Got A Compressor

[wawoodman]

I have a little Hilti that goes on cabinet installation jobs with me. It's so quiet you can barely hear it run. On the other hand, I have an old Craftsmen and a newer Porter-Cable that are terribly loud. If I wasn't half-deaf and nearing retirement, they would be on the list to replace.

One thing that I did was to replace that miserable bleed screw with a few pipe fittings and an easily accessible ball valve. When living in Arizona, I learned that you NEVER put your hand into a dark place under a machine!

[Highpower]

(05-03-2015, 10:19 AM)wawoodman Wrote: One thing that I did was to replace that miserable bleed screw with a few pipe fittings and an easily accessible ball valve. When living in Arizona, I learned that you NEVER put your hand into a dark place under a machine!

Plus getting down on your hands and knees to open up that miserable drain get's old quick, especially when YOU are getting old quick too! 
It's nice to be able to stand and tap the ball valve handle with a long stick to drain the moisture from the tank. You tend to not put it off and say I'll do it 'next time'.

[Mayhem]

Solenoid wired up to a switch is the best solution.

[EdK]

(05-03-2015, 05:37 PM)Mayhem Wrote: Solenoid wired up to a switch is the best solution.

Sounds interesting. Can you please elaborate?

Ed

[Mayhem]

Remove the drain tap and place a solenoid valve in its place. Wire it up with the correct voltage and put a momentary action switch in a convenient location. When you want to drain the tank you simply press the switch.

When I set up my compressor in my shop at home I will have several set up on the key drain points on the system and wired into a timer. Each will vent for several seconds every hour or so.

[Vinny]

HF has an automatic drain for compressors. I know a few people that have installed them and all love it. Here's a link: http://www.harborfreight.com/automatic-c...68244.html

[Highpower]

The problem you run into with the electric solenoid type drain valves is the nasty brown rust/crud that comes out of the tank along with the moisture and they clog up easily. So you have to install a filter ahead of the solenoid valve to prevent that. Then you have to clean or replace the filter occasionally. Then if you ignore doing that - as my previous employer did, you end up with a 150 gallon water storage tank because it wasn't actually draining when the timer went off to open the solenoid.

Now how did that happen? We put an automatic drain on it!???   

 

[Mayhem]

Well you do need to select a suitable sized solenoid valve. No point putting a 1/8" on a 1/2" neck...

[arvidj]

I have had three of the Harbor Freight drains and never got one to last more than 6 months. They plugged up and stopped draining or cycling when the compressor started.

Iinstalled a timed electric one ... every 45 minutes is the longest interval it will allow with about 2 seconds being the shortest drain burst ... about $100 and available from many places.

I don't do anything to clean or maintain it and it still works but I've only had it on the compressor for 3.5 years so ...

[Mayhem]

Are the HF ones designed to vent when the system drops below a certain pressure? If so, I can see why they would clog. I've always vented when the system was at at least 100 psi.

Do you have a link to the kit you are currently using arvid?