Air compressor failure

Just putting this out there as a warning/safety concern. 4:30



Check your compressors over , get rid of old/sketchy ones , relocate them outside if possible.

Mine blows the safety valve so I need to watch it from running non-stop if I'm not around to hear it.

Wow , never saw that happen before...
Makes you think about those old compressor tanks ..

Yes , yes it does.
The creator of the video states that was a Husky brand compressor 32gal , made in the USA
Only 15 years old. Maintained and water drained regularly. I don't think overpressure or failure of the overpressure valve was a factor.
The video is only about a week old , creator is going to do a follow-up incident and cause of failure video soon but his initial gut feeling is the bottom seam weld gave out due to faulty weld and/or rust issues.
I've worked around some 30yo+ compressors and never thought much about it. This is a bit of a wakeup call.

Yep, you could wake up Dead..

Just found the follow-up video to this , video is about 8mo old and creator states the compressor is about 10 years old. Sorry about the incorrect date/time quotes in earlier posts , but here is the follow-up. Vid - 9:49

Holy smokes that would've went off with a bang.
I had a Chinese compressor blow the drain plug a few years ago, it bounced off the floor and got me in the stomach on the rebound - winded me pretty darn good.

I keep airbrake antifreeze in my portable compressor tank for freeze protection (I used to do a lot of outdoor winter jobs), and it's also a corrosion inhibitor. I drain and change it about every year. There are also various pour-in tank sealers available.
Like the owner said, I think the weld seam being on the bottom is a major design flaw. I have a similar hotdog compressor but the seam is toward the top. I guess there's still the end seams though... be careful!

I just cut a tank open about a week ago from my airless compressor that seized up. I decided to use the tank on wheels to hold my scrap metal. It had quite a bit of heavy rust in it. Those tanks are not very thick. If I had to guess I would say 16Ga metal if that. That compressor was about 20yo or so.

In fact, this video made me so paranoid, I just got back from the Depot. I bought an automatic drain for my new compressor and decided to leave the petcock open on my little pancake compressor unless it's in use.

Compressor maintenance is crucial, the reason for the seam begin down is so that if this happens then explosion is downward into the floor instead of outward and possibly into someone.

In cleaning out my shops the past 2 weeks I happened onto an air pig I had forgotten I even had. My son was cool, I need to take home with me tonight. I looked it over and told him no, throw it away. It may safe as it ever was, but I could hear some rust in it and I have always been leary of those things anyway. It went in the scrap pile.

My big compressor also sat for about 6 years before I started using the shop. I have never really liked or trusted it either. It is a name brand but still, just don't trust it. I drain it regularly to. I seldom get much water out it because of the coils of copper tubing between the compressor and tank.

On a different note. I went to move a acetylene tank the other day and a bunch of rust fell off the bottom of the tank. This is a large tank. I very easily set it back down. I called two different suppliers asking about them coming out to remove the gas from the tank. They don't do that. I was told to carefully put my gauges on it, connect a long hose and let it drain itself. I don't like the idea myself, but seems that is probably my only choice. Half a tank of acety. gas I know can make for a bad day.

Some guys really slack on draining them causing premature rusting.

This ^^^^

Agreed. I'm guilty of that myself. The worst part of draining is reaching that petcock. I have big gorilla hands and there is never any room under there for me to get at anything. This new automatic I just put on seems like it will do the trick. It's just a solenoid valve on a timer. I have it set to activate once every 45 minutes for a 5 second blast. I'm going to see how that works out. I'm a little worried about it making me jump when I have my hands near the lathe, mill, saws or whatnot. I may pipe the exhaust outside which should make it much quieter.

Nothing like reaching under and getting a handful of spider webs to make my day. LOL

There was a lodge owner on the Alcan Highway close to Tok Alaska years ago killed by an air compressor.

Well, I ran the exhaust outside and that did the trick. Thing is quiet as a church mouse now.

I work at this metal plating/refinishing shop when they need me occasionally. We do chrome , nickel , black oxide , electro polish and more.
Stopped by there today. There is a large compressor that fills the shop's needs. I showed the owner the video with the blown compressor.


This is the shop's compressor. The compressor pump was just changed from the OEM one just last year. The electric motor is the one it came with , a nice Baldor unit.
Disregard the makeshift kinda guard ( white wire shelving ) it is just there to protect the compressor from damage as it is in a walkway and it could get whacked. The real guard for the belts is on the backside near the wall.

The compressor is old..........REAL OLD !!!!!!!!!!



Yep , you are reading that right. Built in 1945 !!!!!! 75 years old !!!!!!
Still runs good , it's used 5 days a week. No leaks at all. Holds pressure over the weekend. Come in Monday morning and turn it on , it stays off until air is being used then it cycles on.

The thing is built like a tank. Tap on the metal and you get a VERY solid clunk. It sounds like it is 1/2" thick. They don't make them like this anymore for sure.

We will be opening up one of the side plugs very soon to see what the inside looks like.