Air compressor blew up.

GeneMO · Nov 30, 2017

Be careful out there fellas !!!

My son bought this used. Didn't know it had been welded on.

lesson learned.

DeltaRed · Nov 30, 2017

Hopefully no one was hurt.......A local guy had a 'homemade' compressor. Used a round bouy,probably 300 gallon size.It blew one night. Blew the entire end off the 50x100ft building it was in. The neighbors all heard the explosion,shrapnel was found a couple hundred yards away. They 'think' the auto shutoff valve failed to shut off. kept pumping till 'BOOM'.Probably didn't have a relief/'popoff' either.A lot of energy is stored in compressed air.

Stephen Newell · Nov 30, 2017

I had one compressor I welded and never had an issue. This one wasn't from corrosion though it was a bad weld where the ends were welded on and the hole was on the very top of it where not likely to corrode through. I used the compressor for probably another 29 years before retiring it. I've got another commercial compressor which did leak on the bottom from corrosion. I was in a pinch having my other compressors broke down so I put a metal patch over the hole with some JB weld and jambed a block of wood under it and used it for two weeks until I could get another compressor. It got to leaking a little but was able to use it. Worst of it is is I think the compressor I bought doesn't have any paint or coating on the inside. Every time I drain the tank it's a river of rust.

ss55 · Nov 30, 2017

There is probably an ASME pressure vessel certification somewhere on the tank.

ohiojim · Nov 30, 2017

my uncle bought one at an auction, fired it up and had a leak on the bottom, put his hand down there to find where the hole was when it blew. broke his hand in several places.

jeffcat · Nov 30, 2017

An ASME tank will have inspection plugs on it. You unscrew them and inspect the tank from the inside. These tanks are mostly build to a higher grade too. Any large compressor worth buying is ASME reated. Anything else is a consumer toy.

Russ from MN · Nov 30, 2017

I was given a compressor that had a small hole in the bottom, I tapped all around it with a hammer,it seemed pretty solid, so I soldered a patch
on it. I reduced the pressure down to 50 and used for a couple of years, then I got a fork truck propane tank and replaced it.

BarnyardEngineering · Nov 30, 2017

That's why used air compressors at auctions never bring anything.

fixerupper · Nov 30, 2017

Wow! looks like an opened up tin can. I'm so glad you didn't need to post about your son getting hurt. A compressor explosion is very dangerous.

My neighbor had a one year old 20 gallon compressor blow up in his shop. It was mounted up by the ceiling. It blew the ceiling up a few inches, every window in the shop was gone, a walk in door was blown open and every tool that was hanging on the wall was now laying on the floor or the benches. No one was home at the time and he had quite a surprise when he walked to the shop. The manufacturer of the compressor was contacted. The manufacturer paid for the clean up and damage and gave them a new compressor of any size they wanted to choose from. The next month there was a recall on this one compressor printed in all the farm magazines this company advertised in.

jeffcat · Nov 30, 2017

Have never sean a painted interior tank. That most likely means a l8wer grade metal.

DR. EVIL · Nov 30, 2017

My uncle had a compressor about that same size, never drained the tank, had it in the corner of his
attached garage, by an interior common wall with the good living room, and an exterior wall. Blew both
walls off the foundation. His response was, " I never knew you were supposed to drain air tanks". I
remember it looking exactly like that picture.

I worked at a place that was an ASME pressure vessel manufacturing plant. The AI paid us a visit 3 days a
week all day. LOT of difference between an ASME approved tank and a non-ASME approved tank. My 80 gallon 7-
1/2 hp compressor has an ASME tank.

big jt · Nov 30, 2017

The reason I put one of these on my shop compressor.

Peace of mind at least.

jt
Auto tank drain

kcm.MN · Nov 30, 2017

(quoted from post at 13:18:39 11/30/17) The reason I put one of these on my shop compressor.

Peace of mind at least.

jt
Auto tank drain

That works well for the liquid water in the tank, but still cannot remove lesser condensation. Think of driving down the road and having your windshield fog over badly, so you wife it and see just how much water is there. Now imagine that condensation on the inside of a tank. When it builds up enough it'll run down, but you'll never get it all. Compressor tanks really need to be lined or coated, or to use fiberglass tanks that will never rust.

CWL · Nov 30, 2017

I leave the drain on the bottom of my compressor tank cracked open so it bleeds 24_7. I also check periodically to
ensure it's open. I would rather lose a bit of air instead of building moisture.

Air compressor blew up.

GeneMO

Well-known Member

DeltaRed

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Stephen Newell

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ss55

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ohiojim

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jeffcat

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Russ from MN

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BarnyardEngineering

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fixerupper

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jeffcat

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DR. EVIL

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big jt

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kcm.MN

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CWL

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