane tanks mounted them upside down so water drains out.
Pop off valve set to 125
 
It would probably save yourself a lot of hassle if you would just buy a used compressor off craigslist. Sometimes people sell them cheap because they need a new pump or motor and the tank will be fine. Then it will already be rigged for a drain.
 
Propane tanks are rated for 250 psi operating pressure. That is what the relief valve should be set for. (Some motor fuel tank applications use 315 psi tanks.) I'm not sure how high storage tanks are pressurized for testing for certification but the truck motor fuel tanks I worked with had to pass at a pressure 4X their certified working pressure.

If you are not working with a portable compressor a propane tank can be remotely mounted. Just mount it upside down and put a drain under it. That way you never have to worry about moisture collecting the the tank.
 
What size tank are you looking for? Portable units often have 10 to 30 gallon tanks. Oilless compressors sell very cheap, less than $100 working, closer to $25 if the pump is bad. They often still have a very good tank. The mfg. date and pressure rating should be stamped on the pressure tank.
 

Current tank is about the size of a 40lb propane tank, on its side. Compressor is a 4hp Craftsman.

John
 
The Amish use big lp tanks for there air
supply . I have seen 4 or 5 1000 lb one's
hook up together . The take them and light
a fire under them to get the gas out not my
idea
 
Having seen a failed compressor tank as a result of rust I urge you to just pony up the $$$ to get a new, rust-free ASME coded tank. There is an immense amount of pent up energy in compressed air and I want nothing to do with uncontrolled release of it.
 

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