Compressor is frozen!

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cjensen
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Compressor is frozen!

Post by cjensen »

Still works, but it's been so freakin' cold here the last few weeks! I powered up the compressor the other night for the first time in over a month, and my practice when using the compressor on a regular basis, is to drain the water every Wednesday and Sunday after a session. I went to drain it Wednesday night, and lo and behold, when the valve was opened, nada. Not even a pinch of air.

Being that it's below zero at night, and only in to the teens during the day, it's obviously frozen.

Is there any concern here? Should I go so far as to heat the bottom of the tank and drain with a propane torch to drain it? Should I not even have used it when it's this cold?

I don't remember having this problem last year... :?
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Womack2005
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Post by Womack2005 »

Chad, this is why I have gone to a "drain after every session" schedule on the old compressor. Otherwise there is actually quite a bit of water in there, and it will freeze :o

For these last couple weeks I have been pre-heating the shop for 2 hours, firing up the compressor when I get out to the shop, and then draining the compressor when I am done for the night.

It took about 9 hours of shop heat to melt the ice chunk that I got in there before I switched to daily draining.
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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Chad, you mean that the ounce of condensation on the bottom of the tank is frozen?

The pump and motor both work fine?

Do I understand this correctly?

:? CJ
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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

Yep, sorry about that...just a water in the drain issue.
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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Why do you care?

:? CJ
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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

Just wondered if I should be concerned about corrosion of the bottom of the tank. I've never heard of ice contributing, but I didn't know...
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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

Nahhhh,

It certainly won't make it into your tools. It will likely thaw if it is run enough. If it does, dreain it then!

If not, fuggetaboudit!

Drain it in May!

I drain mine about 10 times a year anyways.

:mrgreen: CJ
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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

Roger Doger! I was gonna run it this weekend with the drain open to see if the warm compressed air would melt it out. If not, I won't worry about it.

:werd:
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Spike
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Post by Spike »

Still haven't drained mine yet.
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cjensen
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Post by cjensen »

Spike wrote:Still haven't drained mine yet.
:o :o :o Wha Wha Wha What!? Are you collecting it for something? :P
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aparchment
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RV shine

Post by aparchment »

Spike is awful close to the Mason Dixon line. Down there they can't help but make moonshine using whatever empty containment vessels they can find. He's just making RV-Shine!

Save us a swig Spike!

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Re: RV shine

Post by 4kilo »

aparchment wrote:Save us a swig Spike!
If you are going to drink the bilge water from the bottom of a compressor, I definitely want to watch! I'll even bring a camera.

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Post by Spike »

Ive consumed some nasty stuff in my life, but that wont be one of them :mrgreen:
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