Drain your compressors

[Boswell]

@Boswell, I guess i do not understand how your mechanical valve works??

I don't know for sure, but my guess is that is has a small spool valve that basically compares the current pressure with the max pressure that it has seen (recently?) and when the delta is large enough it cycles. It does not seem to cycle every time I run below the low pressure set point and when it cycles it is about 3-5 seconds. I don't have a way to tell how often it cycles. I only notice it when I am near the compressor when it does. but I crack the manual valve every now and then, and no water is coming out, so It must be keeping up. BTW, there is no adjustment to it.

To open and let the water out it is also letting air out, how is that less wasteful.

first, if I had found an electrical one that could be set to cycle like one every few days or a week, I would have gone for that, but the ones that I looked at had a maximum cycle time that was pretty short, like 99 minutes or something. I leave my tank pressurized all the time and I don't want unnecessary cycling when not in use. I was about to get an electrical timer version and wire it after the compressor switch so it was only powered when the compressor was running when I found this one. If this one quits working then that is probably what I will do.

I have made a bunch of improvements in my air system but it still is not as tight as I would like it. At one point it would cycle about once every 6 days. (when no air was used) When I replaced the tank and rebuilt the compressor it now cycles about once every 2.5 days. so still work to do.

 

[cathead]

It would be easy to get side tracked by Debbie and Uncut Groovy Photos but somehow I managed!

I put an extension on my tank and a ball valve and I must say I use it way more often than the
tiny brass thing that was on my Sanborn compressor originally.

 

[Flyinfool]

I put a Hobbs meter on almost everything these days. You might be surprised at how little runtime your equipment really has. I use the hour meters to determine service intervals. On average my compressor only actually runs around 20 hours per year.

 

[Janderso]

I put a Hobbs meter on almost everything these days. You might be surprised at how little runtime your equipment really has. I use the hour meters to determine service intervals. On average my compressor only actually runs around 20 hours per year.

In a commercial environment it's a horse of a different color.
We have two 10hp High CFM IR compressors that alternate starts.
Six days a week, 11 hours a day, year after year. It's amazing how long they run.
They both have the auto drains. I think they go off every hour for about five seconds.
I started here in 1986. We had an old IR that sounded like the African Queen. It ran another 5 years. We replaced it with a similar unit to the twins we have running now.
That ran for 31 years. The only reason I replaced it was it was taking longer and longer to come to pressure and ran hot.
We change the oil once a year with IR synthetic oil. Clean the filter twice a year or as needed.

 

[Janderso]

I took the advice and added a ghetto support.
Hey, it works!

 

[Papa Charlie]

I took the advice and added a ghetto support.
Hey, it works!

That will work. On mine I ran the drain pipe up against one of the legs and welded a clamp on to hold it.

 

[FOMOGO]

I drain mine whenever I do an extended use, or once a week. Helps keep the old timers desease at bay. I am blessed with a dry climate, so not as big an issue as other areas of the country. Mike

 

[Tozguy]

The OEM drain valve on my compressor reservoir is always cracked open (just barely) so any condensation immediately sputters into a small dish. I can see what is in the dish at a glance. My compressor only gets used sporadically and I never have to wonder if it needs draining.
The pressure loss from the valve being cracked open is negligible when in use.

 

[Meta Key]

I do the same as Tozguy — the drain valve is very slightly cracked open. It takes at least four hours to drain the tank. Long enough that any moisture in the tank has surely cooled and condensed and blown out the bottom. But not open enough to materially affect operations..

Now, if you never hear from me again, you’ll know my strategy failed!

MK

 

[Janderso]

That will work. On mine I ran the drain pipe up against one of the legs and welded a clamp on to hold it.

You and Darkzero have the drain moved next to a leg. Duh, why the heck didn't I think of that?
Sometimes I do things that make me feel awfully dumb.