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!
UA-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.
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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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!]
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.
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.
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..🙏🙏
@@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
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.
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.
@@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
@@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 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.
"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?
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.
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?
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.
@@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.
@@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.
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!
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.
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.
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 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.
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 ?
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.
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.
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!
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.
@@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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
@@boomchacleKSP 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.
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.
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
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).
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!
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.
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
Functionally operates just as it should ua-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 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.
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.
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
@@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.
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.
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.
The most effective way to prevent rust in your air tanks is to drain each tank regularly after every operation. This process helps eliminate the condensation that's pooled at the bottom of the tank. After draining, leaving the valve open for a couple of hours will allow the inside of the tank to dry out.
The tank will not dry in a couple hours from that little valve, or even a couple days. Maybe if you have the compressor blowing air through it the whole time, maybe. Many make the argument that you should not leave the valve open because that allows fresh oxygen in to the tank to cause even more corrosion.
@@_droid I bought an inline dryer which should stop the moisture. But I have a little compressor-and-tank-in-one unit, so I can't put the filter before the tank unless I start rerouting pipe. It can only go before a second external tank if I use that.
@@mark2073Mate my experience with those is that they don't do anything. My company bought one to try to extend the life of the compressor, but we still have a bit of rust coming out of the drain. speaking to the bloke doing our compressor maintenance said that they only work at very high levels of air humidity, and are insignificant in normal conditions. He just straight said that we wasted our money. I did hook up an automatic solenoid valve to the drain that opens every 0.5-1hrs for a few seconds, and that keeps the whole thing pretty dry, so thats the better option mate.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
I have a similar compressor that I welded a patch on the bottom due to rust. I keep it in a shed away from my shop . I did this year's ago so I wouldn't have to put up with the noise. I can still hear it. But it's so much quieter. And after seeing this video. Much safer. I picked up a new tank but have not changed it out yet. Thank you for posting this video! And I'm glad that nobody got hurt. Sincerely, Tony Tee.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
“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!
I run them in a compressor cage for a reason right next to a window, especially since so much overpressure has no way to escape if located in the other corner. And I religiously service my compressor. I had a air-driven torque once spill parts of its innards, though, and that actually made me think what a whole compressor can do. For all the people who are afraid of compressors - small hint: Almost all mechanical tools can be bought as electric tools. Though keep in mind that when charging, keep them on a stone plate/tiled floor as the batteries can burn. Just as a precaution.
Agreed. A year back I bought an inspection camera for some vehicle engine work. I decided to take a look inside my compressor reservoir tank for the hell of it. My compressor was an average make and I bought it specifically because the tank had a plastic lining to help keep corrosion at bay. When I looked inside the tank I was horrified. I actually had to do a second take because of what I saw. That plastic lining was only partial. Worse still the section that was bare metal was the lower part where water collects. The steel tank had corroded through more than half its thickness. The actual metal was turning into a black slime - must have been Chinese steel. I immediately scrapped that compressor! Doesn't matter if you drain water daily from a compressor reservoir tank - it is still corroding. I blame the problems on a combination of poor tank metal quality and also a lack of metal thickness. We'll all have seen very old air tanks still in perfect service - the quality was there back then.
That's why at all cost I try to buy old stuff I don't like any of this new crap even back to the 90s is not old enough for me I like to go back older yes I do have a new air compressor but once I get my next house I will be for sure buying something nice and old I've seen a few at antique shops they look very industrial you know probably from the '60s that's when things were built real
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.
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.
This video was the inspiration for buying a new air compressor. Virtually the same unit as shown. Thank you for posting this video. A topic that isn't talked very much. Appreciate the video!!
As a fitter / machinist of 45 years I've been around pressurised equipment, including pressure testing 90% of that time. I've seen pipes and hoses blow but fortunately nothing as severe as this. Thankfully no one was injured and thank you for your warning. This video should be shown to apprentices in workshops ( and to older hands too). Yes, my first thought was a faulty pressure release valve.
Holy crap! Like many in the comments, working with my 20-year-old compressor always has me a bit on edge. I've been thinking about replacing it even though it's still operational. To hell with that -- I'm going to spend the money and replace it right away! Thank you for this video!
Didn't it have any safety valves??? My compressor has 3 safety valves on the tank and one on the metal lines for the shop air. If the pressure gets to high these valves release the pressure.
Thats nuts. There should be a water drain on the bottom of the tank. Every month it should be drained to stop the rust. It you can insert some transmission fluid in the tank once a year this will prevent any rust from occuring, you can also filter the air inlet for moisture. GL
>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.
@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.
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 .
@@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'.
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.
So many people telling you what you did wrong. Look. You saved lives with this video. Thank you so much for this. You have no idea how important this video is.
This is actually one of my greatest fears, and I'm very sorry you had to live this reality! I am comforted by the fact that nearly all air compressors have an emergency relief valve that dispells air when the air pressure gets too high, but that valve will do f*ck-all if the rusty tank itself fails, before even reaching the pressure that triggers the relief valve. Scary stuff. Glad you made it into 2023!
This is why modern compressors have expiration dates stamped on them now. If your compressor doesn't have an expiration date stamped on it, then a rule of thumb to follow is to discard it after 10 years, and buy a new one.
Holy crap. Thanks for the heads up! Between my dad and I we have over 50 years and this has always been a long running argument between him and I. I have a tiny compressor in my garage that I keep as far away as possible from my tool bench but after watching this video did another walk around And discovered that on the other side of my garage wall is my main natural gas line to my house. Glad no one was hurt and even more glad I came across this as I was thinking about using an old retired propane tank to build a DIY compressor.
Glad I came across this video today! I have a Makita compressor that currently has a small leak in the bottom of the tank. I've been thinking of doing some type of DIY repair, but there is no way to determine how badly the rest of the tank bottom is corroded. Plus, it rests on top of a cabinet at head level! NO MORE! I will be doing the same. I built a covered areas outside my shop just for a compressor, I will finish it now. God bless!
Perfect reason why manufacturers should really start painting the insides of the tanks!!! Also draining the condensation every once in awhile is good practice. Dang I'm so glad that nobody got hurt here. Wow!!!
I experienced the exact same thing. I was waiting for 100 psi. As it passed about 85 it blew approximately three feet behind me. Tank was flattened with the parts ricocheting that damaged the aircraft I was working on. Rusty mud covered my back and hangar door. Concussion was so great my ears still bother me 30 years latter. Be cautious with these bombs!
That's why they put a drain on the bottom. It's supposed to be drained regularly. Someone decided not to, and now you're blaming the compressor instead of the operator.
@@wannabecarguy The drain won't let rusty mud come out, that doesn't mean nobody drained it. Or what if it was a cheapo tank with no drain, don't be an ass.
@@procrastinatingnerd Theres a drain valve at the bottom of every compressor, it's a required safety device. Do cheap grenades come without pins? No, because it's essential. Same with compressors and their drains. It's to drain accumulating water from condensation, to prevent rust and a chatastrophic failure. Industrial compressors (Think Auto shops with many lines on one tank) will have the line coming out the bottom of the tank to always drain any water, with water traps further down the lines. You should be completely draining the tank regularly (think after every use / daily.) So if there's rusty mud in your tank, its been left there for a looong time. so "don't be an ass" - "if you don't know what you're talking about." @wannabecarguy knows what he's talking about.
Glad to see that you're OK. That was a real close one. I moved my 60gal. 150max. PSI verticle air compressor outside my garage years ago, just in case. I placed it on a concrete pad and secured it to the pad with lag bolts. I also installed thick rubber vibration pads on the bottom of the feet. Since I rarely need more than 90psi air, I set the tank regulator to 100psi. To be even safer, I placed four tie-down straps on the tank. After use, I open the cock valve to remove any water in the tank. This is something that many people forget to do. Since the valve is located and hard to reach on a verticle tank, I used a brass pipe to move the drain valve from underneath the tank to outside.
I have the same compressor with lots of rust water coming out. I bought a new compressor today with a drain extension to make it easier to drain - because of this video. Thanks sir.
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!
Thanks for sharing this important information. As another person pointed out, if a pressure tank ever needs to be welded on to fix a leak, etc., it's time to replace the tank. Also, be diligent in draining the water out of the bottom of the tank after each's day's use. I lost a compressor to forgetting to cut it completely off every day, and by not draining it daily when working; somehow I left it on, but cut off by the pressure switch, not realizing it had a small leak in a hose fitting, and was automatically recycling to keep the tank pressure up, until it got too much water in it and wouldn't build pressure any more. It wasn't as dramatic as your situation, but I lost a compressor by not checking it and draining it frequently.
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
glad to see everyone is ok. although this is rare it does happen and some people aren't as lucky as you. this is why daily draining , maintenance and inspection is very important. and never weld on a compressor tank!
Never weld it if you dont know what you are doing and over pressure test it afterwards with water you mean. Its humans who build those tanks and there is pressure vessel welding permits. Its always better to take the tank to such person to be welded rather than bumbling your self if you welds are not class compliant and those welds are tested with over pressure to make sure it wont give in. Industrial vessels get tested every two years if i recall right, home shop ones dont, but seeing this it might be good idea now on to do.... and might move my compressor somewhere else that is not next to main power box of the shop and make separate box for it on outside that is still heated but if it blows it only takes the smaller shed with it.
@@Hellsong89 a weld patch is only as good as the integrity of the tank. if a tank needs repair the integrity is compromised. I don't care how good a welder you are. a welded plug or patch can come off like a bullet and act like one.
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.
Thank you for posting. I have been warning people about this for YEARS. I've had so many people act as if I'd just spoken a new language when asking if they always drain and dry the compressor after each use. I once had a member of my family call me crazy when I asked this. He told me he NEVER bothers to drain the compressor. I forced him to watch me drain his 10 gallon and there must've been at LEAST two gallons of rusty thick sludge water that poured out if it. I told him theses things are basically a bomb if not properly cared for. Always drain and dry, always check the regulators. Pass it on repeatedly, you may save someone's life. Too many story's of air compressor explosions to not be informed.
Thank you for commenting! These are a huge hazard in anyone’s shop. We posted this to alert the general public of the potential hazard of one of these units!
I've seen it happen, its why I refuse to work around air compressors at any shop job. that shit should not be kept around the employees. its dangerous no matter what anyone says. remember its your life and the companies dont care if you die. We had one at work that was like a 60 gallon one and scared the shit out of me when I had to empty it at night, we had to get right beside of it to empty it out, and it had tons of pressure in it too. I'm not sure of the actual PSI but it was rusted all over.
Are air compressor only dangerous when containing air!? I want to store mine in the house but worried about potential safety hazards. Is it safe to keep in house as long as the tanks empty!?
WOW! Thank God no one was hurt! Years ago I was at a friends garage and he always had his compressor outside, and away from the inside, and I wondered why he did it that way, and now I know why! Be safe and Be careful. Never take safety for granted.
Richard Petty's brother in law was killed by a pressurized water tank explosion, that crushed his heart. So be careful around pressurized tanks, because they can kill you!
For years I've hear of it happening, but was never unfortunate enough to witness it or the aftermath. I'm thankful that neither you or anyone else was hurt. Thanks for sharing.
It does happen. Happened in my grandpas shop when I was 17 or so. Blew the windows out, laid his Harley on its side, blew every piece of plastic off of it and half of the spokes on the tire blew off the front rim. That’s not even the worst part, it knocked a 350 over that was on an engine stand. This was a 30 gallon craftsman compressor from the 80s. Luckily nobody was in the shop, happened at about 6 am after he kicked the breaker on to the compressor and went back inside to make coffee.
➡Looks liker some welding repair was previously done on the tank where the drain cock is. Was it rust holes that where welded up? That would have been a big sign that this tank was no good!
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I’m so glad you or your family were not hurt by the explosion. You’re a real patriot to tell others about it God Bless you and thank you once again.
I'm North Korean posting with VPN he just saved the lives of me and my coworkers at the nuclear facility we work at thank you american patriots see you on the drone cameras
Thank you for spreading awareness, been around compressors my whole life and never crossed my mind this could happen. Good idea to always drain at bottom of compressor to hopefully help avoid this type of thing also as added precaution. Glad nobody was hurt🙏🏼
@@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.
I’ve always kept the habit of relieving pressure and draining the tank EVERY DAY of use. It’s not convenient but it will indefinitely extend its life and prevent sitting water from rusting out the tank. Glad your ok, but make sure not to repair your compressor, that drain-off looked welded on, when they break get a new tank.
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
Saw what 250 gal did to shop wall when i was working at small truss manufacturer. It was in its own separate room attached to the shop but when it detonated it took out 2 sections of the r-panel along with the studs. Scared the hell out all of us luckily no one was hurt. Owner built a solid concrete room after that ... thank you for raising awareness about this kind of thing.. people don't realize how dangerous things can get
I have a tank just like that that's about 40 years old that I stopped using about two years ago when I moved. I've been concerned about it for a couple of years and plan to get my son's borescope to look inside the tank. But I have no intention of reusing the tank. Thanks for sharing this. Like I've seen with other commenters, you have probably saved a couple of lives. For those of you that may not be aware, if you look at the far end of the tank where you see the drain petcock, if you have that much rust on that petcock, you should not be using that tank. Praise God this guy nor anyone else was close to it but he admits he had no idea of the catastrophic nature of a tank giving away like this. Seriously, any rust is a potential failure point. And I see enough rust on the external part of this tank that would have stopped me from using it.
I love how no ones got a CLUE how high pressure tanks work on this thread. bro. fill that thing up with water,then pump it up to max pressure and a half, or 2x. if it blows, all youll get is spray instead of an explosion. this is how they cert every high pressure tank all over the world. not with a fkin boroscope. repeat in timely intervals. im sure theirs a guid e on it online.
@@ponetastic and you should read that guide because obviously you don't know how it works. They test the tanks partially filled with water, as a safety measure and with other safety measures, and measure the expansion and contraction of said tank before and after it is pressurized to a specific percentage of pressure above its rated maximum pressure. It's called hydrostatic testing. Be aware that the comment describing hydrostatic testing is not all inclusive and if you want an all-inclusive description of the process, by all means look it up on the internet. But be aware that compressed air receiver tanks like this one are not considered high pressure tanks . They are rated as low pressure tanks when they're properly operated between 15 and 2215 psi. High pressure air tanks are operated at 2216 psi and above. Air receiver tanks like in this video are usually operated well below 200 PSI. And as I said very clearly in the middle of my original comment, I HAVE NO INTENTION OF EVER USING THIS TANK AGAIN. This should have indicated to anyone correctly reading my comment that all I want to do is actually see the rust level in the tank, just out of curiosity. I will likely drill multiple holes or maybe even cut the tank into pieces before disposing of it to prevent some unsuspecting individual from claiming the tank and trying to use it for an air system themselves. So, with that being said, are you naturally this hateful to people you don't know and cuss at them after totally misinterpriting their comment or do you have to practice?
@@mikeslater6246 sorry that comment wasnt directed at you rather then the multitude on the first page here that went over everything under the sun besides the fact there is actually a way to test and prevent this kind of thin from happening, which you provided a much more accurate description of which then I did. that being said I am sure there still are paramaters one could look up to conduct the test correctly, evem on low pressure tanks, as they do it to propane cylinders every 5 years.. I do believe. more then anything i was just surprised this was no where in the comments as the intention of hydro is to avoid exactly what happened to bro in this original vid. happy compressing and glad you took a bad one off the streets
@@ponetastic apology accepted. It was a natural assumption that it was directed at me since it was a reply under my comment. You might want to post this under the regular comments and you can do that by editing and just copying it then going back to the main comments page and post it there. You do make a valid point. Unfortunately these types of tanks have no requirement for hydro testing and actually to make sure it's done properly it should be done by professional and it can be expensive. I don't know if there is a home test or not. Like I said, I have abandoned that tank but I'm very disappointed with my new McGraw compressor and tank from harbor freight because the drain for the tank is not in the center of the bottom of the tank. It is slightly offset and the color of the water coming out when I tilt it to drain all the water shows rust. Very disappointed. Thanks for the additional information as to why the reply was there, and have a blessed day
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.
@@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 ...
personally id hydro hydro hydro that bitch. filer up with water, pump her up to twice your normal pressure. no bust, no problems. repeat every few years. its such a common practice, they do it on ALL high pressure tanks and stamp a recertify date on em too.,
I worked near an old roller shutter door once …i saw it drop in its coiled up state one day….it was a few tonne.. It was never serviced or inspected…i saw the spigot that failed..steel that was grooved like butter over the decades..
Wow, that's a crazy powerful force. I am always wary around HPA tanks and compressors. "If it can happen once, it can happen twice." - wise words. Glad you were not any closer to the explosion.
@@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.
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!
UA-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.
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.
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! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
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!
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?
Pressure relief gonna wrong is what causes explosions actually...
@@aletrip642 Absolutly.
I think he used duct tape. Is that ok?
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
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
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
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 ,
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 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.
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?
@@Happyguy60 it is not worth using unless you want to risk mayhem. Buy a new one and remain "happy guy".
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.
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!
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?
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.
Funny. I guess they were serious when they said “drain tank daily”
Read the pinned comment
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?
@@SethMethCS why ?
is there no drain nut on the bottom of the tank ?
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.
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...
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@boomchacleKSP 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.
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
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).
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.
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?
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
Old tanks are dangerous. A worker brought his blown up compresser to work years ago. The company used it for safety meetings.
Functionally operates just as it should ua-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 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?
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.
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.
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
The most effective way to prevent rust in your air tanks is to drain each tank regularly after every operation. This process helps eliminate the condensation that's pooled at the bottom of the tank. After draining, leaving the valve open for a couple of hours will allow the inside of the tank to dry out.
I totally forgot why to drain the take but have been doing it anyway haha
The tank will not dry in a couple hours from that little valve, or even a couple days. Maybe if you have the compressor blowing air through it the whole time, maybe.
Many make the argument that you should not leave the valve open because that allows fresh oxygen in to the tank to cause even more corrosion.
@@_droid I bought an inline dryer which should stop the moisture. But I have a little compressor-and-tank-in-one unit, so I can't put the filter before the tank unless I start rerouting pipe. It can only go before a second external tank if I use that.
Leaving a small valve open is not going to dry the tank. Evaporation doesn't work that way.
@@mark2073Mate my experience with those is that they don't do anything. My company bought one to try to extend the life of the compressor, but we still have a bit of rust coming out of the drain. speaking to the bloke doing our compressor maintenance said that they only work at very high levels of air humidity, and are insignificant in normal conditions. He just straight said that we wasted our money. I did hook up an automatic solenoid valve to the drain that opens every 0.5-1hrs for a few seconds, and that keeps the whole thing pretty dry, so thats the better option mate.
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.
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?
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.
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'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!
I’m glad no one was hurt, thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Stay safe.
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
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.
I have a similar compressor that I welded a patch on the bottom due to rust. I keep it in a shed away from my shop . I did this year's ago so I wouldn't have to put up with the noise. I can still hear it. But it's so much quieter. And after seeing this video. Much safer. I picked up a new tank but have not changed it out yet. Thank you for posting this video! And I'm glad that nobody got hurt. Sincerely, Tony Tee.
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.
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
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.
That's scary, I've always had a fear when dealing with compressors and tanks. Glad nobody got hurt.
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.
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
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!
I run them in a compressor cage for a reason right next to a window, especially since so much overpressure has no way to escape if located in the other corner. And I religiously service my compressor. I had a air-driven torque once spill parts of its innards, though, and that actually made me think what a whole compressor can do.
For all the people who are afraid of compressors - small hint: Almost all mechanical tools can be bought as electric tools. Though keep in mind that when charging, keep them on a stone plate/tiled floor as the batteries can burn.
Just as a precaution.
Mine is parked just after the acetylene and oxygen gas cannister, no biggie.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
If this happens near your oxy acetylene tanks. Big explosions and rockets launching. Good luck with that one.
If you're going to do it go big!
😭😭😭😭😭 fuk it run it
0.0
Agreed.
A year back I bought an inspection camera for some vehicle engine work. I decided to take a look inside my compressor reservoir tank for the hell of it. My compressor was an average make and I bought it specifically because the tank had a plastic lining to help keep corrosion at bay.
When I looked inside the tank I was horrified. I actually had to do a second take because of what I saw. That plastic lining was only partial. Worse still the section that was bare metal was the lower part where water collects. The steel tank had corroded through more than half its thickness. The actual metal was turning into a black slime - must have been Chinese steel. I immediately scrapped that compressor!
Doesn't matter if you drain water daily from a compressor reservoir tank - it is still corroding. I blame the problems on a combination of poor tank metal quality and also a lack of metal thickness. We'll all have seen very old air tanks still in perfect service - the quality was there back then.
You'd be amazed how many tanks have partial plastic linings to make that claim
Even snap-on, at $25k, used to have a partial plastic lining
That's why at all cost I try to buy old stuff I don't like any of this new crap even back to the 90s is not old enough for me I like to go back older yes I do have a new air compressor but once I get my next house I will be for sure buying something nice and old I've seen a few at antique shops they look very industrial you know probably from the '60s that's when things were built real
When I was a kid my dad only had one compressor for so many years. When I grew up, he went through like 4 of them. The old stuff was way better
They painted the inside of them back then
Whenever I drain the tank, I add some WD-40. I don't know if it helps much, but I thought it was a clever idea 10 years ago.
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.
This video was the inspiration for buying a new air compressor. Virtually the same unit as shown. Thank you for posting this video. A topic that isn't talked very much. Appreciate the video!!
How far down do you have to scroll for the *tanks a lot* comment?
"Seams" suspicious
I am very pressured by your puns and my anger is compressing
This far ✌️
I'm dead
As a fitter / machinist of 45 years I've been around pressurised equipment, including pressure testing 90% of that time. I've seen pipes and hoses blow but fortunately nothing as severe as this. Thankfully no one was injured and thank you for your warning. This video should be shown to apprentices in workshops ( and to older hands too). Yes, my first thought was a faulty pressure release valve.
Or it was capped off but Never tested!!! Read your O+M's
Holy crap! Like many in the comments, working with my 20-year-old compressor always has me a bit on edge. I've been thinking about replacing it even though it's still operational. To hell with that -- I'm going to spend the money and replace it right away! Thank you for this video!
all compressors have a safe 10 year life cycle. you're suppose to decommission the compressor once it exceeds 10 years as required by ASME.
Did u get a replacement?
Didn't it have any safety valves??? My compressor has 3 safety valves on the tank and one on the metal lines for the shop air. If the pressure gets to high these valves release the pressure.
@@vin9114 Safety valves are worth nothing if the tank it's self is rotten on the inside.
@@cornovii3012 thanks, but how can you tell if it's rusty on the inside? My exterior looks like new. Welds look perfect. It's a 2stage so... 175psi.
Thats nuts. There should be a water drain on the bottom of the tank. Every month it should be drained to stop the rust. It you can insert some transmission fluid in the tank once a year this will prevent any rust from occuring, you can also filter the air inlet for moisture. GL
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!
>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!
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'.
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.
That one ruptured due to corrosion from the condensation inside
So many people telling you what you did wrong. Look. You saved lives with this video. Thank you so much for this. You have no idea how important this video is.
Well said.
Look people can do both lol. Just because he may be educating people doesn't mean he wasn't stupid for trying to weld his tank
@@RadicalEdward_115 I wish I could delete you're stupid comment. I wish I could silence you.
@@SzymczykProductions the government wants to hire you lol
And how are you so entitled you expect nobody to comment on you're silly post when you literally said "so many people" like you are calling them out 🤣
This is actually one of my greatest fears, and I'm very sorry you had to live this reality!
I am comforted by the fact that nearly all air compressors have an emergency relief valve that dispells air when the air pressure gets too high, but that valve will do f*ck-all if the rusty tank itself fails, before even reaching the pressure that triggers the relief valve.
Scary stuff.
Glad you made it into 2023!
This happened 2 years ago... 😂
This is why modern compressors have expiration dates stamped on them now. If your compressor doesn't have an expiration date stamped on it, then a rule of thumb to follow is to discard it after 10 years, and buy a new one.
@@user-dr5ug2it7nDepends how much it's been used, the conditions it's been used in and if it's been properly looked after.
Holy crap. Thanks for the heads up! Between my dad and I we have over 50 years and this has always been a long running argument between him and I. I have a tiny compressor in my garage that I keep as far away as possible from my tool bench but after watching this video did another walk around And discovered that on the other side of my garage wall is my main natural gas line to my house. Glad no one was hurt and even more glad I came across this as I was thinking about using an old retired propane tank to build a DIY compressor.
Glad I came across this video today! I have a Makita compressor that currently has a small leak in the bottom of the tank. I've been thinking of doing some type of DIY repair, but there is no way to determine how badly the rest of the tank bottom is corroded. Plus, it rests on top of a cabinet at head level! NO MORE! I will be doing the same. I built a covered areas outside my shop just for a compressor, I will finish it now. God bless!
Perfect reason why manufacturers should really start painting the insides of the tanks!!! Also draining the condensation every once in awhile is good practice. Dang I'm so glad that nobody got hurt here. Wow!!!
maybe i should be the first briggs and stratton engine or honda to power it so it is more portiable.
OR ...at least powder coated
Every once in awhile, try every time you use it 😎
I worked in several large auto shops (20, 22, and 26 bays) and we completely emptied the tanks and drained condensation every night.
I experienced the exact same thing. I was waiting for 100 psi. As it passed about 85 it blew approximately three feet behind me. Tank was flattened with the parts ricocheting that damaged the aircraft I was working on. Rusty mud covered my back and hangar door. Concussion was so great my ears still bother me 30 years latter.
Be cautious with these bombs!
That's why they put a drain on the bottom. It's supposed to be drained regularly. Someone decided not to, and now you're blaming the compressor instead of the operator.
@@wannabecarguy The drain won't let rusty mud come out, that doesn't mean nobody drained it. Or what if it was a cheapo tank with no drain, don't be an ass.
@@procrastinatingnerd Theres a drain valve at the bottom of every compressor, it's a required safety device. Do cheap grenades come without pins? No, because it's essential. Same with compressors and their drains. It's to drain accumulating water from condensation, to prevent rust and a chatastrophic failure. Industrial compressors (Think Auto shops with many lines on one tank) will have the line coming out the bottom of the tank to always drain any water, with water traps further down the lines. You should be completely draining the tank regularly (think after every use / daily.) So if there's rusty mud in your tank, its been left there for a looong time. so "don't be an ass" - "if you don't know what you're talking about." @wannabecarguy knows what he's talking about.
@@ryangaetz8538 the reason it blew was because the guy has welded it back together himself. Suicidal behaviour.
That's EXACTLY how I look at them air tanks!!
They're literally portable BOMBS!!😨🙏🙏
I get chills!
Glad to see that you're OK. That was a real close one. I moved my 60gal. 150max. PSI verticle air compressor outside my garage years ago, just in case. I placed it on a concrete pad and secured it to the pad with lag bolts. I also installed thick rubber vibration pads on the bottom of the feet. Since I rarely need more than 90psi air, I set the tank regulator to 100psi. To be even safer, I placed four tie-down straps on the tank. After use, I open the cock valve to remove any water in the tank. This is something that many people forget to do. Since the valve is located and hard to reach on a verticle tank, I used a brass pipe to move the drain valve from underneath the tank to outside.
I have the same compressor with lots of rust water coming out. I bought a new compressor today with a drain extension to make it easier to drain - because of this video. Thanks sir.
Thank you for sharing this. With over 250,000 views, you probably saved a life...or at least someone's hearing.
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!
Thanks for sharing this important information. As another person pointed out, if a pressure tank ever needs to be welded on to fix a leak, etc., it's time to replace the tank. Also, be diligent in draining the water out of the bottom of the tank after each's day's use. I lost a compressor to forgetting to cut it completely off every day, and by not draining it daily when working; somehow I left it on, but cut off by the pressure switch, not realizing it had a small leak in a hose fitting, and was automatically recycling to keep the tank pressure up, until it got too much water in it and wouldn't build pressure any more. It wasn't as dramatic as your situation, but I lost a compressor by not checking it and draining it frequently.
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
glad to see everyone is ok. although this is rare it does happen and some people aren't as lucky as you. this is why daily draining , maintenance and inspection is very important. and never weld on a compressor tank!
Never weld it if you dont know what you are doing and over pressure test it afterwards with water you mean. Its humans who build those tanks and there is pressure vessel welding permits. Its always better to take the tank to such person to be welded rather than bumbling your self if you welds are not class compliant and those welds are tested with over pressure to make sure it wont give in. Industrial vessels get tested every two years if i recall right, home shop ones dont, but seeing this it might be good idea now on to do.... and might move my compressor somewhere else that is not next to main power box of the shop and make separate box for it on outside that is still heated but if it blows it only takes the smaller shed with it.
@@Hellsong89 a weld patch is only as good as the integrity of the tank. if a tank needs repair the integrity is compromised.
I don't care how good a welder you are. a welded plug or patch can come off like a bullet and act like one.
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.
Thank you for posting. I have been warning people about this for YEARS. I've had so many people act as if I'd just spoken a new language when asking if they always drain and dry the compressor after each use. I once had a member of my family call me crazy when I asked this. He told me he NEVER bothers to drain the compressor. I forced him to watch me drain his 10 gallon and there must've been at LEAST two gallons of rusty thick sludge water that poured out if it. I told him theses things are basically a bomb if not properly cared for. Always drain and dry, always check the regulators. Pass it on repeatedly, you may save someone's life. Too many story's of air compressor explosions to not be informed.
Thank you for commenting! These are a huge hazard in anyone’s shop. We posted this to alert the general public of the potential hazard of one of these units!
I've seen it happen, its why I refuse to work around air compressors at any shop job. that shit should not be kept around the employees. its dangerous no matter what anyone says. remember its your life and the companies dont care if you die. We had one at work that was like a 60 gallon one and scared the shit out of me when I had to empty it at night, we had to get right beside of it to empty it out, and it had tons of pressure in it too. I'm not sure of the actual PSI but it was rusted all over.
Are air compressor only dangerous when containing air!?
I want to store mine in the house but worried about potential safety hazards. Is it safe to keep in house as long as the tanks empty!?
WOW! Thank God no one was hurt! Years ago I was at a friends garage and he always had his compressor outside, and away from the inside, and I wondered why he did it that way, and now I know why! Be safe and Be careful. Never take safety for granted.
Richard Petty's brother in law was killed by a pressurized water tank explosion, that crushed his heart. So be careful around pressurized tanks, because they can kill you!
For years I've hear of it happening, but was never unfortunate enough to witness it or the aftermath. I'm thankful that neither you or anyone else was hurt. Thanks for sharing.
It does happen. Happened in my grandpas shop when I was 17 or so. Blew the windows out, laid his Harley on its side, blew every piece of plastic off of it and half of the spokes on the tire blew off the front rim. That’s not even the worst part, it knocked a 350 over that was on an engine stand. This was a 30 gallon craftsman compressor from the 80s. Luckily nobody was in the shop, happened at about 6 am after he kicked the breaker on to the compressor and went back inside to make coffee.
➡Looks liker some welding repair was previously done on the tank where the drain cock is. Was it rust holes that where welded up? That would have been a big sign that this tank was no good!
Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I’m so glad you or your family were not hurt by the explosion. You’re a real patriot to tell others about it God Bless you and thank you once again.
I'm North Korean posting with VPN he just saved the lives of me and my coworkers at the nuclear facility we work at thank you american patriots see you on the drone cameras
Thank you for spreading awareness, been around compressors my whole life and never crossed my mind this could happen. Good idea to always drain at bottom of compressor to hopefully help avoid this type of thing also as added precaution. Glad nobody was hurt🙏🏼
"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.
I’ve always kept the habit of relieving pressure and draining the tank EVERY DAY of use. It’s not convenient but it will indefinitely extend its life and prevent sitting water from rusting out the tank. Glad your ok, but make sure not to repair your compressor, that drain-off looked welded on, when they break get a new tank.
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
Saw what 250 gal did to shop wall when i was working at small truss manufacturer. It was in its own separate room attached to the shop but when it detonated it took out 2 sections of the r-panel along with the studs. Scared the hell out all of us luckily no one was hurt. Owner built a solid concrete room after that ... thank you for raising awareness about this kind of thing.. people don't realize how dangerous things can get
I have a tank just like that that's about 40 years old that I stopped using about two years ago when I moved. I've been concerned about it for a couple of years and plan to get my son's borescope to look inside the tank. But I have no intention of reusing the tank. Thanks for sharing this. Like I've seen with other commenters, you have probably saved a couple of lives. For those of you that may not be aware, if you look at the far end of the tank where you see the drain petcock, if you have that much rust on that petcock, you should not be using that tank. Praise God this guy nor anyone else was close to it but he admits he had no idea of the catastrophic nature of a tank giving away like this. Seriously, any rust is a potential failure point. And I see enough rust on the external part of this tank that would have stopped me from using it.
I love how no ones got a CLUE how high pressure tanks work on this thread. bro. fill that thing up with water,then pump it up to max pressure and a half, or 2x. if it blows, all youll get is spray instead of an explosion. this is how they cert every high pressure tank all over the world. not with a fkin boroscope. repeat in timely intervals. im sure theirs a guid e on it online.
@@ponetastic and you should read that guide because obviously you don't know how it works. They test the tanks partially filled with water, as a safety measure and with other safety measures, and measure the expansion and contraction of said tank before and after it is pressurized to a specific percentage of pressure above its rated maximum pressure. It's called hydrostatic testing. Be aware that the comment describing hydrostatic testing is not all inclusive and if you want an all-inclusive description of the process, by all means look it up on the internet.
But be aware that compressed air receiver tanks like this one are not considered high pressure tanks . They are rated as low pressure tanks when they're properly operated between 15 and 2215 psi. High pressure air tanks are operated at 2216 psi and above. Air receiver tanks like in this video are usually operated well below 200 PSI.
And as I said very clearly in the middle of my original comment, I HAVE NO INTENTION OF EVER USING THIS TANK AGAIN. This should have indicated to anyone correctly reading my comment that all I want to do is actually see the rust level in the tank, just out of curiosity. I will likely drill multiple holes or maybe even cut the tank into pieces before disposing of it to prevent some unsuspecting individual from claiming the tank and trying to use it for an air system themselves.
So, with that being said, are you naturally this hateful to people you don't know and cuss at them after totally misinterpriting their comment or do you have to practice?
@@mikeslater6246 sorry that comment wasnt directed at you rather then the multitude on the first page here that went over everything under the sun besides the fact there is actually a way to test and prevent this kind of thin from happening, which you provided a much more accurate description of which then I did. that being said I am sure there still are paramaters one could look up to conduct the test correctly, evem on low pressure tanks, as they do it to propane cylinders every 5 years.. I do believe. more then anything i was just surprised this was no where in the comments as the intention of hydro is to avoid exactly what happened to bro in this original vid. happy compressing and glad you took a bad one off the streets
@@ponetastic apology accepted. It was a natural assumption that it was directed at me since it was a reply under my comment. You might want to post this under the regular comments and you can do that by editing and just copying it then going back to the main comments page and post it there. You do make a valid point.
Unfortunately these types of tanks have no requirement for hydro testing and actually to make sure it's done properly it should be done by professional and it can be expensive. I don't know if there is a home test or not. Like I said, I have abandoned that tank but I'm very disappointed with my new McGraw compressor and tank from harbor freight because the drain for the tank is not in the center of the bottom of the tank. It is slightly offset and the color of the water coming out when I tilt it to drain all the water shows rust. Very disappointed.
Thanks for the additional information as to why the reply was there, and have a blessed day
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.
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 work about 15ft from one big enough 2 adults can stand in & I think about this all day everyday. Glad y'all are ok
Came to say the same, our one isn't even properly maintained.
If that's being used in a commercial environment, then it needs pressure test and inspection annually......
personally id hydro hydro hydro that bitch. filer up with water, pump her up to twice your normal pressure. no bust, no problems. repeat every few years. its such a common practice, they do it on ALL high pressure tanks and stamp a recertify date on em too.,
Time to think about working in another position..
I worked near an old roller shutter door once …i saw it drop in its coiled up state one day….it was a few tonne..
It was never serviced or inspected…i saw the spigot that failed..steel that was grooved like butter over the decades..
Wow, that's a crazy powerful force. I am always wary around HPA tanks and compressors. "If it can happen once, it can happen twice." - wise words. Glad you were not any closer to the explosion.
Wise if you’re an autist?
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.