I would be more worried about the lost capacity in the tank if it not
drained regularly.

I have never seen a tank go south and that includes reservoirs on ships that
were 40 years old.

I lean toward small pumps but like to mount reservoirs in the system for
pressure stability.

I have two small compressors selected for their noise level and kept in
clean areas in the basement.

They have automatic float type drains but small tanks.

Since water does not compress like air, I would be more worried about loss
of air stowage.

I don't think I have ever had a pump outlast a tank.

Piping is a different issue especially with all the oil free pump ends that
are out there nowadays.


"Leon" wrote in message
...

"Puckdropper" puckdropper(at)yahoo(dot)com wrote in message
...

Water would tend to collect in the bottom of the tank first, and that's
where the rust would occur, right?

NO! Like a glass of ice water the water would collect on all cooler
surfaces, basically every square inch of the interior surface of the tank.
Compared to the very hot compressed air going into the tank, the tank is
quite cool in contrast. Then as the moisture condensed more, it would run
down to the bottom and collect, but the whole tank is going to be wet.


So by the time the bottom of the tank
has rusted out, the sides and top of the tank would still be in good
shape.

No, see above.


Should the right conditions occur, I think it more likely a
compressor tank act as a rocket and not a bomb.

No, Pin holes will develope all over the surface. I had an old 80 gallon
compressor, that I inherited, develope pin holes near the center of the
sides of the tankfirst, none were at the bottom.

The above is true if the compressor is use regularily. If you store it
for years on end with water in side and bring up the pressure the bottom
may fall out then.