Cheap Chinese made Compressors

[jopeter]

Having read the post about fire extinguishers and the dangers I would say that the same applies to the abundance of cheap air compressors that are on the market.
Having done my apprenticeship with firm that made compressors it was part of the apprentices duty at the end of each days work to drain the receiver and do the same again each morning . These vessels were made from 8mm wall thickness and were regulaly tested . The cheap units that are available I am sure have receivers that are I am sure made of 3mm wall thickness ....how many home recievers are drained of consendation and tested ?

[MoRo]

I have no way of testing wall thickness in my compressor tank. In summertime, it gets totally drained and left to stand over night or until I use it again. This is a once per week practice. My shop isn't heated in the wintertime, unless I'm working in it, so I drain it each time I use it so as to keep the drain from becoming plugged with ice.

[pegasuspinto]

I don't know about other states, but air compressors at home, and at automotive repair shops are specifically exempt from pressure vessel inspections in Arkansas. When the shop across the street compressor tank developed a crack, he was going to weld it up himself, and was still using it. I promised to have the state boiler inspector, department of labor, OSHA, and anyone else I could find on his doorstep the next day all fighting over who gets to write the citations, because it would be better then hearing the big boom. He finally relented and swapped it out..for a used tank.....

Robert

[jopeter]

Robert unfortunately your story is probably a common one.Unfortunately pressure vessels are taken for granted and are a time bomb ...just waiting for corrosion or fatigue cracking of welds or stresses greater than the design has taken into account to cause a major failure with sometimes terrible consequences. We in Australia probably have the same situation ,Cheap Chinese made compressors can be bought at the equivalent of your WAL-Marts and other Auto part stores .As far as I know there is no certification of the pressure vessel and once in the owners hands ,on going maintainence ,ie condensate draining ,visual examination of the vessel ,checking of the safety or blow off valve is in many cases ignored. I have seen one of these far east compressors used at a country store at the petrol bowser for tyre inflation .Like your story Robert ...one day BANG!