# Compressor explosion



## oldfrt (Oct 10, 2007)

loneframer said:


> I was such a dumbass. The gauge was broken, I had to use pliers to open the drain valve, so I figured it needed replaced. (Not my compressor) I loosened the petcock and started unthreading it. Well, it seems about 5 years worth of condensation, oil and rust had accumulated at the bottom of the tank. When that last thread let loose, I thought that 60 gallon tank was going into orbit. I was covered it the s#!t that came out of the tank, along with about 5 gallons worth of beach sand that blew out of the crater.:laughing:
> 
> I was afraid to look at the fingers that I unscrewed the petcock with.:shutup:


 Those close calls will teach you real quick.
I surly don't try to cut short blocks off a 
2x4 with a table saw any more.:no:
I guess some of us are lucky enough to
learn the hard way and survive.


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

tgeb said:


> Compressed air is to be respected.
> 
> I know a man who is missing a leg due to a compressor exploding.


Your not wrong. I have seen a few 300bar tanks go off like rockets when I worked for paxmans. The things scare me when ever I walk near them. I used to have a air rifle that took around 300 bar of pressure with a hand pump:blink: the fitting was not in good shape and come out when I was pumping it up. You should have seen the gun take off. My boss run off and said get that thing away from me lol something a little scary about having that kind of pressure in something the size of a 3/4 inch pipe.


----------



## Northwood (Jan 6, 2010)

I once read an article about compressors that said pancakes were "dangerous" because of the much higher risk of tank failure. I thought that was strange I'd never heard that before... wonder if it really is true.


----------



## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

Arn't most tanks date stamped "discard after YYYY" for a reason?


----------



## avguy (Feb 8, 2010)

This reminds of the welding safety videos they made us watch in school.
Regulator snapped off an unsecured oxygen tank and it flew through the block wall adjacent and came out the other side.


----------



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

the theory of pancakes being more prone to exploding has been proven and known for some time

i know a superintendant with pcl, canada's largest construction company, anyhow he was telling me a while back that the porter cable pancake was banned by osha on commercial jobs 4 years ago. osha doesnt care if its brand ass spanking new get it off the site. too many incedents


----------



## fireguy (Oct 29, 2006)

We are required to pressure test fire extingushers every 12 years to prevent such accidents. My Dewalt coompressors operate to 200 PSI, FX operate to 195 PSI, yet there is no requirement to pressure test compressors. We took a customers compressor out of service because I did not like the way the inside of the tank felt when I poked my finger inside and felt the rust.

We have also started to replace the cheap crappy drain fitting with 1/4 " fittings and ball valves because no one drains the water on a regular basis. I cannot find an NFPA requirement for that, I just feel better for doing that. 

Next time you get a propane tank filled, ask if pressure testing is required. You will get a blank look. I saw a picture of a propane tank on a trailer that exploded at 60 mph. Blew a hole in I 84. The tank was overfilled.


----------



## [email protected] (Jan 10, 2010)

We have to use opd tanks here for propane. You cant overfill. Have a couple 30 gal old one sitting that you cant get filled.


----------



## A. Spruce (Aug 6, 2010)

MALCO.New.York said:


> Sudden release of air pressure is no different than the shock wave of a bomb.


It's the same thing that makes your butt cheeks flap when you fart.


----------



## fireguy (Oct 29, 2006)

fireguy said:


> Next time you get a propane tank filled, ask if pressure testing is required. You will get a blank look. I saw a picture of a propane tank on a trailer that exploded at 60 mph. Blew a hole in I 84. The tank was overfilled.


 
The once common practice of overfilling is what led to the OPD rule.


----------



## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

The crazy thing is all these propane companies are now milking it. I couldn't find anywhere then other day that gave me a full 20lb tank. Every where was around 15 and one was even 13lb. Same excuse everywhere. The tanks can't handle 20lb :blink: funny that because they are tested for 20lb and so are the valves. They can't be over filled. My local filling station wouldn't even fill to 20 even though I pay by the lb:blink:


----------



## Snobnd (Jul 1, 2008)

Thanks, I think I will drain my tank and Inspect it, Good Advice


----------



## Mike's Plumbing (Jul 19, 2010)

Snobnd said:


> Thanks, I think I will drain my tank and Inspect it, Good Advice


Please do so. If you looked at what was left of the tank you would of flipped out. It could of easily killed someone.

Mike


----------



## CCCo. (Jul 19, 2009)

ubenhad4 said:


> Have a couple 30 gal old one sitting that you cant get filled.


I have some of those, the bottle gas company gave them to me for free.

They fill mine, but there labeled "Torch"

I use them for my torch set up, but I have used them on my grill too,....:shutup:


----------



## boman47k (Oct 13, 2006)

I was thinking of getting a pancake for the few times I need to use a nail/pin gun. I think now I will rethink that. Are the little stacked tanks any thicker or safer? I had a little off brand that I let my son take home. I have missed it a few times.

Many, many years ago, my daddy had a 30 gal with a drain on the bottom that you had to screw out. I was draining it and the plug was maybe 4" from the concrete floor. Man! When that came it out, it came out like a damned bullet!

Strange how some lessons stick for life even for a dumb ars!


----------



## duburban (Apr 10, 2008)

I was just about to fire up my dads 18cfm compressor. Is there a check list i should go over? If not, where do I get bullet proof glass?


----------



## Anti-wingnut (Mar 12, 2009)

BCConstruction said:


> Lucky the guy didn't hurt him self. Prob would have had a case to sue the maker because it didn't say you couldn't weld patches over holes. Then we will all have to have compressors inside explosive containment boxes.


Actually it is against state law to weld on a air compressor tank. All the states have adopted and deferred to the ASME on pressure vessels. You cannot weld on a pressure vessel without a "U" stamp.

I would think that a manufacturer could use this to indemnify themselves


----------



## kswoodbutcher (Dec 4, 2010)

Does any brand out there line there tanks with something that won't rust?


----------



## Anti-wingnut (Mar 12, 2009)

Regarding propane and welding gas tanks.

In tanks such as propane, where there is liquid and gas in phase equilibrium, the gas pressure will remain the same wether there is 19 gallons liquid/ 1 gallon gas, or 1 liquid/19 gas. As the gas is bled off, and the resultant phase change liquid = gas occurs, the temperature of the mass will lower, and this will result in a lower bulk gas pressure ( as predicted by the ideal gas law of pv=nRT)

I have seen welding gas tanks with horrendously old ages, especially in Africa, where I saw original manufacture ages in the late thirties and forties. In America, I have seen HP oxygen, nitrogen and acetylene bottles manufactured in the 1960's. In all cases, including those in Africa, stamps on the exterior of the bottles indicated that they had all been inspected and tested frequently. I am not aware of any laws which put a top end age limit on welding gas bottles as long as the bottles meet the test and engineering requirements of the ASME, DOT(s), OSHA and fuel gas associations


----------



## duburban (Apr 10, 2008)

this reminded me of when i had money to spend on playing paintball. we'd run around the woods with steel cored fiberglass cylinders tucked right up under our chins. the pressure was between 3000 and 4500 psi. we never had any issue... thank god. but there was one semi pro guy who f'd with his tank and it blew on him. hurt him good but not too bad. we would also use co2 and on the hot days we might leave them in the sun and they'd blow the prv's all the time. amazing how safe it seems being so dangerous in reality.


----------

