I have a compressor that is about 15 years old. I remember back about 10years ago some guys telling me about something that I should throw in the tank every 5 years to prevent rust and blow out. I thought it was like a paint, not an oil... They told me it was made for compressor tanks. Anyone know what I am talking about and where to get it. I used to have a compressor company a few miles from me... but they are gone... So I don't even know where to get the stuff.
Never heard of anything like that. I don't know that I'd be one of the first to jump on that train though, even if it was available. Most miracle cures like that aren't worth the powder to blow them to... well, you know. IMHO, you're better off simply draining your tank every week or so (depending on how much it gets used) or getting one of those automatic blowoffs from Harbor Freight for $10. They hook to the pressure line running to the pressure switch and run down to a valve that you install in place of your drain c*ck. Every time the compressor cycles it causes a small blowoff of air out the bottom of the tank and does a very good job of keeping water from building up in the tank.
I drain the tank almost every night. I put a lever ball valve on instead of the petcock. I bought the auto drain kit, only to find out that my compressor was so old that it didn't have the prerequisite black plastic piping to the pressure sensor. Mine is mounted to the tank. The magic isn't really magic... The guys were from the compressor company. Ever use rustoleum on rusted metal?? It converts and protects. Other paints won't adhere. So it isn't really magic... But this wasn't rustoleum... BTW a tank that goes can easily go through cinder block and through dry wall or wood like butter.
We are fortunate that the most common mode of compressor tank failure is pinhole rust through, so you know your tank has a problem instead of it spontaneously exploding.
Bummer. You could convert it if you really felt like it - just plumb a newer style pressure switch in and then you can run the line to your drain. But really, draining it daily ought to be about as good as it gets. I'm not sure I'd do any more than that.
Well, Rustoleum doesn't really do any conversions - it's just a paint that will adhere to rust. It attempts to seal in the rust rather than to convert it. There are compounds out there that actually convert the rust - mostly by the use of tannins to convert the iron oxide to iron tannate. There's others that simply apply a heavy polymer coating to the metal thus sealing out oxygen. Either type should have a good primer and top coat applied over them, and many are quite picky about what type of top coat you can apply. Neither will work on an oily surface though and the inside of your compressor tank, if it's an oil filled compressor, assuredly has an oil film on it. These chemicals do work to some degree, but they aren't as wonderful as the advertisements would have you believe.
Yup - it sure can, and it can separate into smaller shrapnel like pieces too. Fortunately, they usually just develop a leak.
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