As with all machines, the parts of air compressors also give up. That is also true with the air compressor tank.
It may seem surprising as to why a tank made of solid metal eventually gives up? The answer lies in the air it compresses.
The air sucked and stored in the air compressor has water vapor in it. This water vapor eventually condenses inside the tank.
While the inside of the tank has a protective lining, but eventually after prolonged use the water eventually corrodes the tank.
When this happens, you are left with no option but to replace your tank.
Why replace?
The only reason you should take any leak in your air compressor tank seriously is that it is a serious safety hazard.
Imagine the high pressures inside the tank, a small leak can lead to a massive and potentially disastrous tank failure.
People have been even killed due to these, take this very seriously.
If you believe what issue a minute pinhole can cause, here is something from you – when an air compressor has a pinhole, it actually means a large part of its inside has been compromised already. It’s a ticking bomb.
Thus, the moment you know there is a leak, its important that you stop using the air compressor and start looking for a suitable replacement.
How to replace your air compressor tank?
Getting a replacement air compressor tank is usually not as easy as it seems. You can try one of these two strategies –
Source New Replacement Tank from OEMs
This is the recommended way and there are several reasons why.
First, when you get it the tank from OEM, you know that going to work effortlessly with the machine you have.
Further, a new tank will have long life thus enhancing the life of your air compressor as a whole.
There is a downside to this method too – its cost.
The new tank can prove to be very costly or at least seem very costly as compared to the price you paid when you bought your air compressor years ago.
This is understandable as individual parts are always costlier and there is a gradual increase in pricing of air compressors over the years.
So, what to do if you do not have the money to buy a new one?
Look for a used tank
If you are lucky, you may be able to find an old air compressor tank which will work with the other parts.
It is important to access the situation of this old tank before you invest money in buying it. This is important as the old one may be rotten too.
There is no specific method to find out what is the condition of the air compressor tank from inside but it helps if you buy yours from someone reliable.
Why not weld?
You may think to weld the air compressor tank but, that is not possible in most of the consumer air tanks as their surface is not thought enough. So, the welding will not be the right option.
Buy a new one
That’s another option, especially if buying the new tank is expensive and you are not able to find a suitable old one.
Just make sure you buy the right size based on your requirements.
Check out available air compressor tanks on Amazon>
How to maintain your air compressor tank?
The most important (and maybe the only thing) you can do to ensure a long life of your air compressor tank is to drain the air compressor tank on a regular basis.
While this will not take out all the moisture, it will for sure delay the process of rusting and decay for your air compressor tank.
In the end..
If your air compressor tank has given up, you should get it replaced at the earliest to avoid any serious accident. You can get a new replacement tank or buy an old one if the budget is a constraint.