'Remove from service' dates on compressors?

[Bonnewagon]

I was looking for a small pancake compressor to replace an ancient tiny Sears unit that had no reservoir tank. I notice that they now come with an expiration date to remove from service. It looks like they are only good for about 11 years. Really? By that standard my old 1990's Sears 30 gallon unit is a ticking time bomb. What about the big compressors like 80 gallon units? I looked at an 80 gallon Campbell Hausfeld and in the manual there was no such mandate. Is this only on the very small models? My Sears Craftsman was made by Campbell Hausfeld so I never worried about it. I have seen lots of YouTube videos of failed tanks that blew up. Autopsies showed tons of rust inside, even when drained religiously. I also have seen some good ways to hydro-statically test them. You fill them with water, then pressurize with a power washer. If it fails, the water does not blow up like compressed air does. I have always drained my tank, stored it in a dry place, yet I worry it may be dangerous at this point. What do you guys know about this?

 

[pagrunt]

Maybe cause the steel quality is not as good as it was years back? Having the tanks made overseas with most likely no direct QC input makes it easier to have an experation date to cover warranty claims down the road.

 

[Ribbedroof]

CYA mentality of today's lawyered-up world, brought on by the people that are the subject of my sig line

 

[Bonnewagon]

When I bought my Sears Craftsman I went to Sears to eyeball it first. When I saw that it was made by Campbell Hausfeld in the USA- that sealed the deal. It has not given me any trouble in all these years of service. What I may do is open it up and see what kind of rust is inside. Videos I have seen show lots of rust going on that led to failure. I guess the 'remove from service' date makes sense if it is being used all day every day but what if it sits in my shed for months at a time? Conceivably it could be used one time and then have to be junked when the date rolls around. I wonder what sort of liability would be involved with that. And what happens if you decide to continue using it after the date? I guess the manufacturer can wash their hands of it but what if it exploded and hurt a bystander? I guess that is curtains for you. Hmmmm. So I looked up a new 33 gallon Craftsman unit at Lowes. It is twice what I spent many moons go, and it DOES also have the 'remove from service' requirement. I suspect many brands do not disclose this and you are caught by surprise when you see the label.

 

[Drkuhar]

Look on the tank for the test plackard. Most smaller tanks do not meet the testing requirements for the metal test placard like big tanks do. Our bodyshop had to have tanks tested every year and the guy doing the test stated that.
Asmi certification tag is what to look for , for longevity

 

[Bonnewagon]

Asmi certification tag

Yes, my old Craftsman has that. It is tack-welded to the tank. And the manual says NEVER weld on a tank!?!

 

[SS_Malibu]

Everything has an expiration date. EVEN WATER! How does water expire?

However, living in AZ may make the difference of internal rust. I too drain mine after every use with the drain plug at the lowest point.

 

[Drkuhar]

Everything has an expiration date. EVEN WATER! How does water expire?

However, living in AZ may make the difference of internal rust. I too drain mine after every use with the drain plug at the lowest point.

In the case of water, the plastic bottles start degrading, leeching plastic molecules into the water. What people smarter than me have said

 

[Ribbedroof]

Yes, my old Craftsman has that. It is tack-welded to the tank. And the manual says NEVER weld on a tank!?!

I would guess that’s because the tack weld are known quality/quantity whereas any schmo with a welder can fire up and try to weld up a tank with unknown heat ,amperage ,voltage ,and duration.

 

[Bonnewagon]

With what new compressors are costing nowadays, I wonder if it is worth it to have the old tank tested? I used to have scuba tanks tested at a fire equipment place. The old steel tanks would then get rolled with abrasive inside to remove any rust. I guess they could hydro-statically test the compressor tank, maybe even roll it if there was surface rust inside.