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Forum topic by nukegumbo | posted 06-10-2018 04:05 PM | 2729 views | 0 times favorited | 28 replies | ![]() |
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06-10-2018 04:05 PM |
Topic tags/keywords: air compressor I need advice from anybody with air compressor. I got a campbell hausfield 60 gallon extreme duty air compressor from a relative the other day. the problem is it is almost 30 years old and I am not sure the tank was drained like it should be and the tank may or may not be rusted inside. also it needs a 220 outlet and I would have to have a new one installed to run it. I may could sale it and get a brand new cheaper air compressor. I will never have a need for one that will run large air tools. all I need is to be able to power nailers and staplers. the big question is sale it and get cheaper and less power full one or buy a new replacement tank for the one I have. without a new tank I would not feel safe with the compressor in the garage with me and I would have to install it outside somehow. |
28 replies so far
#1 posted 06-10-2018 04:41 PM |
If it is that old, I would sell it for what you can get. It’s not just the tank that may be rusted, but the pump itself and that can cost more than the tank to replace. They are not designed to last forever. 30 years is a good life. |
#2 posted 06-10-2018 04:44 PM |
you could take a moment and call their technical service rep Campbell Hausfeld 800-543-6400 I had an Ingersoll Rand 80 gal/24cfm that I bought new 30 years ago . -- there is no educational alternative to having a front row seat in the School of Hard Knocks. -- |
#3 posted 06-10-2018 04:55 PM |
Recommend Quincy Air Compressor, made right here in Quincy, Illinois. As the shipping / receiving manager for a local Albuquerque retail / wholesale outlet, we sold numerous Quincy Compressors, with absolutely no warranty problems. -- When I was a kid I wanted to be older . . . . . this CRAP is not what I expected ! RIP 09/08/2018 |
#4 posted 06-10-2018 05:03 PM |
There’s nothing to be afraid of. For starters, it’s not likely rusted any where near through the metal. Even if it is, the rust will be down near the drain, so that any failure would happen as a leak, not an explosion. Finally there’s a reason the tank is shaped the way it is. We studied it in my strength of materials class in engineering school and it’s too complicated to explain fully here, but the failure mode for a cylinder with round ends is much less catastrophic than a sphere. -- Half of what we read or hear about finishing is right. We just don’t know which half! — Bob Flexner |
#5 posted 06-10-2018 05:35 PM |
Since a relative just gave this to you there may be some expectation that you use it instead of just sell it. -- Regards, Charlie in Rowlett, TX --------I talk to myself, because sometimes I need expert advice.--------- |
#6 posted 06-10-2018 05:42 PM |
FWIW: For what you say you need a compressor for, the unit you now have is way oversized which is not a bad thing. It is good to have more reserve than needed to run your tools. Most tools that run on 220 run far more energy efficient and tend to also last longer. Adding a 220 outlet is not difficult nor too expensive unless your breaker box is already maxed out. Many units that run on 220 also did not usually have to endure temperature fluctuations that cause condensation buildup in the tank as they are not portable and are most common in temperature controlled environments. Bottom line, use what you have as it will last longer, run less often and cost far less to run when needed. |
#7 posted 06-10-2018 05:56 PM |
Condensation is caused by the pressure. Just as water will boil at room temperature in a near-vacuum, it will condense out of the air at room temperature in a pressurized environment. Of course, the amount of moisture in the air makes a difference in the amount of condensation. You’ll have to drain a compressor in Florida far more often than one in Arizona. -- Half of what we read or hear about finishing is right. We just don’t know which half! — Bob Flexner |
#8 posted 06-10-2018 06:42 PM |
So I have seen a 10 gallon compressor tank explode. No one got hurt, but dam. It took us days to clean everything. brown rusty water everywhere. -- John |
#9 posted 06-10-2018 08:30 PM |
Big John ~ the exploding air tank you referenced, did the tank itself rupture ? . -- there is no educational alternative to having a front row seat in the School of Hard Knocks. -- |
#10 posted 06-10-2018 08:52 PM |
I kind of doubt that it’s rusted thro. Before I’d consider selling I’d at least make sure the family member won’t mind. Mayb call them up and say “you know I really appreciate the compressor but after getting it home I realized it’s way over kill plus it’s 220v and I don’t hav that installed. Would u want it back? If not would you mind if I sold it and put that money towards one that I could use?” -- Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might |
#11 posted 06-10-2018 08:53 PM |
Hi John, it was a small compressor, maybe around 10 gallon tank. Had no drain in it, and was on top of a walk in cooler at a hotel I was working at back in the mid 1990s. As it turns out, it had been hooked up and forgot about. Never got a bit of maintenance. I was not in the room when it blew, but it looked a lot like the blue tank in the photos you posted. The walk in cooler was a beer keg room that serviced a couple of the bars upstairs. The exposed room was where we kept all the bottled booze. A co worker was in there filling a bar order. Soaked him in brown rust water. And scared a few years off him. Lol. It seems like every inch of that room was rusty brown. Took days to clean it all. -- John |
#12 posted 06-11-2018 01:46 AM |
I took a page out of the common practice in automotive repair shops. The compressor is not inside the shop. Sits in a lean to that has 4 ft concrete block walls and a vent fan that comes on when temp reaches 85F. This way if it goes nobody gets hurt. In theory anyway. -- Live to tell the stories, they sound better that way. |
#13 posted 06-11-2018 02:33 PM |
thanks for all the responses I have a lot to think about. I leaning towards getting a new one and selling this one. I have a co worker that says he will give me $200 for it so he can make a bbq grill out of the tank, |
#14 posted 06-11-2018 03:37 PM |
You say you’ll never have a need for something that large, but I wouldn’t be so sure. Years ago I bought a pancake compressor because all I’d ever need it for, so I thought, was for nail guns & such. Years later, I wish I had one with enough cfm to spray paint. My dad bought a compressor at an estate sale years ago – I’m sure older than yours – and it’s still going strong today. I don’t know that I’d worry about the age. One thought – would you be able to use some sort of fiber optic camera to go in through the drain hole & inspect the interior? |
#15 posted 06-11-2018 03:54 PM |
Again, lj’s has caused me to go out and spend money. My wife is constantly on me about my 20 year old very noisy pancake kicking on at all hours of the night when I forget to turn it off. Now I can use the excuse that it’s a safety hazard! Amazon, same day for $95! -- Andy - Seattle USA |
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