Compressor blows in garage

A visual (borescope) inspection of the inside of a compressed air receiver is a waste of time and will tell you nothing about the safety of the tank.
Hydrotesting is the correct method to proof the tank. Most anybody with a small pressure washer can perform a competent hydrotest.

Hydrotest it yourself
 
I would have a local testing lab check the tank bottom with a ultra sonic thickness gage. Don't know if your local building or insurance inspector would have such a devise and do the test for you.
 
You would need to contact the manufacturer to find out the corrosion allowance in the original design and the minimum wall thickness.
 
cbellanca said:
You would need to contact the manufacturer to find out the corrosion allowance in the original design and the minimum wall thickness.
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If we were discussing the corrosion of a significant structure (building or bridge, for instance), a table of "corrosion allowance" would be documented for the purposes of preventative maintenance and ensuring public safety. A compressor receiver is a relatively low cost item and can be safely TESTED to verify a safety factor. If you load a bridge to the desired safety factor, and it fails, that's a big problem. Can you imagine?

If the receiver fails to hold pressure you turn it into a BBQ or scrap it. An actual manufacturer of a pressure vessel isn't going to provide information on a "corrosion allowance" because doing so would enhance the probability of becoming a respondent to lawsuits.

If one was able to communicate with an actual human manufacture's (compressed air receivers) representative and that representative had any idea how to answer the question, I'm confident the answer would be "Hydrotest it".

If you disagree, please attempt to follow your advise and let us know how it goes.
 
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Almost every town has a local compressor service company. I would contact them for a test if you don't want to rig up the DIY pressure washer test. They will also have replacement tanks available.

When I put the 80 gal unit in my garage I checked with my local place and they didn't think it was worth doing the test for my use with the tank I had. I did however have to replace the pressure switch and went with a lower pressure one just to be safe.

What I'd really like is to put the thing in a shed outside so I don't have to listen to it...
 
extropic said:
If we were discussing the corrosion of a significant structure (building or bridge, for instance), a table of "corrosion allowance" would be documented for the purposes of preventative maintenance and ensuring public safety. A compressor receiver is a relatively low cost item and can be safely TESTED to verify a safety factor. If you load a bridge to the desired safety factor, and it fails, that's a big problem. Can you imagine?

If the receiver fails to hold pressure you turn it into a BBQ or scrap it. An actual manufacturer of a pressure vessel isn't going to provide information on a "corrosion allowance" because doing so would enhance the probability of becoming a respondent to law suits.

If one was able to communicate with an actual human manufacture's (compressed air receivers) representative and that representative had any idea how to answer the question, I'm confident the answer would be "Hydrotest it".

If you disagree, please attempt to follow your advise and let us know how it goes.
Click to expand...
 
Corrosion allowance is a factor is included in piping and pressure vessel design. A Hydrostatic test ( water not air) at 1.5 times the working pressure is required to verify the adequacy of the design and construction. A hydrostatic test can confirm if a vessel is safe to continue service but it cannot tell where it is in it's life.
 
you would not believe how many used compressors and compressor tanks go up for sale in the city where I live, it must have a lot to do with it being a rural farm community and lots of people use compressors , welders, generators,., I see many compressors for as low as $50!.in my opinion a compressor after 10 -15 years of shop use should not be put up for sale ,it should just be retired, dismantled and sold as scrap.
Yes I know ,some of us do take good care of maintaining it but how can one be sure of this when we see one for $50.
 
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cbellanca said:
Corrosion allowance is a factor is included in piping and pressure vessel design. A Hydrostatic test ( water not air) at 1.5 times the working pressure is required to verify the adequacy of the design and construction. A hydrostatic test can confirm if a vessel is safe to continue service but it cannot tell where it is in it's life.
Click to expand...
I don't disagree with your quoted statement. However, ultrasonic testing a small compressor receiver to verify pressure vessel safety is an academic and impractical exercise.
 
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