Chronic moisture problems and "muck" with air compressor

[Bud White]

Hi all, glad I found this place.


I've had a major problem with moisture since I bought the thing 5 years ago.
And starting last year, it started to spew out this whitish grey pasty garbage rougly the consistency, of well the only way to describe it is "snot".

The pump blew up last fall, and I replaced it with another campbell hausfeld pump. Since the original pump stated run synthetic oil only, I continued using Mobil 1 synthetic, 30 weight. I am now told by campbell hausfied I should have broken in the pump with compressor oil, and started with synthetic oil a month later. The tech told me that synthetic oil is too slippery to seat the rings, and that the oil is getting blown past the rings. So, about a week ago I switched the oil over to their compressor oil. I can't even tell if there is any change yet, still have the same whitish/grey muck coming out of the drain valve ans all my line filters are clogged with this crap.




I started siphon sandblasting in the garage about 2 years ago and thought maybe dust had gotten past the air intake filter. So I connected a 10 ft section of air hose outside thinking it would pick up cleaner air. I did this for a few months, problem never got better.


I've tried everything, I have several filters inline, run tremendous amounts of hose, and I'm still getting moisture in my siphon feed sandblasting gun.

Any input on this would be appreciated, as I may have to stop working on my projects until cooler dryer weather.

[CDJr]

Do you drain it regularly enough?

[MO-Cummins]

I cant really comment on exactly what your problem would be, but i do know that he is right you should not run synthetic is a new motor. Because it will take forever for it to seat the rings.

[ZRX61]

For a start I'd pull the pump etc off the tank & give that a damn good clean out. How often do you open the tank drain?

[Bud White]

I drain it everyday i use it, at least once. The other thing I forgot to mention is the pump was going thru a tremndous amount of synthetic oil right before I switched over to compressor oil. Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part, but it appears it may be ever so slightly better today than it was last week.

[Len]

What size compressor (CFM) and what size tank are we talking about?

[Bud White]

What size compressor (CFM) and what size tank are we talking about?


6.5 hp, 60 gallon tank, 10.2 cfm @ 90 psi.

[ZRX61]

First thing I'd do is put some dinosaur oil in the pump, open up the drain & the valve on the tank so it can't build pressure & run it for 20 minutes or so.
Then I'd remove the large plugs from the tank & hose the thing out with something. Probably degreaser of some sort to get the gunk all flushed out & then acetone or laquer thinner. Let dry it out thoroughly, button it all back up & see how it flys.

[Phil V]

I'm with ZRX61, the only thing different I would do is run the pump NO LOAD for a half hour instead of 20 minutes with old style 30 weight non detergent (dinosaur) oil.

[wisconsinjimmy]

I also am with ZR and Phil, I have a Speedaire 60 gal tank and have a very minute problem with oil., My real problem was with water until I bought this cheapo automatic drain and I am impressed the unit will drip water while it is building pressure and then when the compressor shuts off the valve gives a good spit and dumps the rest of the water in the tank and I have no water problems now. I got the thing on Epay for less then 10 bucks but it is sold by harbor freight. Roll that tank out side a flush also if you use solvent like laquer thiner do not dump it on the ground the best way is to pour it into an old hubcap and let it evaporate.