Advice needed - Compressor - rust problem inside

[Steven000]

Hi gents,
I need some advice on fixing my compressor or buying a new one...

Today I finally spend a few minutes behind my desk,
very motivated I started shaking paint-bottles, switched on the air-compressor and noticed it did no longer shut off...
I'm using a typical hardware-store model and in the past I had a lot of issues with the safety valve opening all the time and releasing all the air from the tank.
So I tried (in the past) the one thing you should never do ; blocking the safety valve (which worked great for many years btw).
But since then I listen very carefully to make sure it shuts-off, if not something will explode!
And so today it no longer shuts off which is a major problem.



I have this moisture trap between the compressor and the airbrush,
but this never got wet or showed any signs of rust-stains...
So because of that I hardly ever opened the drain to check for water...


Because the compressor did no longer shut-off I knew the pressure switch inside the tank had to malfunction,
So I took the thing out of the noise-reduction-box and opened it up to check the switch,


I also opened up the tank-drain and noticed a lot of rust-water inside! (photo shows only the last bit)


I found the pressure switch and detached it,


And the switch it's most likely damaged by the rusty water...


So after another lost evening I need some advice :

• How to avoid this problem?
• Is opening the drain all you can do?
• Does anyone use a product to clean the inside?

How about you guys? (in case you have a tank)

• Do you drain the tank often? How many times?
• Anyone noticing rust or just water?
• Did you ever had any issues with the safety valve or pressure switch?

Thanks and kind regards
Steven

[Jim R]

At the end of every airbrushing session I release the tank pressure by removing the drain plug and leave it out until the next time I use the compressor. I had a similar experience to you a few years ago. Not as bad but I rarely removed the plug and when I did rusty water came out. Since then I have removed the plug every time.

[Tim Marlow]

My current one is tankless, but I still drain the pressure regulator catch pot every time. My old tanked compressor was drained every use like Jim, and I never noticed rusty water coming out, just water.
I would not use a product to clean the inside. Whatever you put in could end up in your paint job.
The issue with your pressure relief valve could also be related to the water problem. If you get anything on the valve seat it may not reseat properly when the excess pressure is lost.
I would replace both the pressure relief valve and the pressure switch before using the compressor again. If you can’t get the relief valve to seal, don’t run with it closed or blanked off. The stored energy in these things is enormous and a tank failure could be very destructive and extremely dangerous.

[Mark1]

Yep it should drained regularly ive a 200 ltr compressor at work and if i leave a couple of weeks between draining i will probably get 10 ltr of water out of it!

[Ian M]

I 'service' my compressor once a year. Its an old industry job with a very quite "refrigerator" compressor. Once a year check the seals and empty the tank for sludge. (emulsified oil).
Being an oiled compressor never had a problem with rust. lol
And NO I have never had a problem with oil in the airlines either. Something that would be very apparent as a user of water base acrylics...

[Steven000]

Thanks for the comments, I ordered a replacement pressure switch to see what result that'll give...

Perhaps it's time to switch to a typical hobby airbrush compressor, haven't yet decided but will watch a few reviews on youtube.

I will clear out the water next time though!

[Tim Marlow]

Your compressor should do just fine with replacement bits and a better maintenance regime Steven. As a source of compressed air it will beat most hobby compressors hands down. The reason most of us don’t use this type of unit is size and noise. If you have those cracked you are ahead of the game.

[thehermit]

One great solution is to get an Aluminum tank...! Aluminum doesn't rust, hence no rusty sludge to deal with at the end of the day. I got a unit from Home Depot that is real quiet for it's size, and once full, it takes quite a while to restart.

thehermit