Campbell-Hausfield Air Commpressor Advice?

FBH44 · Aug 7, 2015

Have a 19 year old twin-tank contractor's model, always ran perfectly. It seems heavy duty. I always drain the moisture out, or so I thougit, but have had a leak develop in bottom of one tank, up forwawrd, about 12" from the end. Unit is only used once or twice a month, for general barn use. Airing tires up, etc. Thinking of just strapping a rubber piece of inner tube with s metal band and some hose clamps over it. Got any advice?

Fawteen · Aug 7, 2015

Increase your life insurance.

Which is a smart-aleck way of saying fix it properly. A blow out on an air compressor is nothing to fool with.

BANDITFARMER · Aug 7, 2015

Buy a new tank ! Life is too short to do something like that, I had one let loose one time about 3am and it took a 10' section of a pole barn wall out and screwed the roof up too and it was only a 10 gallon tank! Its not something to fool with. Bandit

Billy Shafer · Aug 7, 2015

Buy a new tank.

JD Seller · Aug 7, 2015

I will second and third buying a new tank or at least a good used one. That rusty tank is an air BOMB waiting to blow up. So your gambling on when it will do it. That maybe right when your next to it. I have seen entire walls knocked out when one blows.

rustyfarmall · Aug 7, 2015

Probably can buy a brand new unit for about the same cost as just a new tank.

Goose · Aug 7, 2015

I was in the same situation once with a 60 gallon horizontal unit. I found I could buy a new complete 60 gallon upright unit for less than what a bare new 60 gallon horizontal tank would cost. And I still would have had a 40 year old pump and motor.

Steve A W · Aug 7, 2015

If You have any doubts about what these fellows are saying,
check out these pictures.
exploded tanks

Stephen Newell · Aug 7, 2015

Patching the tank isn't practical and is downright dangerous. If it has developed a leak there is probably a dozen more nearly coming through. To get off cheap you might buy a compressor off craigslist that the motor or pump has gone bad and use the tank. Another option would be to do away with the tank altogether and run some piping around the barn and use the pipe as the tank. Anyway the rubber strap would leak so much it wouldn't help you.

old · Aug 7, 2015

Before I would try to patch it I would go to a truck salvage yard and but a air tank off an old truck. It would be about the same size and be pretty easy to it make fit and probably be cheap

NoNewParts · Aug 7, 2015

agree with the other posters, that if it is a rust hole leak, the tank is junk.

I hate spending money, same as most, but....it's my air compressor.....
When my tank failed years back....I bought a new compressor..even though it was an ouch....
old one is in the corner on the project list.
But, live without a 100% reliable air compressor...even for a short time.....no way

dr sportster · Aug 7, 2015

Dangerous to try and [weld] patch a hole because there is oilyness inside the tank and it could explode. Compressor tanks are best replaced unless you really want to take a chance.

FBH44 · Aug 7, 2015

Thanks, guys, you convinced me. I'm pricing new tanks now. Thinking of buying a big portable tank, mounting it on the wall, piping it up, with the drain DOWN, and using that. OUght to be simple and economical. Thanks.

gab · Aug 7, 2015

Here's one I replaced a bad tank on last summer. Used a tank off a blowed up oil less compressor.

504 · Aug 7, 2015

Poke around on CL,they show up here all of the time with a bad compressor.

rview_ · Aug 8, 2015

I had an old little 25 gallon? or so portable one blow up on me in my shop, I was about 5 feet away, outside, but just around the corner (heavy metal wall). Extremely lucky. There were 5 gallon plastic buckets next to it. They were shredded into hundreds of pieces, some thrown 60' opposite end of the shop on top of the open overhead door. I was told it rattled the dishes in the house ~100ft away. I kept the tank out on the iron pile.

Stop using it immediately.

Campbell-Hausfield Air Commpressor Advice?

FBH44

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Fawteen

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BANDITFARMER

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Billy Shafer

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JD Seller

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rustyfarmall

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Goose

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Steve A W

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Stephen Newell

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old

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NoNewParts

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dr sportster

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FBH44

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gab

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504

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rview_

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