Air compressor question ?

I recently bought a new compressor (50L Ryobi dorect drive),but fixed my old one anyway,but I do have a problem with the drain that I don't like nor understand why they did it like this. It sits a bit offset from the bottom,it is convenient to get to, but I am worried on how efficient it can drain water because of the offset.

Any thoughts on why the company would do it like this? I don't see how I can do anyething about this. I will post a pic tommorow.

Michael
 
Designed by someone that never had to work with the compressor. Then the marketing guys pushed it past the safety guys. Sigh ...
 
Suzuki4evr said:
I recently bought a new compressor (50L Ryobi dorect drive),but fixed my old one anyway,but I do have a problem with the drain that I don't like nor understand why they did it like this. It sits a bit offset from the bottom,it is convenient to get to, but I am worried on how efficient it can drain water because of the offset.

Any thoughts on why the company would do it like this? I don't see how I can do anyething about this. I will post a pic tommorow.

Michael
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That is definitely the wrong place for a drain outlet. Looking at it hard, it may be that the whole thing is too low for the outlet to fit without scraping the ground. @llamatrails may be quite right in thinking it was a cheapskate manufacture decision.

Let us (very charitably), allow that inside, there may be a tube reaching to the bottom, and that the water would get expelled if there was a bit of pressure left in there. Yes - I know, probably an unsafe notion! It's bonkers that to drain it, you have to have it stood on bits of wood or something, and rocked over to let the water find the outlet. Now that you show us this, you can bet that I will be looking hard at any compressor I have a mind to buy, and for me, that is something that is coming up soon.
 
graham-xrf said:
That is definitely the wrong place for a drain outlet. Looking at it hard, it may be that the whole thing is too low for the outlet to fit without scraping the ground. @llamatrails may be quite right in thinking it was a cheapskate manufacture decision.

Let us (very charitably), allow that inside, there may be a tube reaching to the bottom, and that the water would get expelled if there was a bit of pressure left in there. Yes - I know, probably an unsafe notion! It's bonkers that to drain it, you have to have it stood on bits of wood or something, and rocked over to let the water find the outlet. Now that you show us this, you can bet that I will be looking hard at any compressor I have a mind to buy, and for me, that is something that is coming up soon.
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Why do you consider the placement unsafe? Is it because the little tube inside could become clogged? Just curious.

My tank drain is at the bottom. If the external elbow were to get clogged, wouldn't that have a similar effect? The advantage of the external elbow is that it's replaceable. Of course, neither should be clogged if maintained...
 
WobblyHand said:
Why do you consider the placement unsafe? Is it because the little tube inside could become clogged? Just curious.

My tank drain is at the bottom. If the external elbow were to get clogged, wouldn't that have a similar effect? The advantage of the external elbow is that it's replaceable. Of course, neither should be clogged if maintained...
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Looking at it, imagine there is enough water in the cylinder for the level to get to the point where some might exit the drain. An elbow at the very bottom would work. The tap we see from @Suzuki4evr 's picture looks like it presents difficulties.
 
Pull the fitting and see if there is a tube. My guess is no. I would either return it, or drill a new hole and weld in a bung in a workable location. Use a 90deg fitting, and a nipple right off the tank to bring the drain valve out to where it's accessible. I think it was probably a manufacturing error. When the tank had the legs, and compressor mounting plate attached, the tank wasn't rotated to the right location, and it slipped through QC. As it's a safety issue, they should replace it. I know I'll get flack on the drilling and welding issue, but I trust my welding at least as much as I trust theirs. Mike
 
FOMOGO said:
Pull the fitting and see if there is a tube. My guess is no. I would either return it, or drill a new hole and weld in a bung in a workable location. Use a 90deg fitting, and a nipple right off the tank to bring the drain valve out to where it's accessible. I think it was probably a manufacturing error. When the tank had the legs, and compressor mounting plate attached, the tank wasn't rotated to the right location, and it slipped through QC. As it's a safety issue, they should replace it. I know I'll get flack on the drilling and welding issue, but I trust my welding at least as much as I trust theirs. Mike
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Mike I only bought it end of lasr year and it is under a 2year guarantee, so drilling and welding is out of the question, but you do have me thinking to contact Ryobi and ask about this. I will do that Tuesday first thing,cause Monday is a public holiday.

There could be another design like maybe an internal plate just above the drain to save the outer shell from rusting from the inside. Slightly curved towards the drain for water collection. Hey.....if this is not a current design,I think then just made it one:D.
 
FOMOGO said:
Pull the fitting and see if there is a tube. My guess is no. I would either return it, or drill a new hole and weld in a bung in a workable location. Use a 90deg fitting, and a nipple right off the tank to bring the drain valve out to where it's accessible. I think it was probably a manufacturing error. When the tank had the legs, and compressor mounting plate attached, the tank wasn't rotated to the right location, and it slipped through QC. As it's a safety issue, they should replace it. I know I'll get flack on the drilling and welding issue, but I trust my welding at least as much as I trust theirs. Mike
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No flack here! In this place, it's OK to invite some. It can only teach us what not to do.
Just suppose one simply closes the tap, and leaves that drain alone. Then goes ahead and drills a drain hole, chamfered, fit in a drain pipe, and home-welded all around to the best of one's ability. Then, not trusting that, add a slightly curved to fit, thick rectangular plate over it, also with a chamfered hole. This time, welded around the plate, in stages, and also around the pipe elbow chamfer. Now consider what might happen if one's welding was not very good. OK then, it leaks!

Is there anything about this welding operation that could compromise the rest of the tank to present a credible risk of catastrophic failure of the rest of the cylinder, such that it all comes apart with violence? There might be, and the very skilled and qualified can explain exactly how. It happens to be a risk I have already taken, although I did pump the thing up with water afterwards, to about 2x rating. Nothing happened!

I think Michael has a case to say the drain is dysfunctional, and does not actually work as a drain. He might do OK if he said he would accept another model, without the fault, for maybe a very nominal amount extra.
 
graham-xrf said:
Looking at it, imagine there is enough water in the cylinder for the level to get to the point where some might exit the drain. An elbow at the very bottom would work. The tap we see from @Suzuki4evr 's picture looks like it presents difficulties.
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Perhaps I was unclear. I was discussing a somewhat sensible design, not a tap above water line. What if there was a small internal tube connecting from that tap point to the bottom, like a petrol pick up in a fuel tank? For all we know there's a "fuel sock" on the end of the pick up, which would tend to minimize the drain from clogging.
 
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