On Sun, 02 Dec 2007 06:29:59 GMT, "Ivan Vegvary"
wrote:

Spent better part of 4 hours installing an automatic drain on my 60 gallon
vertical tank air compressor. It's a Quincy 6.5 hp dual stage.

Time spent was looking for fittings, going to the store, wrong fittings,
wrong threads, scrounge through my collection of brass again, learn to swage
copper tubing and PRESTO I finally had it all together. I had used my car
hoist to raise the compressor off the ground for ease of work. When I
lowered it back down I noticed that it 'rocks' on its mounts (4 legs).
Well, the drain valve assembly is slightly taller than space between the
tank bottom and the ground. About a half of an inch.

Anybody have any bright ideas about how to easily get this compressor to sit
higher off the ground? I'm thinking maybe bolt it to a 3/4" plywood base
and simply cut a, say, 4" diameter circle in the middle of the plywood. Any
better ideas that are quick and easy?

Thanks,

Ivan Vegvary

Hey Ivan,

First off, my compressor shipped years ago with the tank legs bolted
to a wooden "frame". I never took that wood off, and always felt that
it helped reduce the noise when operating on the concrete floor. So
that would theoretically allow more space under than you have. More
recently I located the compressor such that it blocks the electrics
and motor of one of my lathes. Not good, so I stuck four casters on
the "corners" of the wood to make it possible to move the compressor
around. It's actually pretty easy to move, yet it surprisingly
doesn't "walk around" when running. OOMV on that!

Didn't the very bottom of the tank on yours already have an outlet
with a 90 degree fitting and a length of 1/4" or 3/8" pipe to a
manual valve projecting outboard of the tank?

The pipe projecting from under the tank on mine already had the manual
drain valve factory installed. The "open" side of the drain valve has
a short nipple, a 90, and a 3" nipple. This last 90 and the 3" nipple
allow the "discharge" during draining to be loosely aimed in a desired
direction.

All I did was mount a (female threaded) male quick-disconnect nipple
on the end of the 3" piece, and mounted all the "automatic stuff" on
the female of the quick disconnect coupling. The manual valve then is
set and remains "open". This allows fast removal of the "automatic
stuff" if need be, and then would still allow use of the manual
valve without further effort. I still discharge mine into an
absorbent "sock".

I close the main tank supply-line valve and shut my compressor power
off at night, just in case it were to blow a hose or something. My
automatic drain is set to discharge for 10 seconds when power is
turned on in the morning, and every 4 hours, whether the compressor
has run or not. Simplified things. I rarely see much of any moisture
in the discharge area, so I believe it works very well.

Photos available on request.

Take care. Season's Greetings.

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.

ps......... this thread reminds me that some time back, I helped
"Kory" out with information on how I did mine. I have not read
anything from him for a loooonnnggg time. Anybody know why?