What to do with a big, old compressor

[Muse]

When I bought my house in Berkeley, CA, the garage was locked. I'd lived here for years but the landlord had rights to the garage. The landlord died and passed ownership onto his niece before I bought the house, after which I had no key to the garage, but I got in there, replaced the lock, fixed the garage door.

I found a lot of junk in there, a few things I could use. One thing still in there is a large compressor. This must be at least 20 years old, maybe more. The steel upright cylindrical tank looks to be maybe 5 gallons, maybe more. It's big. I've never tried to move the thing, it looks heavy. There's a big electric motor that compresses the air into the tank. The gauge on top of the tank goes to 200psi. All this is on a steel rectangular plate that's on wheels and there's a long maybe 2 foot steel pull handle on the thing to move it around. It has a switch in a steel box that was obviously welded on, so it looks kind of custom. The electric cord is obviously totally shot and would have to be replaced if anyone had a mind to try to use this thing.

Is it possible that someone would want this? For all I know it's usable, or at least parts from it. Or maybe it's hopelessly outdated, I just don't know. I've never bought or used a compressor other than the small one I got at Costco to inflate car tires, beach balls, etc.

If no one would want it I'll have to dispose of it somehow, possibly pay a fee. I doubt I could get it in my car.

I figure it's well nigh time I do something with this. I'm having the garage roof replaced in around a month, and figure to have the one bad wall rebuilt, or do that myself.

What do you figure I can/should do with the compressor?

 

[lxskllr]

Air tools, inflate tires... Air compressors are useful, especially when you don't have to buy them.

 

[Crono]

I use a small compressor for cleaning out cases, as well as an airbrush. A bigger one is suited for workshop tools; I'd just sell that one if you don't have a use for it, you'd likely find someone who wants it.

 

[BoomerD]

craigslist?

 

[PottedMeat]

can you post a picture? dimensions? 5 gallons is a pretty small tank.

high output & large capacity compressors are always nice to have around. toss in $20 for a hose and air gun.

 

[lxskllr]

If you were inclined to keep it, I'd inspect it carefully for rust. A badly rusted tank could blow up on you. The rust you have to worry about would be inside from trapped condensation.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Is there a bleed valve at the bottom? I would be concerned with moisture inside haven condensed during compression and then settling on the inside of the tank and corroding.

 

[Darwin333]

Man, some PVC pipe, a valve used for sprinkler systems and a few other cheap parts and you can make a compressed air potato cannon that can break the speed of sound.

 

[Muse]

Man, some PVC pipe, a valve used for sprinkler systems and a few other cheap parts and you can make a compressed air potato cannon that can break the speed of sound.

I don't think I'll mess around with that kind of thing. Bruce Langhorne just died a couple weeks ago, famous guitarist, originally as a kid he was training to be a classical violinist. Age 12, playing with homemade rockets, he blew off two fingers and most of the thumb on his right hand and had to give up violin. Took up guitar age 17.

Myself, I almost lost an eye or worse messing with a homemade gun using explosive powder when I was a teenager. Accidently ignited while I was putting it together. Luckily, all I got was a bit of singed hair on one side of my head. I never touched that powder again.

 

[Muse]

If you were inclined to keep it, I'd inspect it carefully for rust. A badly rusted tank could blow up on you. The rust you have to worry about would be inside from trapped condensation.

Yeah. Hmm. Rust would be a concern. That old garage's roof has been porous since I bought the house. I've had it tarped (yearly) since. But maybe there was moisture in the tank all these years.

I have a small compressor I bought at Costco quite a few years ago designed for inflating car tires. Still works fine. But that thing in the garage is for some serious duty, maybe roofing, whatever. It's a monster.

 

[Muse]

can you post a picture? dimensions? 5 gallons is a pretty small tank.

high output & large capacity compressors are always nice to have around. toss in $20 for a hose and air gun.

I'll try to come up with a picture, maybe see if I can drag it out into the sunshine. Maybe tomorrow.

Sitting on top of this thing is a detached separate gauge, which is part of some apparatus, don't know what that's part of. I'll include that in my image, hopefully. That gauge goes to 100PSI, but the one attached to the compressor goes to 200PSI.

craigslist?

Yeah, I'm thinking maybe that.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

I'm having the garage roof replaced in around a month, and figure to have the one bad wall rebuilt,

One of those guys might be glad to take it off your hands.

 

[mistercrabby]

What is the make and model? There is a serial plate on the frame somewhere.

 

[Darwin333]

I don't think I'll mess around with that kind of thing. Bruce Langhorne just died a couple weeks ago, famous guitarist, originally as a kid he was training to be a classical violinist. Age 12, playing with homemade rockets, he blew off two fingers and most of the thumb on his right hand and had to give up violin. Took up guitar age 17.

Myself, I almost lost an eye or worse messing with a homemade gun using explosive powder when I was a teenager. Accidently ignited while I was putting it together. Luckily, all I got was a bit of singed hair on one side of my head. I never touched that powder again.

This uses compressed air, as long as you don't put your face in front of the end that the projectile comes out of or exceed the pressure you will be just fine. You have to try really hard to hurt yourself with an air powered spud gun.

 

[Muse]

One of those guys might be glad to take it off your hands.

Interesting idea. If I still have it I'll for sure ask the roofer. Don't have anyone set up to fix the wall yet.

 

[Muse]

What is the make and model? There is a serial plate on the frame somewhere.

When I get at it tomorrow I'll see if I can figure that out. I have an idea it might be actually a one-off, totally custom built. Maybe not, I'll look close.

 

[mistercrabby]

You can get rid of it for scrap or post as is on Craigslist. If you can get make and model you can call the dealer or mfg and see what it takes to get checked out.

 

[shortylickens]

When I bought my house in Berkeley, CA, the garage was locked. I'd lived here for years but the landlord had rights to the garage. The landlord died and passed ownership onto his niece before I bought the house, after which I had no key to the garage, but I got in there, replaced the lock, fixed the garage door.

I found a lot of junk in there, a few things I could use. One thing still in there is a large compressor. This must be at least 20 years old, maybe more. The steel upright cylindrical tank looks to be maybe 5 gallons, maybe more. It's big. I've never tried to move the thing, it looks heavy. There's a big electric motor that compresses the air into the tank. The gauge on top of the tank goes to 200psi. All this is on a steel rectangular plate that's on wheels and there's a long maybe 2 foot steel pull handle on the thing to move it around. It has a switch in a steel box that was obviously welded on, so it looks kind of custom. The electric cord is obviously totally shot and would have to be replaced if anyone had a mind to try to use this thing.

Is it possible that someone would want this? For all I know it's usable, or at least parts from it. Or maybe it's hopelessly outdated, I just don't know. I've never bought or used a compressor other than the small one I got at Costco to inflate car tires, beach balls, etc.

If no one would want it I'll have to dispose of it somehow, possibly pay a fee. I doubt I could get it in my car.

I figure it's well nigh time I do something with this. I'm having the garage roof replaced in around a month, and figure to have the one bad wall rebuilt, or do that myself.

What do you figure I can/should do with the compressor?

 

[Darwin333]

Interesting idea. If I still have it I'll for sure ask the roofer. Don't have anyone set up to fix the wall yet.

A roofer will most definitely take it off your hands.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Man, some PVC pipe, a valve used for sprinkler systems and a few other cheap parts and you can make a compressed air potato cannon that can break the speed of sound.

Yikes don't use PVC for high pressure applications. If it breaks it sends shrapnel everywhere. Use iron or copper. Those will tend to rupture but not send as much shrapnel as plastic. it's also stronger and less likely to rupture in first place.

I heard of people using CPVC for water supplies, while it's technically rated for 100PSI (I think?) that is cutting it close imo.

As for what to do with an old compressor if you have no use for it I'm sure it's something someone would buy. I have a small 1.5gal one I use to clean out computers. I find it's too small even for that though, as you have to always wait for it to refill. If ever I decide to install an inground lawn sprinkler system I'd probably incorporate that one as part of the system. If temp drops below 5 degrees it would start up and open/close the required valves so that it supplies air to all the sprinkler heads to flush out the system.

 

[Mandres]

The way you describe it sounds like a big, heavy unit, but a 5-gallon tank is tiny. The value depends on the condition of the tank and what type of pump and motor are attached.

If it turns out to be in working order then it's worth something to somebody. I would probably keep it; every garage/household needs an air compressor.

 

[Ferzerp]

Maybe he dropped a zero and meant 50? Or maybe he is confused. Things like citing the values on the gauge make me lean more towards confused. That's kind of like saying "I found a vehicle. It has a speedometer that does to 160 MPH".

 

[Darwin333]

Yikes don't use PVC for high pressure applications. If it breaks it sends shrapnel everywhere. Use iron or copper. Those will tend to rupture but not send as much shrapnel as plastic. it's also stronger and less likely to rupture in first place.

I heard of people using CPVC for water supplies, while it's technically rated for 100PSI (I think?) that is cutting it close imo.

4" schedule 80 PVC has a max working pressure of 320 PSI which is WAY higher than anything you would use, it's bursting pressure is like 4 times that. Heck plain old schedule 40 4" PVC pipe has a working pressure of 220 PSI which is still plenty high. Besides, the idea is more volume not necessarily more pressure. On my combustion spud gun I wrapped the combustion chamber with a few layers of gorilla duct tape and then wrapped it with a layer of thick string just in case because I made the combustion chamber pretty damn big and I use it with the kids but I've never had an issue and I've had it for 6 or 7 years.

 

[NoTine42]

The way you describe it sounds like a big, heavy unit, but a 5-gallon tank is tiny. The value depends on the condition of the tank and what type of pump and motor are attached.

If it turns out to be in working order then it's worth something to somebody. I would probably keep it; every garage/household needs an air compressor.

Yep, in tool lingo, a typical tool bucket (drywall mud bucket) is 5 gal.

A compressor with wheels is usually 10+ gallons. Think about how it compares to tool buckets.

 

[Muse]

Took 3 pictures. I have in the first shot a gallon orange juice container for scale. The first shot has shade badly due to being out of the sun. However, I don't want to drag it ~2 feet more because I'm concerned I can't get it back in the garage. It'll be tough enough to do that as it is, partly because there's dirt there, it's not all concrete. It's incredibly heavy. The only ID info I see is a plate that's really tough to read and it has to do with certain limits for the electrical portion of it. I have the switch box open which reveals that switched off, the contacts for the two large fuses are disengaged. What makes me think that this thing is hopelessly outdated in terms of being usable except perhaps for parts or recycling is the pully system, which you can clearly see. That's obviously dangerous. Huge hazard. The huge belt on the pully system is in bad shape, as well as the electrical cords. As you can see, the motor is really really big!

There are two detached things, one has the 100PSI dial that I described in the OP. A 200PSI dial is on top of the unit, obviously for the tank. The tank I conservatively estimated at 5 gallons. It may well be 10 gallons.

I think you can see them here: http://imgur.com/a/nEBWc

Edit: Added a 4th, 5th image

The plate, what I can make out:

PRESSURE SWITCH
CLASS D 9031

Maximum Ratings HP

...down below are stamped:

150 120