Try rubber banding a balloon onto or over suspected items.

Pete Stanaitis
---------------

Speechless wrote:
On Thu, 26 Jan 2006 20:08:04 -0500, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:


I have an IR home-shop compressor (20 gal, 1 1/2 hp) with a leak. I
just measured & timed it: in 17 hours the pressure dropped from 100 psi
to 55. This means the compressor runs several times a day just to
maintain pressure. It is loud, so this is annoying.



What you describe is NOT considered a leak on a compressor. If you
are not using the machine for that length of time, simply turn it off.

There is always some air loss through the pressure regulator. You
will notice that when you adjust the pressure from higher to lower,
the regulator vents the excess pressure from the hose into the
atmosphere. The venting is why you hear the hiss. That is where the
leak occurs -- the air seals in the regulator are metal to metal and
are not intended to be perfectly air tight; they are intended to be
functional, safe, and robust during normal usage of the machine. I've
had name brand, top of the line, replacement regulators, straight out
of the box, leak more than that.


In an attempt to find the leak, I sprayed soapy water on EVERYTHING: the
entire tank, the drain fittings, the "Christmas tree" fittings (pressure
switch, guage, etc). I even disconnected the pump output line to see if
the check valve was leaking back into the pump. I found a small leak in
the pressure guage connection, which I fixed (tightened). It STILL
leaks (but not the pressure guage)!!

Now it has become a challenge. I've GOT to find that leak! Before I
start taking parts off to eliminate them as leaks, does anybody have any
tips/tricks for finding leaks that might save me the work?



You are wasting your time.


Thanks,
Bob