Air Compressor safety issue?
March 9, 2023 6:00 PM
I've been cleaning up my basement and have worked into the tool zone. I have an old (25 years) pancake style air compressor that I haven't used in ages.
I'm worried about the safety of using/selling/donating it. I know the condensation inside the tank can cause rust, but don't know any way to check it. I was always careful to drain the tank when I stopped using it.
There is no sign of corrosion on the outside, but I worry about the tank exploding in use.
I really don't need to keep this, is it safe to pass it on to someone else, or take a trip to the dump?
I'm worried about the safety of using/selling/donating it. I know the condensation inside the tank can cause rust, but don't know any way to check it. I was always careful to drain the tank when I stopped using it.
There is no sign of corrosion on the outside, but I worry about the tank exploding in use.
I really don't need to keep this, is it safe to pass it on to someone else, or take a trip to the dump?
One rough, very rough, way to check for corrosion is to power it up (maaaaybe be somewhere else while it charges, just in case), then turn it off, release the pressure and drain it -- if the water that comes out is brown, you've got interior rust. If it's clear, you're golden.
...if you have some nice clean concrete nearby that'd be the best place to drain it -- rust stains concrete at a ludicrously small percentage, so if there's rust in there it'll show on the concrete.
posted by aramaic at 6:23 PM on March 9, 2023
...if you have some nice clean concrete nearby that'd be the best place to drain it -- rust stains concrete at a ludicrously small percentage, so if there's rust in there it'll show on the concrete.
posted by aramaic at 6:23 PM on March 9, 2023
The safest thing would be to dump it in the nearest recycling facility (make sure it isn't holding pressure first). If you want to test it out, aramaic's methods would give you a good enough idea of how rusty it might be. If you've been draining it regularly, it's almost certainly OK, but don't be anywhere near it while it builds pressure and as much as possible before you release it, because high air pressures in a damaged vessel can cause a catastrophic failure (unlikely, but best to be careful).
posted by dg at 8:43 PM on March 9, 2023
posted by dg at 8:43 PM on March 9, 2023
If you drained the tank and left it open there's not much danger, especially if it was fine when you last used it. I've heard of exactly one air compressor failing explosively, and that was a very high pressure industrial one.
I'd give it to someone else. They're a very useful thing to have and there'll be lots of takers. It would be a shame to throw it out.
If there's a way to adjust the pressure you could turn it way down and plug it in, and see if there are any leaks. If you can't, plug it in outside with an extension cord and wait until it stops running.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 12:26 AM on March 10, 2023
I'd give it to someone else. They're a very useful thing to have and there'll be lots of takers. It would be a shame to throw it out.
If there's a way to adjust the pressure you could turn it way down and plug it in, and see if there are any leaks. If you can't, plug it in outside with an extension cord and wait until it stops running.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 12:26 AM on March 10, 2023
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posted by 1adam12 at 6:18 PM on March 9, 2023