mitchntx
Follower of Rev. Doug
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2006
- Messages
- 4,521
- Reaction score
- 1,513
- Location
- Whitney
- First Name
- Mitch
- Last Name
- Warren
For the last few months I've been noticing my 20 year old air compressor seems to be a bit sluggish. Takes forever to recover and cycles on really quickly.
During the cold snap in december, I had a drain line freeze and bust. As with my luck, it was on the pressure side of the ball valve. I don;t know how long it had run with a minor air leak. Changed the oil while I was in it.
Got that fixed and noted the cut-off air pressure was 135psi.
Adjusted the cut-off and recover pressures. to 120 and 85.
A few days ago, I was headed to work and heard an awful screeching noise from the shop. Ran to the breaker box and killed the compressor. Great ... compressor is toast.
I looked on-line and it would take $12-1500 to replace it.
I checked the oil. It was clear and clean.
I removed the belt and spun the motor up. It ran smooth.
I spun the flywheel. It was free and easy to move. I could hear the compression stroke and the puff of air.
Only thing left is the switch, cut-off assembly. That would attribute the sluggish recovery which was actually over-pressurization.
The switch arrived today. I had to cobble a few lines and fittings together as it wasn't like for like. Wiring was different and was just one trip to the hardware store for a new relief valve and some compression ferrules.
Seems to work as before. But as a precaution, I'll probably leave the compressor breaker shut off till I can spend a day out there and have a chance to cycle the compressor a few times.
Best I can surmise is that the screeching I was hearing was either the belt slipping on the flywheel straining against the high pressure or the bearings inside the compressor itself for the same reason.
I don't hear it now, thanks goodness.
During the cold snap in december, I had a drain line freeze and bust. As with my luck, it was on the pressure side of the ball valve. I don;t know how long it had run with a minor air leak. Changed the oil while I was in it.
Got that fixed and noted the cut-off air pressure was 135psi.
Adjusted the cut-off and recover pressures. to 120 and 85.
A few days ago, I was headed to work and heard an awful screeching noise from the shop. Ran to the breaker box and killed the compressor. Great ... compressor is toast.
I looked on-line and it would take $12-1500 to replace it.
I checked the oil. It was clear and clean.
I removed the belt and spun the motor up. It ran smooth.
I spun the flywheel. It was free and easy to move. I could hear the compression stroke and the puff of air.
Only thing left is the switch, cut-off assembly. That would attribute the sluggish recovery which was actually over-pressurization.
The switch arrived today. I had to cobble a few lines and fittings together as it wasn't like for like. Wiring was different and was just one trip to the hardware store for a new relief valve and some compression ferrules.
Seems to work as before. But as a precaution, I'll probably leave the compressor breaker shut off till I can spend a day out there and have a chance to cycle the compressor a few times.
Best I can surmise is that the screeching I was hearing was either the belt slipping on the flywheel straining against the high pressure or the bearings inside the compressor itself for the same reason.
I don't hear it now, thanks goodness.