My 20+ year old Sanborn home owner special air compressor that I bought at the Price Club obviously has some interal rust issues in the tank. Has a couple of pin holes which causes it to leak down. I know I need to break out the debit card and buy a new one but has anyone here ever been able to repair one similar to mine with JB Weld or something like it? Think only makes 90 lbs. of pressure and always has. Thanks! Pinchin' pennies again...
Just my .02, I'd get rid of that thing, nothing is going to help. If the tank is to the point that it has a few pin hole on the outside, just imagin what it looks like on the inside. @ 90 lbs that thing could and will come apart and you don't want to be there when it does. Do yourself and maybe someone else a favor and replace it.
And when you get your new one, blow it down after every use (open the pet**** and let the moisture-laden air escape) and it probably won't rust.
A buddy had a rusty compressor tank blow up in his shop. It blew most of the walls out of the shop, just the studs were left. It blew a full, 500 lb. upright freezer across the garage into one of his employees, breaking his pelvis in 6 places. S**** the tank.
Yeah, that ****er is a time bomb, please do not use it anymore. Seems like Sears has compressors on sale pretty regular, decent machines, not real expensive. .
Man, I've got the same problem with same compressor, same age. I just found a new 60gal. tank for mine at a friends shop. Do the same, please. My uncle up in Minn. sent me a picture of what happens when good compressors go bad a couple of years ago, let's just say it was impressive! Damn thing looked like a pelt by the time it took out the golf cart and inside wall of the garage. No one was hurt, but they got lucky!
I know you guys are right. It's now unpluged and a new one will take it's place by the weekend. Thanks.
Has anyone ever used the kit that HF sells that is supposed to drain the water automatically? I've seen them advertised and wondered how/if the work?
Please....replace it or get it fixed NOW. Anyone who's ever seen a tank containing compressed gases fail...would be running, not walking, to get a new one. Even a pancake compressor would get you by for the moment & they can be bought for $120, sometimes less..... You are trusting your life to JB Weld??
www.grainger.com lists the tanks by themselves in various sizes. I had to get one for the school shop when the old one wouldn't p*** inspection. If you have a Grainger store close you might be able to get one on a stock order and save freight. Usually there is a local air compressor supply/repair shop around that sells them too so it might pay to shop around.
UUUUUHHhhhh, I was behind a guy in the dive club when one of his tanks fell over and went skywards through the roof of his van. Turned it into an egg shape. His ears bled alot and he said "HUH?". Granted 2500 vs. 90 is a stretch but ya dont wanna be near it when it goes.
Got one here too, rusted out Sanborn tank, compressor/motor works fine. My buddy had it, didn't know why it couldn't hold pressure. I don't use it, just for parts.
I drain my compressor every time I use it. I added a 90 degree bend, and a foot of pipe (all cast iron) with a ball valve on the end. All the water drains down into the pipe instead of sitting in the tank, and it moved the valve out to where its easy to get at. Its impressive how much water ac***ulates in a tank when its running a lot on a humid day. Whenever you are looking to buy a used compressor, remove one of the inspection plugs and look inside. If you see scaling or deep pitting, p*** on it, because the tank is damaged.
You have to do what my great uncle did, he just screwed self tapping screws into the pin holes. He used the compressor for what seemed liked forever. He also used a double male end extension cord run his bench grinder, he had a female plug on the end of his grinder cord. There were other horror stories in his garage but these were just two I remembered. He and my grandpa were real geniuses when it came to DIY projects.
After you replace the tank, with the drain open on the old tank, cut the end off and have a look-see inside...then ask yourself if JB would have worked...those pictures are awesome. Thanks 440! .
they are required for industrial use here. i have them on mine, when the compressor motor stops , it opens a valve on the bottom of the tank for a short period of time, and any water at the bottom purges. they didnt come from h/f though, but im sure the principal is the same. dont hurt to install at home, as you never know when you may overlook the need to drain the tank skull
I'm glad this subject was brought up. I just drained about two cups of water out of my tanks. We've been using the compressor quite a bit lately.
Yes...I was thinking the same thing. Sweeney...you can be sure that if you just send it to the recycler in one piece SOMEONE will be making off with it and might end up killing themselves! I'd LOVE to see you cut it open and let us all have a look at the inside of it.
We have freecycle in my area and people are always giving stuff away like that, you just go pick it up.
I'll post the internal pics once I get it apart and cut open. And for the record, I knew better than to try and quick fix this thing. I really did. I suppose if this subject reminds us all to really think about these things logically, then maybe this discussion was helpful. Thanks everyone! Pics up soon!
Yep, drain the pressure on that time bomb, chop holes in the rusty bottom and haul that tank to the s**** pile.
Good stuff guys. Sweeney is lucky he had pinholes and not an explosion. Off the subject a bit, but year before last I bought a 60 gallon tank, 6 HP upright Campbell-Hausfeld compressor at Home Despair. Nice unit, runs very quiet. I purchased some made in China ****-ola fittings for the hook up. They leaked badly, returned them, still not great, but I have a ball valve at the tank so I can shut off the air line. Surely someone in China makes some quality stuff. You can't get by with ****, **** junk in a jet airplane, p***enger train, bridge etc. I don't even want to be in the same airport with a Chinese p***enger jet let alone fly in one....
C9, How else would I have known there was drama brewing if not for the pin holes surfacing, or blowing as the case may be? I know that portable air tanks have an expiration date stamped on them (did everyone know that?) but should I find one on the compressor tank too? If someone else here has one close to blowing, how would they know?
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