Water Heater = Air Compressor??

Hey yall...

Has anyone ever turned a hot water heater into an air compressor?? My little 26 gallon just doesnt do it for me anymore. I know its kind of common with propane tanks and the like, and i even found this video on youtube about it.

I had this huge pile of scrap, and we hauled most of it in, but theres still a water heater and some other stuff. The thing is 10-15 years old, but it says its tested for 300 psi. My current oil free air compressor only goes to 150.

Is this a safe idea, or an easy way to get in the back of the paper?? Has anyone done it before??
Air Compressor
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No, not a good idea.

fill it full of water
hook air up to it and pump it up as far as your compressor will go
DO NOT HOLD THE AIR HOSE ON USE A CHUCK WITH A CLIP
wait 24 hours and if the pressure holds then you will probably be ok
any pressure drop and the tank goes to the scrap yard

good luck
Ron

Well.............I cant go to your funeral cause I have to work 5-6 days per week. Make sure that your parents dont spend a lot on the casket, it just goes into the ground and you never see it again.

Does anyone have a reason why this might be a bad idea??

I mean, 300 psi=alot. 150psi compressor should be safe, or is there something im not thinking of??

Allright... That sounds good...

Why should i use water, and not air??

Lanse, don't even consider it. Yes, a lot of dummies have used water heaters as air tanks and have gotten away with it, but it is by no means safe.

Here's the problem: Air is compressible, water is not. A tank full of air has far more energy stored in it than the same tank at the same pressure full of water. If a water tank fails, you get water on the floor. If an air tank fails, your shop and everything inside will be destroyed. That includes you, if you happen to be inside.

Lanse I can only tell you from my own experience. I did darn near the same thing and it worked out great. Back 15 years ago we had a barn full of milk cows and once a year we were required to have the barn whitewashed. This meant about 2 days before the whitewash guy showed up we would take air nozels and blow as much dust and chaff and what ever else out of the barn so it could be painted. I had a tank from an 80 gallon water heater that I mounted to an old 2 wheel trailer and had picked up a V4 freon compressor which got plumbed to the tank. I then mounted a PTO shaft to the pump and used a tractor setting outside the barn running the pump, to be able to clean the barn. It pumped enough air to be able to run 2 hoses almost nonstop. I plumbed a pop off valve from a water heater into the tank and used this for when we stopped using the hoses. The tank would build up pressure and about 125 or 150 PSI, the popoff would blow and the tank would not over pressurize. I used this setup for at least 3 years before the whitewash appointment and it still sets in the pasture fence row up home. By all means be careful but yes the idea is very feasible.

Huh...

Never thought of that... But it sure does make sence...

Thanks Mark!! Any kind of tank that i CAN use?? You know, without possibly dieing or anything??

mark is correct that it can be dangerous but what he isn't taking into account is the steel water heater tank walls are over twice as thick as most air compressor tanks. So whats more likely to blow, the thin walled half rust eaten compressor tank or a stout non rusted water heater tank? I know the answer, thats why I built mine. For that matter there were companies that used to sell compressor kits to use old water tanks. We had one that was purchased from Montgomery Wards that way. It was older than the hills and had lost alot of its pressure which is why I created the trailer mounted one.

It might work but is it worth the risk. 150 psi is a lot of pressure. Enough to take your head off and destroy a garage. The problem is you don't know what shape the inside of the tank is in.

DO NOT DO IT!IT IS NOT SAFE!The picture is apropane bottle -big difference!Iwould not even use a brand new water heater,let alone a used one.its got rust inside,therfore,its probably weakend.Buy a regular compressor of the size you need.Its lots cheaper than a funeral!

I have seen what happens when a compressor blows--not pretty.Homemade compressor like your describing in one end of a 50x100' steel building blew up,completly tore the entire end from the building,bent steel colums,they found pieces 1/4 mile away.thankfully,this happened around 2 oclock in the morning so no one was hurt,Praise God!

Yes Lance is can be done but unless you know what the history of that tank is DO NOT use it that way because one single bad place in the tank could be the last thing you ever see because if it blows up it can/will ruin your day your week and maybe your life. A tank from a junk pile will most likely blow up in your face. Ya I have one I use but it is in a very control set up and almost never used up to even 80psi and it has safety factors set up in the system so it would be hard for it to blow up. SO LANCE. DO NOT TRY IT IT IS NOT WORTH IT.

Lance, I want you to know you make my day. I can't wait till you ask the next hair-brained question on here. And the best part is guys on here actually think you are asking genuine questions. Keep up the good work!

Im glad i entertain you, but im dead serious.

Last i checked, not many people were born with a god-given knowledge of air compressors and water heater tanks, so, at one point, everyone here must have either asked the same question, or picked up the knowledge in a conversation or whatever. Im just doing the same thing. So, i dont mind asking "dumb" questions. At one point, we were all dumb.

And besides, being blown up by a water heater tank?? If im gonna die young, from doing something stupid, its atleast gonna be cool :-D

And besides, what are some of my other hair-brained ideas??

> Im glad i entertain you, but im dead serious.

Now that's a real knee slapper! You're good.

By the way, you would be, if you were.

--->Paul

So, why would a 15 year old water heater be in the scrap pile? Think about it. How old & weak and poor is the metal after 15 years.....

Pretty sure you wouldn't get to 100lbs without a loud whistling sound, and 150 would blow out the weak seams on a 15 year old water softener sitting in a scrap pile.

--->Paul

Lanse, I and everyone else on this forum, pay through our tax dollars a lot of inspectors to inspect air compressor tanks over a certain size. They have to be done probably every five years. besides the hundreds of inspectors there are also many people behind the scenes as well as office rent, cars, do you get the picture? Can you guess why? It's because many people have died.

Id kinda like it if someone would tell me whats so damn funny here... I must be missing something.

Im accually trying to do something with my life, and learn what i can here, so i can do more with less money and not get hurt, and even have something to show for it.

If you dont want to admit you were, at one time, as clueless as me, thats fine, your call. I dont really care, just try not to be a smartazz about it.

After seeing water tanks that are a few years old corrode thin and leak at 50psi.
Just imagine what a half rotten tank is going to do before it reaches 100,135 or 175psi?
A tank failing with water just squirts a bit. A tank failing with air is a grenade.

There is a very good reason that commercial air compressor tanks have to be ASME certified by the shops that build them. They are pressure vessels, the same as a propane cylinder. They're often tested for at least 1 1/2 times the max. pressure rating and sometimes more than that. If you want a bigger tank for using your sand blaster, it will only help temporarily if your compressor can't keep up and will destroy your oil free compressor in a matter of minutes rather than hours! There is no way to get around spending a bunch of money to get the proper equipment. I think your ambition is over powering your common sense sometimes. If you need industrial tools, home owner tools aren't going to work and you'll be continually repairing or replacing them. Better to save your money and buy the proper tools. It will save you money in the long run. Dave

Rhetorical Question : Has anyone died yet from taking our advice here , or does young Lanse have the chance to be first ?

It's possible but how will anyone know? The person who died won't be able to post of their passing. I don't think Lanse has a death wish but I wonder sometimes. LoL Dave

150 lbs of air pressure is a _huge_ bomb. It is very seriously dangerous. It is not something to guess or fool with.

We get used to 60 lbs or so of water pressure, and when it breaks or springs a leak, no big deal.

We know we work around 2000+ lbs of hydraulic pressure, a hose blows & it only makes a mess if we don't get shot by it up close - no big deal.

But liquids do not compress. Once a water heater or hyd line blows apart, the pressure is released & that is that. No big deal.

Air _compresses_ which multiplies it's force. If a seam lets go, or an end blows off, it will come out like a _bomb_. It will put the other half of the tank right through a wall. Right through a _sturdy_ wall.

It is serious stuff.

We get lazy about it, and forget how serious this is.

As I mentioned in my other message below, a 15 year old water heater on a scrap pile is not going to be in anything like new condition. The seams will be rusted, the inside will have scale & rust & thin spots.

The 300# pressure you found is what it was tested for when new, but _not_ what it is designed to hold long term. That is like saying your car was tested at 110 mph, but there is no way it can go down the county road all the time at 110 mph.... I know that is a poor 'comparison', but it does apply. It's tested close to failure pressure, but it is _not_ rated to keep that pressure all the time. What is possible in the short term & what is normal in the long term are 2 different things.

Water & air are also 2 different things, the safety margins bewteen them is different also.

If you are really considering this as a real idea - it is a very, very dangerous one. You could very badly hurt someone else with this. Very badly.

I know you've done some stunts in the past that were on youtube, I only looked at one. It's fine whatever you do to goof off & possibly harm yourself. That is, in the end, your business. I think those stunts are reckless & not wise; but I don't say anything because you are risking only yourself. Whatever you want to do there, not my deal.

Using any old tank for a giant air pressure tank at 150 lbs pressure is going way, way over the line. You are exposing a lot of other people who happen to be within 200 feet of your tank to a very dangerous situation.

This is not a good idea.

I did not mean to put you down. Your idea is just so terribly bad here, that I think several of us figure you had to be pulling our leg. (That is how really bad your idea is....)

When you said you were 'dead serious' about this, it made it seem all the more just a joke. DEAD serious? You have to be joking around with us.

You have been pretty humorous around here, & like to kinda joke around.

This idea is so bad, and your comment on top of it, I really honestly did not take you serously.

Been following your messages in the past, & enjoy your enthusiasim & efforts to have a better life. I'm sorry if what I said put you down in any way. Was not intended.

--->Paul

If you watch the video he admits his Pop-off valve is going off all the time. That explains alot of things. Man he is going at that tank with an Arc welder. I thought you were not supposed to weld on a closed tank like that without special training and precautions. I liked how he tested for the presence of any remaining gas in the tank. Hit it with the torch a couple times. If she don't blow up , must be OSHA compliant and good to go! Lanse , I guarantee you the President's New Health Plan is not that great.Sorry in advance Lanse . I couldn't help myself.

They should have called that something else. ASME does not sound professional. i.e. Are you out of your mind ? No. I'm ASME certified though. I backed into a hot stove once. Burned a little ASME off me. Where do I get this stuff at !

Now let's see where to start. You weld on that silly tank against all standards of safety (Old Man ASME is rolling over in his safety grave). Then you tell us you are "dead" serious.But you want to do something with your "life".Said life often appearing as if it could end violently any moment.( I'm dying over here.) This we find amusing, or at least until someone gets hurt.

If it's full of water the water will squirt out, if a weak spot fails with air behind it you could have shrapnel bounce'n round the shop.

Lanse

I will offer my advice along with a lil story.

For starters the 300 # rating on the tag is the burst pressure. That means the operating pressure is more like 60# or maybe 100#. That alone to me means don't do it.

Now the story to back this up. Local JD shop here had a big air tank they carried in their service truck. Was painted black so I didn't think anything of it, just thought it was a tank one of the techs found that was suitable for that use. Well after maybe 2 years I found out otherwise. It was the shade of blue that well pressure tanks use under that black. Found out it was painted that color cause the paint they used came off when the thing blew. Pretty much totaled the bed of the service truck and I think it bent the frame also. Think about that for a while and I hope you head the advice that says DON'T DO IT!

jt

Short answer is don't do it. Air compresses and has tremendous potential force when suddenly released, a rupturing tank, for example. Water does not compress so if the tank bursts, you have a big mess and that's about it.

We had a post on here a day or two ago about Red-neck sayings, I'll add one here that is appropriate for this situation - No brain = No headache.

Lanse,You have proved that you dont know nuthin and you dont even suspect nuthing.You are dangerous to yourself and others.Now you want to pump 300 psi into a tank thats built for 50 psi.

Air tanks are always tested with water.Tanks that have passed the test have blow up with air.What you dont know will get you.

I have a water heater that was replaced because of a leak.Two more water pump tanks that leaked are going to be turned into wood stoves.Water tanks rust out and air compressor tanks that are not drained often rust out.You are WRONG.

About the only way you might get in more trouble
is to take it to New York City. Hook it up to
a gas driven compressor and put it in a SUV.
Drive it to Manhatten, park it, and go home and
watch your tv.

Its a shame you don't live closer- I just replaced my compressor because the compressor itself went bad- perfectly good 50 gallon tank will be going to the scrapper.

BTW, don't be disheartened by all the toolz on here giving you a hard time. Seemed like a perfectly legitimate question to me- keep askin', and when they bray, just consider the source.

BTW lanse

LP tanks are built for a product that expands unlike water heaters.

There is one lil problem with this guys project other than the worn out control he used. He didn't have a way to drain out the water. There are ways he could add that but it is needed.

jm2cw

jt

how can i find this propane tank guys web sight? id like to see what else this nuts working on. seams like a ceative kind of guy. thanks Bob

Lanse,
Are you still in NE Ohio?
Craigslist has some good deals look for a used compressor tank to use for makeup air if you only need extra cfm once and awhile.If you want to sand blast stuff all da long look for an old 2-3 piston compressor.They can be found cheap if you wait.Still have a diesel pickup and last I heard you live a lot closer to Cleveland these days.

I dont think I would use a water heater tank. I would use a propane tank. I have used propane tanks for a larger volume of air and it worked really good. I use a 20# propane tank for a portable air tank too.