*AIR COMPRESSOR WARNING*
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ส.ค. 2020
- If anyone has any questions we made a follow up video- • Investigation on air c... if you have anymore questions after this feel free to leave a comment and I’ll do my best to get to it. Thank you.
How is everyone doing? I hope everyone is well and safe! We do have an investigation video that’s a follow up to this. We go over where and why it failed. We also go over some tips to avoid this. If you have any questions please head over there to see if it answers any of your questions. If not feel free to leave a comment and I’ll do my best to get to all of them. This unit is a horizontal 26 gallon Husky air compressor made in the USA bought brand new at Home Depot about 15 years ago. It was drained on a regular basis. I also realize people see my repair on the bottom of the tank on the drain bung and that is the only repair done on the tank. Even though we welded the drain bung it did not fail where we repaired it! It failed on the factory seam as seen in the investigation video.That repair was done about 5 years ago. There was a few pin holes there. That was our chance to realize the tank was compromised and past it’s life expectancy. Never did I expect it to explode, felt it was more likely to leak its self to death. However after this experience welding the tank was a bad idea. We realize at this point it is extremely unwise to weld or repair a compressor tank of any kind! We posted this as warning on how dangerous and powerful these explosions can be! Thanks for your support and hope to see you all at the track this upcoming season!
TH-cam is full of explosive tanks. They need to be in a (tire)cage chained up. Others it's the end caps with blow out. Time to get cordless everything plus a pancake compressor.
@@btqyThis is why mine is in an Xtra sturdy box.
Holy shit, dude! You are one lucky man. This is why mine is in it's own building!
Im from England , i took my compressor in for repair ( relief valve lifting ) , the repair shop supplied me with a new one ( italian brand ) free of charge because my chinese made compressor fell apart during the fix so they wanted it to demonstrate to the compressed air authorities of its poor / dangerous quality , you are very lucky not to be injured
The Research I did advised you if you were to buy a used one to get the tank checked out. A compression check. One place was a scuba place. These guy were a joke and very useless.
well jesus man, what did you expect when you "repaired" the tank 5 years ago due to rust holes.. Why didnt ya tell us this right to begin with, DONT REPAIR YOUR COMPRESSOR TANKS!!! WHEN THEY NEED REPAIR THEY NEED RECYCLING
Welding pressure vessels requires special procedures. Without proper heat management, the steel may become too brittle and weak.
Exactly...and “it wasn’t our repair weld that failed”...that’s because you removed the heat treating to the rest of the area. It was timebomb soon as it was welded and not heat treated.
Have a few scuba tanks needing repair . Of course they are for my wife’s sister.
Also you don’t weld something with that much rust. Even if you grind it all out it’s just gonna happen again...
@@shade38211 under-rated coment! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Some of you may already know, I want to say for the ones that don't know that at the bottom of every compressor is a valve that you open up manually to release any water from moisture. Also there is a second valve that should release if there's too much pressure in there, it's called a safety vavle, those two should be checked every time you use compressor.
And don't weld on your tank like this guy obviously has!
@@meganwyatt1607 yes, sometimes people don't want to take responsibility.
@@meganwyatt1607 Yeah, that was the first thing I thought of after I saw the extra welding around the drain cock valve. I'm pretty sure if your compressor tank needs welding on any part of the tank, it's time to get rid of it and buy a new one. I've had my compressor (a smaller model) for over twenty years, but I drain the air out after each use, and make sure the safety valve cuts out at around 110 lbs. If the air pressure goes past 110 unplug it quickly, and either buy a new safety valve or new compressor.
@@meganwyatt1607 Thanks for pointing that out. He weakened the integrity from the heat from the welding.
Exactly, check your safety equipment. The best advice that I ever got was in military school: a good soldier always checks the chamber. That little bit of advice had saved me more than once no matter what I was doing ie working on my car, hauling, flying, working with wood, etc etc.
A hugely important video. Never (ever) repair rust holes in a compressor. It and you are living on borrowed time as soon as you do that. Thank you for posting.
[I’m glad you are all safe. We all make mistakes - me more than most!]
Can it explode even when not repaired only by the rust damage?
Functionally operates just as it should th-cam.com/users/postUgkxiiMg_x4gIWeXMWfBnDdRnME4qJUAva4w holds pressure perfectly when not in use. Glad one of the other reviews pointed out that the bottom pressure release valve was open; thought it was defective at first.
I used to work on industrial Hydrovane compressors as an apprentice to a 65 year old guy that was due to retire, I had been learning at the job with him for about 4 weeks, we went to an engineering works that had a stand-alone compressor with about a 100-gallon vertical receiver tank to do a clean and oil change.
We entered the 10x12x8 double skin brick building that the compressor and receiver were housed in at about 7 am, drop the 3 phase main feed and empty the receiver of residual air, upon opening the receiver valve we pulled about 3/4 of a gallon of water out which was not a good start, (long story short) we did a test run as we were cleaning our paw prints off everything when all of the sudden the old fella grabbed me by the back of my collar and ran with me, he dragged me over several pipes, out of the door and around the corner of the building next to the compressor house, his trained ear had told him that the over pressure switch had not kicked in and that the safety valve was not doing its job saving both our lives, I still remember a snapshot with parts of the building enveloped in what looked like a big misty bubble flying through the air, when we went back around the corner there were bricks embedded in the side of the building we had hidden behind, I was temporarily deaf, the compressor house and tank had gone, and the compressors insides were showing where the receiver had sliced into it as it exploded.
When I put my first shed/shop together I caged my combi compressor and only left room for it to expel vertically, the damn things scare the crap out of me now.
You went through a Normandy Juno beach land-mine…phew glad u 👍 ok!!!
Holy!
Thank You for sharing! I’m sorry you had to go through that…
We made rupture disks mandatory on ours at the plant, parallel to the vent valve. It's rated a little higher not to be a nuisance, but less than burst rating.
This is a harrowing tale but glad you had an experienced professional to save the day!
First rule of pressure vessels "Don't fuck with pressure vessels".
Lol AVE
(Unless you are a licensed registered certified ASME engineer, of course)
did you see the welds round the drain tap
Yeah. I saw the awful weld job too. He created the dangerous situation. And im sure the pressure regulator was tampered with. Just saying. 🤷♂️
@@manaz28jose why is this brass thing leaking, this brass plugged fixed it ,
We learn from our failures. Two things, 1) Always, always drain a compressor tank after you’re done using it. That’s why every tank is fitted with a drain valve. 2) When there are any signs of rust or damage to the tank, just recycle it and get a new one. It’s just not worth the risk of dying or getting seriously injured.
Also, they welded a new part to it. Creating a weak point. The End.
oil should be put inside the tank to prevent rust.
Notice that also, by the drain valve. Can't see if any other places was re- welded because of maybe a small sir leak. @@konsumer
I opened the release on the back side of my compressor and a bunch of rusty looking water came out. Im scared to use it now is it time for a new compressor?
@@guyhappy60 it is not worth using unless you want to risk mayhem. Buy a new one and remain "happy guy".
My Dad worked for one of the major oil companies in their pump repair shop. Along with repairing pumps they also repaired air compressors and much more. Dad said the way they tested air compressor tanks was to fill the tank 100% with water, pressurize it to 500 psi and let it sit for 1 hour. If it leaked or blew there would just be a water mess. Nothing more. Of course, an employee who did not know how to safely test a tank, put 500 psi into an empty tank. He walked away to give it the required one hour wait test. It blew up, tore the roof off and the rear concrete block wall of the building collapsed. Nobody died only because nobody was in that area of the shop.
That's called a Hydro static test(Hydro). It's a standard safety test because water is incompressible. Never use a high-pressure gas to test a pressure vessel.
Rookies
Lookout lockout Tagout
Insane. I work with pressure every day and I believe you when you say half the building collapsed. It is SO underrated what a large volume of gas compressed to a tiny volume can do when it's instantly released.
Like Stockton Rush use to say, carbon fiber pressure tanks dont rust...
look at the weld job on the drain, a tank this old should have been tossed long ago.
that held
@UCt9ZN9SYI4Kwnh0eSDtCTRw if you make sure to take proper care of them ie drain the tank so it doesn't build up a ton of water Which rusts it.
It wasn't the compressor's fault, it was the operator and failure to maintain his compressor, such as draining the water out of it on a weekly basis, somewhere on that tank is an expiration date. I bet you the good old boy never bothered to look at it. He's doing lucky he's not dead. Mounting the compressor outside won't prevent the problem if he doesn't change his maintenance point of view.
That's why in industrial/commercial applications, you are supposed to replace any air tank every 5 (?) years. Not that too many businesses do. Even if it is just used as a reserve, and does not have a compressor near it.
Even draining it daily will not keep it from rusting. Unless you can get the air bone dry, it is still going to rust through eventually.
For those of you blaming him for not draining it properly, it wouldn't have mattered as much as you think with enough time, it was going to fail. It is impossible to keep moisture out of the tank on these as designed. You would need a good air dryer between the compressor and the storage tank to help it live longer.
Probably cheaper to just toss the tank every 5 to 10 years at the most to be safe. Having said that, I have gotten over 20 years out of one, but it was moved to a blocked in section of the garage. The compressor failed before the tank. But this shows you just don't know when it can go.
There was a post on line with just pictures of this thing happening years ago, that enlightened me on how dangerous these can be. The destruction was worse than this video.
Yes negligence of the owner's rust,halfass repair, not manufacturing problem owners problem ,over confidence in Old machinery🤕
2:53 Typical dad, says he’s gonna wake his son up early to make him help out and then doesn’t do it and does all the work so his son can get some more sleep. His Kindness really did save his son.
Thanks for commenting!!
So true
Omg I’m so this guilt son
Thank God !! I think sometimes it's that crazy paternal like 6th sense on how we protect are children.. That was the most REAL moment when you said your son probably would have been standing there..🙏🙏
he probably did tried to wake him up but they guy just kept sleeping lmao
My uncle had an old compressor that he tweaked the regulator so it went to 160 psi before cutoff, rather than the 120 psi it was supposed to be. It worked fine for over a year, but one day it blew, and flew across his garage taking a large chunk out of the workbench where he usually worked at. He got a new compressor, and put it outside in a small enclosure he made after that. Also, he left the cut off where it should have been at.
Yeah. Don't pressurize a tank beyond its engineered ratings!
@@Movieman1965 Which you can find on the manufacturer's data plate on the tank. WP 135psi.eg
Thank you for this, my dad bought a new compressor and gave me his old 10 gallon craftsman that looks exactly like yours. I’ve known this compressor for about 20 years at least. I know my father has never drained it, I was going to replace the fittings, drain it and use it. Now I know the potential hazard if I did. I’m sure the inside of the tank looks worse than that and I will NOT put my family at risk. I have 3 lovely small children that like to keep me company in the garage and this is the last thing I want. I’ll be buying a brand new compressor. Thank you
I have that same compressor you speak of as well. Same history. I felt the bottom and did a hard NOPE. I just keep it around (with the cord off) because pops is gone.
Brand new ones do in fact fail from time to time.
If you're working around a compressor, it failing should not be able to hurt anyone.
In other words, it should be in an out of the way corner, with something blocking it.
And if you're really worried about things under pressure exploding. Better watch out, yiur refrigerator will kill you.....
This was in NC earlier this year. Look up "NC woman's fridge exploded". Pics are awesome.
“I thought there was an earthquake. It was so loud, you know. I came in, and I couldn’t believe it: the doors were on the floor,” she said. “I just saw the refrigerator doors on the floor here and the holes in the wall.”
Photos show the outside shell of the appliance still in its place, with everything inside of it scattered all over her kitchen and the force was so great, it damaged her stove, walls, and furniture."
@@lordgarion514 Someone had taken it apart tho, you failed to mention that, whatever they did caused an explosion, it wasn't just something that happens to normal factory built ones. She had technicians sent over to fix it because it wasn't running right and they had it taken apart.
@@Runescape.
Someone working on it, doesn't make the steel housing rip apart....
The part with the pressure inside, the compressor, can't be opened. It's welded, not bolted....
@@lordgarion514 he blocked the safety release valve on the compressor housing, causing it to build up unsafe pressures and explode, again, this is because of the technician, this has NEVER happened on one built from a factory, if it did it would be on the news every single day!
The main thing is is you've probably saved somebody's life by telling us this story thank you
Well said sir.
He nearly killed someone with a shitty repair
@@joshuavanname3469 right. does no one seen the welded area by the drain.
Now I am thinking about replacing my old tank. It is impossible to know the condition internally.
@@dhess140 Well, there are Non-destructive tests that can be performed. there is a simple little Ultrasonic ping meter that will give a general indication of wall thickness. Then there are Ultrasonic methods that will give some imagery, (sort of like a woman's ultrasound test during pregnancy). I suppose you could do some sort of hardness test , which should give an indication as to the type of failure that could occur. Soft steel failing safely with some weep holes, while a hardened steel may fail dangerously and catastrophically. If you find someone that has worked with steel a lot, they could probably just bounce a hammer or a ball bearing on the tank and tell you about the tank condition. If it bounces or rebounds a great deal, it is harder than a dead cat bounce for example. Some hardness tests are just that. They drop a ball and measure the bounce.
The reason why tanks aren't killing people every day is because the steel has not been welded on (incorrectly), so if it leaks, it is a simple leak, rather than an unscheduled space launch. :) I think there are ways to safely weld on the tank, but you might need an annealing furnace. I'm not a metallurgist, but there definitely is a lot of science involved to keep designs safe. Violate the rules and you could have a major malfunction. You can Peruse this website for some basic background. www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_iv/otm_iv_3.html
or here. www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-C13-8506a13231b84307c7f3c2f6a91ee412/pdf/GOVPUB-C13-8506a13231b84307c7f3c2f6a91ee412.pdf
Its illegal to weld repair a pressure vessel unless you are a certified "R" stamp code shop. Now you know why. they would likely rehydro test the tank and X-ray any suspect areas.
Yes..if it's an ASME-code vessel to begin with of a certain threshold size or larger. Most air compresor tanks are not.....but the principle applies.....true.
Damn. I didn’t know this.
@@Jenuin ....seems this vessel that ruptured probably is a code vessel as it seems to be above the 6" min dia? ( ...as I recall the code limit, at one time) size. fastracker2 is correct on the "R" stamp and other qualifications.
It's also illegal to replace a light switch in your house yourself in most jurisdictions. People have died or started fires from doing so. The electricians unions love it! Go ahead and fill your house of 6 cats with candles and smoke all day though, that's fine. Laws make a lot of sense don't they.
@@knurlgnar24 I wasn't quite correct. being an engineer, my experience with pressure vessels has only been with large industrial vessels. Perhaps little air compressors used only by the homeowner are not subject to the same laws. But condensation still corrodes tanks and over time will fail the tank. Perhaps home units should have an expiration date stamped on them? I guess they figure the compressor will crap out before they fail catastrophically? Or maybe the first failure tends to just be some pin holes, then if you do a weld repair, you create some "heat affected zones", which crystallize the metallurgy of the tank, making a catastrophic failure mode possible. I know in industry, anyone that welds on a pressure vessel gets fired unless they have an R stamp. You can imagine that danger of a larger higher pressure vessel busting in half! especially if it is carrying something toxic or flammable.
I was just telling my wife that my aging compressor hoses are starting to leak and need to be replaced. I also told her that I'm thinking about maybe replacing my 15 year old compressor even though it's running fine - but I wasn't sure. So in my searches for U-Tube reviews on compressors, I came across your video. Well, it turns out that my compressor is the same one! I went into the garage, unplugged it, and told my wife it's being replaced, no questions asked. I always figured this kind of thing could happen, but had never actually seen the damage it can cause. Thank you so much for posting this - as has been said by others, you likely prevented some serious injuries out there. Glad you were fine.
I'm just glad you and your son are ok!! I've had a few semi truck tires pop and that'll give you a jolt. My upright compressor goes up to like 150psi or so but I'm moving it out of the barn!! Thank you.
My first job was at a Pep Boys in the 80s. There were 2 huge compressors in the back room of the store to serve a 10 bay shop. One of my duties when closing was to drain the tanks, they each had a valve into a vent pipe outside. I worked elsewhere for over a year and came back. First closing I worked I went back there shut the breakers and opened the valves. It didn't sound like I remembered, but whatever, walked through the store and was let out the front. At the corner of the building was a group of employees who were let out a minute before, marveling at this FLOOD of reddish water coursing out of the parking lot. Those 120 gallon tanks must have been nearly FULL of water! NOBODY ever drained them after I left that first time.
I would love to see a picture of red water shooting out like that
One clue the tank is full of water is decreased time for the compressor to come to full pressure
"Shut the breakers"
Do you mean open the breakers? Im assuming you did this to turn off the compressors, yes? If so, you would want to open (disconnect) the circuit breakers.
I know exactly what you mean!
Some people just don't like doing maintenance .
We should make them sit by a compressor that had zero (0) maintenance and crank it up.
Feel safe now?
A mechanic doesn't like doing maintenance on their own tools. Yikes.
This is one of my biggest irrational fears, but maybe it's not so irrational... Every time I use an air compressor I think, "If this blows, they're gonna find parts of me a block away". So glad that no one was hurt.
I get nervous too when I go to turn mine on. It's getting a little old these days. I've been aiming to replacement within the next year. Be careful out there.
Anything that basically a bomb in other ways will scare me too. We need more saftey features, I'm heavily afraid of propane tanks.
Oh my gosh, it’s so scary
@@gonelucid I know what you mean, can't expect the worst all the time.
Same. Whenever my dad used his super old compressor while we worked on stuff I'm the garage, which had frayed wires and rust all over btw, I didn't want to be near it for any reason. Thankfully he's replaced it but this has brought back my fear.
Drain your condensation moisture daily to prevent rust. Have your tanks pressure-tested periodically so they don't kill you.
no one is going to have their 200 dollar compressor tank pressure tested. might as well just buy a new one every few years.
@@justinpaone2227 got that right. haha. and compressors naturally rust inside, whether you leave water in them or not, course leaving water in them just expedites the process.
pressurized things have always freaked me out, im glad it was only some material damage and nobody got hurt on your end. we really dont realize how dangerous things potentially are because nothing goes wrong "most of the time", until it does
Air compressor s are safe unless you are like guy and did not properly maintain it. Don't be silly.
ya
Funny. I guess they were serious when they said “drain tank daily”
Read the pinned comment
weekly
I have a craftsman compressor nearly identical to this one and I couldn’t figure out how to open the tank drain,,,
Probably the second most ignored advise after the Q-Tip warning do not instert into ear.
Whats up bubbs?
I used to be an arcade tech. I was sent to a store to find out why their air powered games never worked right. I noticed that the air compressor would start running as soon as people tried to play one of the games and would shut off very quickly. First thing I did was to check the compressor and found that the water trap on the output line was completely full. I then tried to move the compressor out, but it was so heavy that I couldn’t budge it. I now knew why they couldn’t get enough air pressure to run the games. The tank was almost completely full of water. Knowing that this was a humid area, I held out the hope that the water hadn’t been in there too long, but my hopes were dashed when I opened the drain and a red mud slowly poured out. The rust mud took an hour to clear before the rusty water finally started to come out. At this point I knew this tank was done for, but I knew the bosses would need proof. I put my inspection camera in through the drain and when I saw how pitted the inside of the tank was, I cut the drive belt off of the motor and removed the power cord. I found out from the store staff that no one had ever told them that they had to drain the tank (policy was to drain it at least once a week.) There was so much water in the system that it had even made it into the all the air lines and valves in the games themselves. The end result was a new compressor, new air hoses from the compressor to the games, new air lines, valves, and pistons in all the games and about 2 weeks of me living in a hotel. Total cost was over $7000. Keep in mind that the tank wasn’t even leaking air and it had done that much damage.
Drain the water after use. Lift one side after draining to make sure there isn’t water still in the tank. If you hear water sloshing, drain it again. Use a water trap on the output hose and drain it before using the compressor. Never weld a anything on the tank. Never patch a pinhole. If you can’t unscrew what is leaking and screw in a replacement without modifying the tank, your tank is at risk of blowing up.
Oh and remember, water in your tank means water could be getting into your tools. Just think of how much it would cost you to replace them. Suddenly the time maintaining the compressor isn’t so bad.
@kykingz78 the thing is, a lot of guys bring their own tools. And the moral of the story is that water can do a lootttt of damage.
I used to be responsible for draining the air receivers at work ,it took over an hour, and usually over a gallon each, every morning.
could have simply said that my air compressor at work got water in it and rusted, costing us alot of money. no need to write three paragraphs to simply state this.
@@dantestellato7300 I thought it was cool. I never knew some arcade games were pneumatic.
@@dantestellato7300 Who made you read it?
Happens quite often. It's always in the back of my mind. About 40 years ago a coworkers tank ruptured. He had a couple of bags of lime sitting next to it. The neighbors thought his house was on fire because of all the lime dust. Thankfully, he was at work when it failed and no one was home.
There's a reason pressure vessels get hydrostatically tested every so many years. An ASTM-rated tank offers a little more confidence, but still should be tested every 5 years.
I should hydro mine. It's 30 years old +/- It's only pressurized when in use and it lives in my basement workshop. The air is usually used out in the garage (yes, I plumbed my house with air lines).
Thank God for looking out for you that day. And thank you for this awareness video. I will remember this one forever and spread the word. Praise the Lord
If you look at the tank on many air compressors, there is an end of life date stamped into it. You need to replace the tank as directed. In the mean time, you should drain the condensation out of the tank every time you use it. Otherwise, the trapped water will eat the metal until it ruptures under load.
I did not know that, good info. Mines been full in Florida humid garage at 140 psi for like 15 years.
@@windowsvistasuxalot at that point you'd probably be better off either buying a new compressor or at the very least buying a new tank and replacing it. There's a chance it's still fine but better to be safe than sorry man, especially if it's been that long since you drained it and live in a humid climate
They should just make the tank from thicker stainless steel, for long life and extra safety.
@@theroyalcrownedtiger2946 They do for certain applications. But you wouldn't pay what they're asking for it. If you've ever done metal work with stainless steel, you know why it costs a whole lot more.
@@lobuxracer : Hmmm I see.
It still seems the tank that exploded was just thin regular steel, which would rust from the inside weakening it as time and usage accumulates, therefore it's not hard to picture the tank exploding, also I wonder if the safety valve was working at all, which automatically releases air and pressure from inside the tank, when the sensed pressure is greater than it should be.
Even if they do make thick stainless steel tanks for certain applications, and even if it's very pricey, it would be safer if all air tanks were made of thick stainless steel.
Or use much thicker regular steel for extra strength, also with plastic lining in it, so the tank don't rust from inside, since plastic does not rust, that way it's less expensive compared to stainless steel, and better than thin regular steel.
My grandfather lost his leg in the 40's as a result of this same type of incident. Scary stuff. Will drain mine today.
WAIT!
Before you do that, check if it is angry or not.
it wasnt the drain. it was a pinhole leak on the tank that expanded in this case.
Back in the 80s, I worked in a big UK engineering works and one of my tasks was safety officer. Periodically (12 or 24 months) all pressure vessels were proof tested. The safety valve on each was tested for operation at the correct pressure and the tanks were pressurised with liquid to twice their safe working pressure. (Liquid is used because a failure is not explosive.) We never had a failure like the one shown here, ever. I guess its the difference between a big organisation working to all the safety codes and a small engineering shop (which is either exempt or simply doesn't test).
Never screw with compressed fluids (gas or liquid). Just because its small doesn't mean it isn't dangerous. I don't own a compressor but if I bought one it would definitely be outside the building while at pressure.
Good decisions come from bad experiences rather you learn from others bad experiences and good experiences come bad decisions. Thank goodness your ok and thank you for posting this. I’m gonna go with the same decision your making from your experience. I really appreciate you for this my friend. I honestly can’t tell you enough.
I repair my own compressors also. So don’t down some one for there mistakes like you don’t make them occasionally your self. You judge anyone and you’ll soon find your self wearing there shoes with the possibility of a even worse outcome. You should be thankful this man was kind and thoughtful enough to share with the safety of others in mind
I can see that the tank had been repaired. That is a warning that the tank was failing.
You are definitely right, that was my first warning that the tank was compromised and should of been thrown out! Not knowing what I know now I proceeded to repair but I was unaware of the potential hazard of one of these units. Thanks for commenting!
@@3generation_racing658 You were unaware of the potential hazard of a pressure tank? Really?
Should never have welded it. If it’s rusted out enough to start leaking there is bound to be plenty of other week points. Glad no one was hurt though.
@@THCMusicBlog He doesn't but if you look at the drain valve you can see that it has been welded. If it was weld done during manufacturing it would be much neater and hopefully covered in original paint or remains of original paint.
that's why you don't want to mess with something like tsar bomba.
Yeah I’m sure he didn’t do proper procedures for pressure vessels
After this experience I do realize welding the tank was unwise. When the tank was compromised that was my queue to throw it away. At the time I was unaware of the potential hazard of one of these units. Thanks for commenting!
A neighbor told me several years ago that this happened to them and was taken to the hospital. Since then, I vent any air and moisture out of the tank after every use. When I do pressurize the tank, I leave the garage area. Thanks for sharing and I'm glad you weren't injured or killed.
That tank looks well beyond its expected life and even exhibits signs on its exterior. If the outside is rusted, expect the interior to be much, much worse. Every time I get mine out, I wonder what the inside looks like. I think I'll do a thorough inspection next time.
if your that scared get a bore scope camera but you should drain your tank this guy didn't and so the tank can be rusty on the outside but I'm sure wont look as bad on the inside
People really shouldn't keep an air compressor for more than 5-6 years. They aren't extraordinarily expensive, just get a new one every half decade or so. That thing was very, very old.
@@seanmckay3392 your right i always drain the tank after use NEVER leave it compressed it will rust and maybe do this . looks like this guy is dumb dumb.
@@laletra5755 yup
@@ForTheOmnissiah dude my compressed is $1500 that is to me way over priced to be spending ever 5 damned years on a compressed which will last you a life time if you properly maintain them.
I'm more surprised that people don't drain their air compressor. It's not a freak accident, it's neglect.
They should be made from stainless steel.
My dad would purge his compressor and drain his every night. It's dry out here in AZ but it never hurts is more or less how he saw it.
this was absolutely a case of neglect. The fact the compressor tank was repaired is a clear sign this thing was compromised for a while. There's a reason why you're supposed to have your tanks hydrotested every 5-10 years or so
For real! I open the drain on my compressor every time I am finished with it and when when I turn it back on I let it blow out a bit before I close the valve and let the tank fill with air
@@doubleas88 absolutely. Drain my often and have a compressor explode is like getting hit by lighting. Ya it can happen but the chances are so far out there especially if you take care of your tools and or equipment.
@@Buciasda33Sadly in stainless steel some grades still rust. Also stainless work hardens with pressure cycles and goes brittle. Guaranteed to crack and explode then!
Wow, brothers. Thank you so much for posting this. I have one of those sitting underneath my work bench and I. usually sit on a stool, not three feet from it, Never again! I mean, dang, nothing came apart like a shrapnel grenade. Really glad to hear that everyone's okay. No one was injured, but wanted to thank you for posting this because no doubt you may well saved lives. and limb by doing so.
What he doesn't say is that 15 years ago he welded a bunch of rust holes that were already in the tank... He caused this not catastrophic failure (well he caused the catastrophic failure)
Like Stockton Rush use to say, "carbon fiber pressure tanks dont rust..."
I’ve always been weary about air compressors. We use to race from a young age, and always the veterans of garage work that had compressors warned me several times about air compressor maintenance and even when you do that you have potential of it exploding. Glad to hear everyone that could have gotten hurt wasn’t. Be safe garage warriors. Always be mindful of safety.
Welds on the bottom of the tank tell’s that someone had plenty of previous warning!!!
Came here to say this
Doesn't look that way to me, just a new bung (or pipe fitting) welded on right??
These tanks have a service life of 10 years iirc, this compressor was probably 20-30 years old, not drained and had a repair weld without being re-pressure tested. Also, in my experience, this style of tank (30-40 gallon horizontal) fails in this manner pretty frequently. I don't think that the drain placement allows for all the water to drain and the tank wall is very thin.
@@Mrbfgray Welding can make steel harder and more brittle, so welding by itself would compromise the steel if it's not heat treated after.
@@boomchacle6717 NO. The tank is a weldment itself and it wasn't likely heat treated, there are a thousand commonly used steels but if intended to be welded are rarely heat treated post welding. More to the point the crappy home welds had nothing to do with the tank failure, look at it.
I deal with failed steel every working day by the way and "failure analysis" (used loosely) is a reflex part of my job for decades.
I was taught to open the drain plug after each use. My brother was part owner in an auto repair shop. Their air compressor was a large heavy duty one and they would open the plug at the end of day. The state inspector would come out and place a magnet around the body of the compressor and was always surprised that there wasn’t any corrosion.
Yes. Open drain plug after every use. Every time. Leave NO air nor moisture in that tank. ESPECIALLY IN HUMID ENVIRONMENTS!!!
draining constantly does not prevent it from rusting out on the bottom. but I wonder if could get some tank seal and coat a tank on the bottom half when new and prevent rust out like that ?
@@artdonovandesign LOL there will always be air in there bro
same at oil shops
@@mrmotofy , he meant you should remove all the air out of the tank so it is in vacuum state.
This is truly horrifying. Thank God no one was hurt, and thank YOU for sharing this.
Pull a fitting yearly and look into the bottom of the tank with a light or preferably a bore scope. If you see corrosion or worse, scale rust, condemn the tank. In the video, you can see all the scale rust in the bottom of the tank. Especially do this if you live in a humid area where you drain a lot of water out before every use. Technically these are considered "Pressure Vessels" and should be inspected and certified every year by a state or 3rd party company.
I've been a mechanic for 26 years and have never even heard of anything like this. Although I've always known the danger was there. Thankfully nobody got hurt.
Yeah you’ll have that when you weld on it
About 30 years ago, I worked as a tile & stone installer. I was working at a huge new hotel being built. The landscaping guys were using a forklift to bring in and plant big trees inside the hotel. One morning the landscaper boss shows up in his wife's car because his truck was in the shop. He had a small propane tank for the forklift in the back seat, as he had just had it filled. He walked in the building and told one of his employees to get the tank. about 2 seconds later we heard and felt a huge explosion. The tank had blown up in the back seat. There was no fire, but the explosion totaled his car and the 2 sitting next to it. It looked like someone blew into the exaust pipe and inflated the car like a balloon. Nobody was hurt, luckily.
do you remember if it was a hot day?
That's insane.. they never figured out the cause of the tanks failure?
damn electric seat warmers
lol dude thats doesnt make sense ngl , he lefts the valve open lmao , bro is lowekey wants it to happen ngl , thats not random lol
@@ethans6.0 prop not lol , dude prop left seat warmers on and the valve open lol
Good safety tip! I'm glad to hear nobody was injured, the potential for severe injury or worse was high.
I’m here because I was just informed my cousin loss his life from one of these blowing up in his face. I wanted to learn more about the hazards for the safety of my family too. He’s right it’s like a grenade blowing up. Literally 🙏🏽 be safe out there people.
Lesson here: replace things that can hurt you, when they show signs of failure. I feel bad for all the damage, though.
Yes after this experience I can say that if any compressor tank is showing a sign of failure it will be tossed! No need to fix it then risk it blowing up and hurting someone. Thanks for commenting!
@@3generation_racing658 you’re lucky it was a baby sized tank. I had a 400 gallon split open like a clamshell while I was standing next to it, working an auxiliary valve.
Pretty sure there were angels involved.
I could walk decently after a few weeks!
Neighbors two miles away said they heard a bomb!
Just like my relationships.
@@Mr72xbody You say something? Whaaaaaa?! Wha'd you say?!?!
@@bobwhite6488 🤔?
I've noticed some tire shops have their compressors behind a protective wall 🧱 now it makes sense
Cage would help with compressor itself launching, but not the pressure wave / ear drum issue.
Even before OSHA, commercial/industrial compressor makers required cages to prevent injury/death from malfunctioning compressors, and required an electrical shutoff besides what was installed on the compressor. Seems turdo never read the owners manual on tank inspection and pressure relief valve testing
@@1DwtEaUn Where i use to work they had air compressors in metal cages in case the worse happened.
You chicken!!!
A big ass shop compressor blowing up, now that would be the bomb, haven't noticed this really being a thing that happens a lot, he doesn't say how old it is or if the pressure regulator has had any problems.
I already have hearing loss from working in dealerships and garages withy the compressor thumping away inside. I opened my own shop in 1997 and have not had to work in the same space with a compressor since. I am insistent on putting them outside in a metal shed or lean to. My little portable like yours had 2 long hoses on it and a thick extension cord so I can set it far away from the job site. This is just another great reason to keep those things at a distance. Im glad your son wasnt in there & you didnt get hurt. Good job spreading the warning.
I don’t know whether this applies in your situation, but “The leading cause of air compressor tank explosions is corrosion. This can happen when water accumulates in the tank and is not drained. The water can corrode the bottom of the tank, weakening the metal. When the air pressure inside the tank ruptures the weakened metal, it can cause an explosion.”* I’m glad to hear that you and your family avoided injury or worse.
*Wikipedia -As a student of history, I know they (Wikipedia) spreads propaganda. I have been permanently banned for correcting their lies. I’m not as knowledgeable about air compressor statistics, so I took their word for it. Those of you in the industry have corrected me. I think the Wikipedia article should be corrected as well, if you have access.
nope its not checking the pressure valve pop off...
I keep my drain open just slightly all the time. Don't have to worry about remembering to drain the tank,
@@stevenk1833 that just over works compressor and washes out pet cock...open it when done with check your pop off it's not really about rust but over pressure ...
@@stevenk1833 Great idea!
@@Wolfshield777An auto drain solenoid valve wastes a lot less electricity and wear and tear on the compressor.
Dude I am so glad you didn't get hurt! I have an ex-girlfriend who is a nurse at MUSC in Charleston South Carolina they had to fly in a guy who is filling up a tractor tire with too much pressure and when the tire blew up it blew the skin off of his face. She told me it was the most horrible thing that she had ever seen in her medical profession. When I saw this video it reminded me of that story she told me. They basically had to keep that guy pacified with drugs until he finally passed away. It was such a sad story and I hope that that never happens to anybody again.
Thanks now I have anxiety
@@tonymalveaux7756 put away your extra thoughts and just be careful. And trusting in the Lord doesn't hurt either 😁
If you've ever seen a tractor or truck tire explode, you would know why tire cages exist. It's like an air bomb
My ex worked for An airline maintenance base, and a person we knew, over inflated a tire on an MD-80….he’s no longer with us. They had to shut it down for a couple of days extra days, not due to the FAA or NTSB, it was clean up. I threw his uniform away…to much splatter…needless to say…it’s always better to careful, than sorry!
@@tonymalveaux7756 i never look at a tire when im filling it up. especially on a hot day. when I do car tires i press my body against the side of the car with my head and neck well away from the tire. Ive seen several go off this way. friend lost his eye to a truck tire, seen a car tire go off, no injury..i remember my neighbor filling up a little kick scooter tire when i was a little kid,, it blew and shot plastic rim everywhere, cut his forhead. always hot days. dude coulda lost the skin on the backl of his head.. not hsi face
This happens more than people realize. It's good you brought this up. This happens to newer tanks also.
if people would read the instruction manual or more simply read the warning stickers that are plastered all over tank that say you are supposed to use that drain on the bottom. Depending on where you live there will be more or less water moisture in the air so its best to just use it and drain it. every time
Newer tanks are made of cheap steel from other countries. American steel is much higher quality
this makes me question, why are they even allowed to be made of rusting steel?
@@victortitov1740 $
@@victortitov1740 oh come on they are not made of rusting steel. He said they are made from cheaper steel, but even then, show me the proof or give some evidence for you claims. Dude they are not made from rusting steal, that's insane. When you don't evacuate the air from the tank after each use the water from the air gets left behind in the tank and that is what slowly starts the rusting process.
glad you are ok, thanks for sharing, what an eye opener.
well, one of my biggest irrational fears just got rationalized😳
This dude also modified his tank, so its not like the tank exploded for no reason
yeah...
@@oshkiv4684 how do you know the tank is modified? Just curious.
Looks like a lot of rust in there also. I think draining the water after every use is not enough.
I just developed one.
Anytime someone is willing to share something like this , be thankful. We all make mistakes but it’s a missed opportunity to not learn from others.
“Smart people learn from their mistakes. Really smart people learn from the mistakes of others.” Thankful no one got hurt!! Regular compressor drainage of atmospheric condensation in the tank is supposed to be the solution. This video will help me remember to stay on schedule doing just that!
There's supposed to be a built in pressure relief valve, installed at the factory. If you check the operation of this valve on a regular basis, so that it doesn't get seized up, stuck closed, it will pop off well before the pressure in the tank gets high enough to rupture the tank.
Checking this valve is easy. You just let the compressor run until it's built up and pull on the little tip end of it, which may have a ring on it for an easy grip. It will come right out a little way and let the compressed air out of the tank.
Good comment.
The compressors I'm afraid of always belong to old farmers, or sloppy dirty repair shops. When I ask about their maintenance: "I don't never drain it. No, don't touch that safety valve, it won't work right if you do that" 🤣🙄
@glenmcmillian6206 Good point, especially about testing. You definitely should open that once in a while to make sure it hasn't corroded. But... the pressure relief valve opening point is below the rupture rating of a "good" tank, not a bad tank. If the tank is compromised, it can fail below the relief valve rating. That is what happened in this case. I believe the poster's follow up video explains the relief valve was tested after the tank explosion. A bad tank can fail before a good pressure relief valve get's the chance to open.
Many, Many thanks. I was checking my Campbell Hausfeld compressor this morning and was planning to replace the old air filter. I had trouble getting the part and came to youtube and found your video. I had been negligent in draining the water from the tank. I opened the valve which was clogged with rust and rusty water poured out. The compressor was built in 1997! Needless to say I'll never use it again and I will get rid or it. Thanks again.
I’m so glad everyone is safe in your home and thank you so much for sharing your experience! It is very kind of you to spread awareness so no one gets hurt.
Hopefully you learned something from this. NEVER try to repair a compressor pressure tank. At the first sign of leaking, it needs to be replaced
After this experience I have definitely learned that it is unwise to weld a tank that is compromised. Thanks for commenting!
I will learn from and share your experience. Thank you for putting this out here for us.
How often did the tank get drained? If applicable, as the electric purge timer working?
>Didn’t drain tank daily
>Repaired rust hole
>Tank explodes
Gee, it’s like this accident could have been easily prevented had you just replaced the tank.
Who really drains a air compressor daily though??
Maybe read the pinned comment because he stated that he did drain daily and the failure wasn't due to his repairs
@cali gdp not a lot of people do it. Yeah if you do it it will prevent it but the point is if the tank had a defect it would still blow. Leave compressors out of harm's way.
@cali gdp you can do something wrong for 200yrs just as easy as you can do it right.
@cali gdp alright safety Sally, nobody does that shit at home!
That's scary, I've always had a fear when dealing with compressors and tanks. Glad nobody got hurt.
I have a class B cdl and during my cdl training we were taught to always drain the trucks air storage tank at the end of your work shift.
Wow!!!!!!! Thank GOD every one is ok. Thanks very much for sharing.
I nearly lost my leg from an air compressor tank that exploded, skin and tendons were the only thing that kept it attached. I'm very fortunate that I didn't lose it. God and great doctors saved it and there was some miracles, by looking at me now when I walk you can't even notice that I had been injured.
Thanks for sharing your story.
Thanks to the doctors for saving your leg, and the science and the amazing minds that develop their technology to save our fragile lives
Lucky
great to hear good luck and stay safe
We'd have a lot better doctors by this point if Christians didn't slaughter pagans en mass for witchcraft because they used medicinal remedies. Don't thank god, thank pagans and scientists.
Any advise? What brand size and age?
It’s been a year since this was posted, but this is a lesson for years to come. Thanks for the warning! Glad you and the family are safe!
Here I thought it was common knowledge.
Thank you so much for sharing this story. I have an old craftsman compressor I inherited from a family member and every time I operate it I worry about something like this happening. The drain valve on the bottom of the tank that drains off the water produced when you compress air is broken which means I can't drain off the water which means rust is more likely. The unit is going to the dump tomorrow…who knows you may have saved my life. Thanks again!
Worth noting that if the compressor is a good one (not one of the newer cheap ones) you can replace the tank itself and valves itself. Usually tanks are not overly expensive.
@@oldplace2844 I thought about doing that but it's a Craftsman compressor and I'm not sure where I get a replacement?
Periodically drain your compressors, folks. There isn't a problem with the engineering (it's well understood), there's a problem with the use and maintenance. It's safe to have a compressor indoors. It's not safe after undrained water has corroded it for 20 years. That said, I'm glad everyone is safe and unharmed. That must have been a crazy experience! It was eye-opening to see the damage!
Draining the tank on a regular basis is the key here, too many people go out and buy a compressor, plug it in, use it, and never maintain it.
Purge it every hour or two that you're keeping it pressurized and when you're not using it, leave the drain open
Praise God you and your family are Al OK. Thanks for sharing this, it made me rethink my plans for tomorrow morning, I was about to install an 80gal 3ph 170PSI upright air compressor in my garage. Now I will wait until I build a cinder lock shed for it with rebar reinforcements before I put it into operation.
I'm amazed your conscious to tell the story. I'm pretty sure I would have shit myself to death.
My goal is to inform the general public about the potential hazard of one of these units. If this video saves one life then it was worth it! Thanks for commenting.
*you’re
@@remlya ....and yours is not a complete sentence. So who cares bud? Obviously you do...? 🤨
I used to work on rental equipment, and had a boss ask me to repair a leaking compressor tank. I told him hell no.
LOL I love when management types tell you how to do your job without having a fucking clue what they're talking about
What job are you doing now.????🤣😂😁😀😎
Great. Now, you’re fired!!
@@generator5500w Nope, but I ended up loading up my toolbox and walking out shortly after. The place was just a tax shelter for his construction business and those guys thought they had free run of the place.
That decision could have saved your life and many others. Now you could show him this video and tell him this is why we don’t repair compressor tanks. Thanks for commenting!
wow! not sure why your video popped up for me, but I'm glad no one was hurt & I'm definitely more aware of when I use my compressor.
Glad you did this video, happy you take care of your family sending out the compressor and it's own little house.
I always knew how dangerous a compresor tank could be but something I witnessed at a gas station really impressed upon me how much energy is even in a smallish pressure container. I had just pulled in to a station and before I got out heard a WUMP that shook my car and a huge dust cloud covered most of the lot. Then saw a guy run out from beside the car right next to me holding what was left of his hand. It looked like a piece of raw hamburger with a few bones sticking out. They were moving and the dolly they were using was hard to push around so they had the bright idea to put more air in the tires so it would roll better. The rim split in two and exploded. Having worked in a tire shop I knew a truck tire could kill you. Never expected to see a small dolly tire take a guys hand off.
Same. Wouldn't have dreamed a small tire would contain enough air/pressure to maim you like that. I've never even given a second thought to filling passenger car tires. Just keep your head at a distance. lol. But I googled it, and sure enough people have gotten seriously hurt from filling things like tiny wheelbarrow tires. The injury detailed in one of the meidcal articles I read is nothing like what you're describing, so I guess he got off lucky. But the amount of damage done to his hand was still unbelievable: looked like someone whacked it a bunch of times with a bat.
When I was in rehab after a car accident one of the guys I was in there with had his leg blown off below the knee when a 13" car he was filling up exploded on him. The last few times I've drained my compressor tank a lot of water and rust came out. I think I'll go get a new one tomorrow after seeing this.
We was driving along side of an 18 wheeler and the tire only a few feet from our truck exploded. I had my head resting on the window as I was attempting to get some sleep as I been working nightshift and we were on the road but when that thing went off the shock wave alone felt like someone just hit our truck. I jumped up and looked outside the window and the god damn tire was following us down the road for a few hundred feet until the driver stepped on it to try to get ahead of it which was a smart move because just as we got past it it swerved into our lane. Crazy shit I been gun shy about loading tired ever since I seen a thing on the news as a little kid showing a dummy hovering over a tire while they were demonstrating the dangers and it ripped the SOB apart.
@@DrD6452 This is why I don't stand directly in front of the tire when I fill them up cause I'm paranoid about that shit.
Potential energy. But yeah not expected
It appears someone did a hatchet job of welding the drain valve.
Looks like rust bubbles. Edit, I must have missed where he says he repaired it. Bad idea for such an inexpensive tool.
yes looks like someone welded that fitting to the bottom .tank was rotting or the safety valve was either missing or not operating or the tank was compramised some how, rust ? thank god no one was hurt .
@@fivespeed3026 yeah I was trying to tell if those were rust bubbles or a weld. Either way that tank was bad.
@@Andy-lu4nd Wouldn't prevent rust entirely. The tank is just old, and the relative humidity in the air must be high. Note worthy to decommission a tank when you start seeing rust. Potentially just set a replacement schedule on all pressure vessels in given climates. Vehicles still get condensation even with a relatively 'open valve'.
USB borescopes are a great way to get a GOOD visual inspection of compressor tanks. They work with phones, tablets or PCs so you can use a decent screen size. I bring one when examining anything like a pressure vessel, fuel tank, or engine top end.
I have one, but from where I can get borescope in the tank? did I have to take of the engine?
@@davidBarrel Into any fitting and if that means removing a regulator to enter that way of course I'd do it. The motor or pump on a compressor should not block access to removing the regulator, and if desired you can alter the plumbing to add an air chuck on the unregulated side of the regulator/pressure switch for higher less restricted flow. It's just pipe fittings.
😂😂😂 natural selection! Should’ve led with “Never fix your own compressors rusted out tanks”
Thanks for sharing mate. The reason we don't see more self-inflicted fails like these is because people are too scared to talk about their mistakes. But we all make them. You sir, are more worth than 1000 people only posting their successes.
Take care now!
Or they didn't make it past the fail to tell us...
I have at this point an old compressor that was given to me years ago. This video gave me the shock of my life when I saw the possible damage that it caused. Thank the Gods no one was killed or maimed. I will be turning mine off till I can either replace for a new tank or replace the whole unit. You cannot look inside the tank to determine what stage the rust damage is at any given time. Gonna treat it like a propane tank and give it an expiration date of 10 years.
Thanks to the OP for this.
when it started leaking around the drains fitting that was the time to toss it not weld it
Yes there was a repair done to the tank a few years ago. There were few pin holes there. I’m a welder by trade and my first reaction is to fix it. That was my queue to throw it away. At the time I wasn’t aware of the potential hazard of one of these units. Now I know never to weld a tank again! We posted this video to let the general public to know to never weld there tank and how dangerous these units are. Thank you for commenting!
@@3generation_racing658 I've had a few rust through. My friends would tell me just weld it up. I'll cut it up and make something else out of it. Too scary for me. Glad no one was hurt.
I shared the vid by the way. Thank you for posting.
Very true, I never weld on anything that holds 120 psi or greater. But I did also want to point out that the compressor didn’t fail at his weld because the entire drain valve is still completely in tact.
@@NitroGuyJH It should have been hydro tested after welding. The pin holes were a sign that internal corrosion was compromising the vessel's integrity.
Wow! This was enlightening. I’ve got to give some serious thought to my 5hp, 60-gallon compressor sitting in the corner of my shop that is set to cycle off at 180 psi. Thanks for posting.
I worked in a refinery when a compressor blew up. It was the compressor/air tank for the air starter to turn over a large natural gas fired reciprocating engine that drove a pump.
What had happened was a gas leak from a neighboring furnace, and the intake for the compressor sucked it up, and compressed it into a good size bottle (15' x 6' dia). The building was metal frame, and skin, about 20' ceiling x 30' x 50'. There was an operator present, who was blown through the door and across the street (50' minor injuries). The building had no windows, was semi spherical after tge blast, all doors blown off. The interesting thing was the doors off the electrical panels adjacent to the building were all sucked off from the return pulse of the blast.
Physics is so cool.
I currently own several compressors, and I was once a licensed compressor operator in the city of New York, even though I am well trained in compressor operations I still approach them with a great deal of respect and trepidation. I've seen compressors leak, and burst. Yes, even catastrophically, but there is another consideration here besides the obviously modified tank and possible faulty relief valve. Working in the garage the air intake is susceptible to ingesting a lot of aerosol solvents something most people don't even consider when working around compressors. These compressed solvents basically create a highly explosive environment. (Think of a diesel engine) That even if the relief valve had been working properly and there had been no tank modifications just having aerosolized solvents near an air compressor is a recipe for potential disaster. Something you should consider when you replace your compressor or anyone else operating compressor in a confined environment.
The top of the tank looks gray like maybe it was from paint spray
The solvents in a garage compressor's air would make the rust/corrosion problems inside the tank worse, even if not enough to ignite...
You're right, I would have never realized aerosols would work their way into the tank. Part of me wishes I never clicked on this video because these comments are making me paranoid lol
It is like an airplane fuselage: all metal will fail eventually when subject to pressure and de pressure. It is call metal fatigue.
Not sure this tank failed due to fatigue. The amount of rust certainly lent to the explosion.
Actually metal fatigue is a real thing and the reason airplane windows are round. The weakest point in this case may have been nearly rusted through accelerating it. The dates on these tanks is for metal fatigue though. Also the welding will fatigue the metal, may have failed nearby.
A number of issues. 1) Fatigue most likely, with rust a contributor 2) The pressure switch allowing the pump to over pressurise the tank. Be interesting to know if the pump was running at the time of the explosion 3) The welding around the drain. I know that's not where it failed, but systems tend to fail at the weakest point, the weak point was now transferred to another point. 4) I would assume a pressure relief valve is included, it might not have been working anymore to release over-pressure.
We have had this compressor for many many years. At least 15 years. I can say that it had thousands of expansion and contraction cycles over those years. As we see it metal fatigue was a contributing factor. Thanks for commenting!
Im glad everyone's okay. This have given me a different perspective of my air compressor I keep on the porch. Thank you.
Wow! I think I will heed your advice. Thanks for posting.
"I know this was a freak accident..."
No. This was the result of negligence and lack of maintenance. This was avoidable.
I agree! Maintenance is very important.
If you don't do it and it blows up, who's fault is it?
@@Buzbikebklyn1 You guys crack me up, I hope your dryer vents are cleaned and perfect, oh ,, and dont forget those GFI's next to water.. Give the guy a break, IDIOTS!
@@johnbrevard5966
First of all, I have an entire shop equipped with machines from the 1930s, 40s and 50s to the modern machines.
NOT ONE HAS EVER BLOWN UP.
Secondly, I have no GFI outlets near a water source and the dryers not in my shop, it's where my wife wanted it, stacked up in the long hall in the house.
And it has a direct vent to the filter/lint catcher out side of the house.
And thirdly, It WAS YOUR FAULT!
the user of any shop is responsible for maintenance and upkeep on ALL OF THE TOOL MACHINES.
Grow up, claim your responsibility!
What are you? A child?
@@Buzbikebklyn1 Dude no matter how much you drain a tank there is always moisture in it. I am not defending anyone but the reality is draining the water does nearly nothing to prevent the rust. You must coat the inside of the tank. It is not rocket science!
@@eatshitful I do coat the inside of my compressor tank.
After draining any water, a little thin oil gets "rolled" around and blasted out.
It has worked for over a hundred years, from my Grand father, father and 61 years with me.
So...shut the f#$k up.
This is something that’s always been in the back of my mind when I think about the number of square inches of an average air tank. As a result, I personally only own compressors with ASME air tanks. It is possible to find these in smaller size units but typically you don’t get that at big box hardware stores or Harbor Freight. Thank you for showing this. I’m thankful no one was injured in the explosion.
ASME As in American Society of Mechanical Engineers ? I just bought the dewalt 15 gallon tank few days ago I guess its too early to worry about it exploding
@@mlussini4115 That's correct. B19.1, among other ASME standards for the pressure vessel itself. Don't get too wrapped up in standards. DeWalt builds to more restrictive EU standards anyway, given that they sell internationally.
Manufacturers are on the hook for meeting safety standards. In fact, consumer goods are usually safer (having their own department of the government for regulation and enforcement (CPSC)).
Where I clock in for work every day, next to the time clock is a battery of 4x 6' diameter by 10' tall tanks at 120 PSI; I think of stuff like this every morning and afternoon, haha.
My brother told me of this danger and came across this video today. Our unit is taken out of service right now. Thanks for the informative video...
Thank you GOD you are all right.
Thank you for sharing 🙏🏾
That's the reason, why I examine every single day these vessels as a technical inspector in germany. You are so blessed that you can report this story to us as you stood only 25 feet away when it happened. Stay safe.
Thank you for doing QC. It's so underappreciated even in non-essential areas. When building my PC and my friend asked how German am I, I took that as the highest compliment. Also never thought I'd get a COA on thermal compound from over there in western European Wisconsin
Thank you for sharing this. With over 250,000 views, you probably saved a life...or at least someone's hearing.
Shouldn’t the pressure relief valve theoretically open when there is too much pressure?
Thank you for sharing and happy all are okay. This is something to definitely to consider--moving my compressor out of my garage. Thank you!
Wow, glad you are okay, I've heard of a similar situation once before, being a retired Boiler Operator I know how dangerous pressure vessels can be
I’ve heard of this happening but have never seen it. My father use to say when your next to a pressure vessel. Air tank ‘. Truck tire ‘. Your staring down the barrel of a loaded shotgun. Never thought too much about it. Until now. Thanks for showing us.
Thanks for commenting!
Riverboats were all steam powered.
When pilots were behind schedule, they would weigh down the release valve to run higher pressures.
And blow. This vid was a teeny air tank. A big steam tank would be a blockbuster bomb.
Thanks for the info I will put mines outside from now on. Glad everybody is OK.
I needed to see this. My tank popped a small pin hole and I’ve been shopping for a new compressor. This video convinced me that buying a new one is my ONLY option.
I'd comment but I've just got to go and drain my compressor...
Amen. Me too.
SAME BROTHER
Smart. Me too.
Lmao ...Priorities ....priorities
My neighbor across the street had his explode like this last summer. It sounded like a bomb went off . Actually shook my house. Nobody was seriously hurt, just the guy using the hose to fill a tire. It ripped the hose out of his hand and he ended up in the ER getting it x-rayed. Gave me a whole new respect for what an air compressor can do.
120psi is no joke
Wow glad no one was hurt. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you didn’t get hurt! Thanks for the reminder. Was straddling my compressor earlier this week. It’s a 30 year old Craftsman. Might be time to replace it…