Finding Air Leaks in Your Compressor

Stuart Ablett

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Tokyo Japan
I recently reworked the >> Air Station << for my compressor, and when I was all said and done, I figured out that I had leak somewhere, it was nothing big, took all night for the compressor to leak down. I first shut everything off in the shop that made noise, and listened, nothing, I also just felt around, as sometimes you can feel the air leak, nope, no go, so the next step is tiny bubbles :D

I'm sure that most of you know this little trick, but as they say, a picture says a thousand words, so...........

tiny_bubbles01.jpg

Gee..... think there is a leak there.... :D

tiny_bubbles02.jpg

A good crank on the valve, and then another spray, and no more leak! :thumb:

I put 1/3 dish washing liquid, and 2/3 water in a small spray bottle, and just spray on to each joint.

Make sure you don't spray on the electrical parts of the compressor, and to be safe, I always unplug the compressor as well.

Works like a charm! :wave:
 
ok stu now you got that one stopped,, what would you suggest for black pipe? i used the teflon stuff and the gray goop as well and on 1
' fittuns i had and still have some tiny leaks,, and i had tightened them down with pipe wrenchs... i would like ot be able to go and gob on something to stop it..
 
I use the same dish soap spray to find leaks on black pipe.

I'd only use one thing on the pipe, not the teflon tape AND the gray goop.

Most people use too much teflon tape, a good wrap is all that is needed on most pipe thread, as it is tapered and you can only tighten it so far before you can't tighten it any more.

Sometimes, rarely, but it does happen, you get a poorly made fitting, and they will leak :dunno:
 
"I'd only use one thing on the pipe, not the teflon tape AND the gray goop."

Ditto

i DIDNT use teflon tape i used the gray goop and some of it had teflon in it for gas connections i think.. must be a bad fittun cause it did leak and still is with a redo and more gray goop and still leak with 24'" pipe wrench to tighten, maybe i am to weak to snug it up:huh:
 
I used a similar method, but with a small paint brush for the soapy water instead. Works like magic, huh?

"I'd only use one thing on the pipe, not the teflon tape AND the gray goop."

Ditto
I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but I used teflon tape and teflon paste together on my stuff recently. This method was suggested to me by a friend who's a plumbing contractor specializing in higher-end stuff like hospitals and labs. (They do a lot of stainless steel piping installations.) I've always just been a tape guy, but I figured I'd give the dual-dope approach a try.

Over on a Hotrod forum where I was researching compressors, several guys said I was nuts, and that nobody in their right mind uses teflon tape any more...just teflon paste. All I know is I had over 100 pipe joints in my system, and the only ones that leaked were the ones I only used tape on.

Larry, on the fitting that's leaking, I'd suggest taking it apart and cleaning the threads real good, then re-dope it and see if that handles it.
 
All the goop and tape in the world won't seal gnarly, rusty, used or abused threads. The pro's rule is, if you didn't take the factory plastic protective cap off the male threads, re-cut them. If a fitting has ever been used, re-tap it. Use a new, clean pipe tap in the female and a sharp, clean die on the male threads. If iron pipe fittings leak, the only sure cure is to disassemble the joint and re-cut both the threads. Marred, flattened pipes and bent pipe wrenches are signs of not knowing how. Good plumbers barely leave jaw marks on their work. If it has to be leaned on hard enough to really mar the pipe, something is not right.

thnx, jack vines
 
When I piped my old shop, I used black pipe and a cheap harbor freight pipe tap and die set. It really wasn't that hard to do.

I had a few slow leaks, but I just put a good ball valve on the main outlet of the compressor and would shut the air off to the leaky pipes when I wasn't using it.. :D
 
This issue drives me nuts, actually! My compressor leaks. Somewhere. Very slowly. But it means I have to fire it up every time I want to pop a few nails. I never even thought of trying the soapy water trick, instead I've been pointlessly changing hoses and fittings. :( It's what has kept me from running any kind of permanent connections out from the corner where the compressor is, which means tripping over the hose, etc...

I'll have to try that tonight! ;)

By the way, why does everyone run pipe? While I'm sure it's better, what's wrong with just running a hose you can connect to out to somewhere in the center of the shop? Seems like that would be cheaper and way less work, especially since I still(!) haven't settled on a long term shop configuration. Am I missing something here?

Thanks,

Bill
 
My old shop I had plans for, oh did I have plans.....

Got me a nice 80 gallon true 5 hp IR compressor. Put in a subpanel, installed 220v lines, ran the pipe.

Then we moved. Now I have to share the 220v line with the dryer, and just run an air hose around when I need it. :wave:

Everything, and I mean everything has to be on wheels, so I can reconfigure machinery to match the task at hand. So no pipes. But I did keep the pipe from the old garage.

Long term plan is to someday build an outbuilding for myshop, but that might be a couple of years off. So until then, I'm making do. Not complaining, I have plenty of space, I just have to share it with a bunch of storage and such...
 
Bill, the pipe cools the air better, thus making it easier to separate the water. When it first comes out of the compressor, the water is a vapor. When it's cooled off, it's liquid, and easier to remove. The pipe also helps avoid dips and other low spots in the line (where water tends to accumulate). For the occasional brad nailer or blow nozzle, I don't think the pipe is that critical. Have you considered a hose reel instead? I just got one on eBay...it's going to be installed by the back porch door for sidewalk sweeping.
 
Bill, right now, that is all I have, a regular air hose run from the compressor up over everything to drop down in the middle of the shop, this has served me well for a while, and I added a hose reel to make it even better, but, now that I think my workshop is pretty much set, I very much doubt I'll be moving it around drastically in the future (last famous words :doh:) I do want to run pipe to the two or three points in the shop that I'd like to have air. Like Vaughn said, the main reasons are that the pipe handles moisture better than just an air hose.

Cheers!
 
FWIW, it's the days of virtual men and plastic pipe. Iron pipe tools are actually going begging at auctions and yard sales these days. No one wants to work that hard anymore. These days, I see way more home shop systems plumbed with plastic pipe than iron or copper. I've spent my share of time working over my head with iron pipe. Those big Rigid wrenches were pretty heavy by the end of the week. Didn't need to spend money and time at a fitness center.

My dad was a pipe and steam fitter. Between what I had bought over the years and what I inherited from him, I'm good to go from 1/8" up through 3".

thnx, jack vines
 
...These days, I see way more home shop systems plumbed with plastic pipe than iron or copper...
You bring up a good point. Although it's likely to cause an argument among some folks, plastic (PVC) pipe is a really bad idea in my opinion. (I suspect you'd agree with me on that one.) ;) It works great until it ruptures, then it can be nasty.

I inherited my granddad's pipe tools, but some of the thread cutting dies are missing teeth. I ended up having my 3/4" pipe cut and threaded at the local mini-borg. There is a kid who works there who did a better job cutting the threads than I would have. But still, I'll keep Granddad's old tools...they're family. ;)
 
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