[TheForge] Pressure Tanks was air compressors

Thu May 16 07:57:00 2002

I have a couple of things to say about this.  You may find that with
increased storage of air, you don't have compressor enough to keep up with
the volume.  I have had this problem before.  I have a 5 hp compressor from
Farm & Fleet.  I put an extra tank to it and then it runs for twice as long
before shutting off.  Really stresses the motor to keep up, and now it won't
keep up when I use a lot of air, because when the pressure gets low, there
is too much space for the compressor to keep up to pressure.

About pressure testing, Please use water pressure to test if you are going
to test.  I used to do engineering for a small company that makes bin level
indicators, and we bought a hand operated pressure pump that would hold the
guage at the highest pressure reached until you pressed the release.  This
was perfect for pressure testing, and what we did was to put the item into a
tank of water, and fill the item with water, and fill the tank with water.
then hook up the hoses and pump.  This keeps the parts, if a failure should
occur, in the water.  A safe process, and not terribly expensive.  If a tank
is filled with air and explodes, pieces go a long ways, as can be attested
to by many here.  When water pressure goes, since water is not as
compressible as air, you don't have things flying as far, or at all.

Rick Crawford at  Rafter Lazy C
Home of Rick's Forge and Lem the Wonder Mule
email = [email protected]
home page = http://www.tbcnet.com/~rafterlazyc/

----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen McGehee" <[email protected]>
To: "TheForge" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 10:36 AM
Subject: [TheForge] Pressure Tanks was air compressors

> I have been working toward using an older, galvanized water pressure
> tank 40 gallons(+/-) as an accumulator to mount up in my rafters and
> give a bit of a boost to my air hammer because the little Sears
> compressor just isn't big enough.  I know that the pressure tanks are
> tested at something like 300 psi to give an operating rating of 150 psi,
> but the thing is still very rusty inside.  Sounds like a brand new
> Grainger compressor of the correct size is a very inexpensive
> alternative to mayhem and rearranged body parts, possible loss of
> fluids...
> Mother Earth News  ran an article back in the misty past about repairing
> old leaking tanks and they suggested using water to test them and as
> high a pressure as you could produce WITH THE TANK ON ONE SIDE OF A BARN
> AND YOU ON THE OPPOSITE side with at least two walls between the testee
> and testor...  Just because that ol' tank worked just fine at 40 psi in
> a water system, is no guarantee that at 120 psi it will hold together...
> Thanks for the reminder that we are mere mortals.
>
> Stephen McGehee, Publisher
> Irony - the sketchbook of an apprentice blacksmith
> P.O. Box 925
> Corydon, IN  47112
> 812-347-0303
>
>
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