Leaking Air Couplings
 

Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot. Is there any way to tight them, so
that sir doesn't leak? If not, can you recommend a brand that fits
together properly. This air leakage is driving me crazy.

I tried posting earlier... getting error messages. If this posts
twice, or similar post, sorry.

Sonny

Leaking Air Couplings
 

Sonny wrote:
Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot. Is there any way to tight them, so
that sir doesn't leak? If not, can you recommend a brand that fits
together properly. This air leakage is driving me crazy.

I bought all of mine (about a dozen fittings altogether) at HF and none
leak noticably.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/

Leaking Air Couplings
 

"Sonny" wrote in message
Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot.

It is cheaper to spend more money on better quality from a god industrial
supply house.

Leaking Air Couplings
 

In article 77a59c30-ab26-4ebe-ab61-bb69cf96eed9@
75g2000hso.googlegroups.com, says...
Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot. Is there any way to tight them, so
that sir doesn't leak? If not, can you recommend a brand that fits
together properly. This air leakage is driving me crazy.

I tried posting earlier... getting error messages. If this posts
twice, or similar post, sorry.

Sonny

The teflon tape is not working?

S.

Leaking Air Couplings
 

"Sonny" wrote:

Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot. Is there any way to tight them, so
that sir doesn't leak?

There was a time in my career when I designed quick connect couplings.

Based on that experience, will offer the following:

1) Plugs need to be case hardened to minimize scratches.

Case hardening costs money which is easy to skimp on without being
easily detected.

2) Very accurate screw machine tolerances are required to maintain the
seal between plug and coupling socket.

Sloppy machining works for a little while, sometimes.

You can try replacing the O-Ring in the coupling, it may buy you some
time.

Plan "B":

Scrap them out and start over.

Lew

Leaking Air Couplings
 

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"Sonny" wrote in message
Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot.

It is cheaper to spend more money on better quality from a god industrial
supply house.

"God industrial supply house". Must be Universal couplings.

Leaking Air Couplings
 

Sonny wrote:

Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot. Is there any way to tight them, so
that sir doesn't leak? If not, can you recommend a brand that fits
together properly. This air leakage is driving me crazy.

I tried posting earlier... getting error messages. If this posts
twice, or similar post, sorry.

Sonny

If you mean leaking quick-disconnect couplings there is a little o-ring in
there that is usually the culprit (a dental pick helps when removing and
replacing these). Replace it and keep it lubed with something friendly to
o-rings and usually the leak goes away.

Leaking Air Couplings
 

"Sonny" wrote in message
...
Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot. Is there any way to tight them, so
that sir doesn't leak? If not, can you recommend a brand that fits
together properly. This air leakage is driving me crazy.

I tried posting earlier... getting error messages. If this posts
twice, or similar post, sorry.

Sonny


Milton brand brass couplings.

Leaking Air Couplings
 

On Oct 22, 10:11*pm, "Lew Hodgett" wrote:
"Sonny" wrote:
Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. *I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot. *Is there any way to tight them, so
that sir doesn't leak?

There was a time in my career when I designed quick connect couplings.

Based on that experience, will offer the following:

1) Plugs need to be case hardened to minimize scratches.

Case hardening costs money which is easy to skimp on without being
easily detected.

2) Very accurate screw machine tolerances are required to maintain the
seal between plug and coupling socket.

Sloppy machining works for a little while, sometimes.

You can try replacing the O-Ring in the coupling, it may buy you some
time.

Plan "B":

Scrap them out and start over.

Lew

The only ones I have ever been happy with, were the few I bought from
the SnapOn truck. They didn't have that 'pot-metal' look and the male
looks machined.
The ones that came with my Porter Cable pancake compressor/hose combo
work really well too.
The few from Chiwanese sources simply didn't last when dragged along a
concrete floor.

Speaking of air fittings and such, I have about a dozen blow-cocks.
None. 'cept one, work very well. Anybody know of a good one?

Leaking Air Couplings
 

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

"Sonny" wrote in message
Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot.

It is cheaper to spend more money on better quality from a god industrial
supply house.


I try to get my parts from a quality source.

You sir, apparently have a source much better than mine.

Leaking Air Couplings
 

"Sonny" wrote in message
...
Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot. Is there any way to tight them, so
that sir doesn't leak? If not, can you recommend a brand that fits
together properly. This air leakage is driving me crazy.

I tried posting earlier... getting error messages. If this posts
twice, or similar post, sorry.

Sonny

All air couplers will leak sooner or later, but the cheap ones start leaking
a lot sooner. It costs a bit more to buy good commercial couplers but they
do go longer without leaking. The leaks drive me crazy too. I can't stand
putting down a tool and hearing the hiss. Check your local yellow pages for
commercial air couplers.

--

-Mike-

Leaking Air Couplings
 

"samson" wrote in message
...
In article 77a59c30-ab26-4ebe-ab61-bb69cf96eed9@
75g2000hso.googlegroups.com, says...
Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot. Is there any way to tight them, so
that sir doesn't leak? If not, can you recommend a brand that fits
together properly. This air leakage is driving me crazy.

I tried posting earlier... getting error messages. If this posts
twice, or similar post, sorry.

Sonny

The teflon tape is not working?


You should not need teflon tape on air couplings.

--

-Mike-

Leaking Air Couplings
 

"DGDevin" wrote in message
m...
Sonny wrote:

Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot. Is there any way to tight them, so
that sir doesn't leak? If not, can you recommend a brand that fits
together properly. This air leakage is driving me crazy.

I tried posting earlier... getting error messages. If this posts
twice, or similar post, sorry.

Sonny

If you mean leaking quick-disconnect couplings there is a little o-ring in
there that is usually the culprit (a dental pick helps when removing and
replacing these). Replace it and keep it lubed with something friendly to
o-rings and usually the leak goes away.


Not if you're using that air line for spray guns. No lubricants anywhere in
or near the line.

--

-Mike-

Leaking Air Couplings
 

Mike Marlow wrote:
"Sonny" wrote in message
...
Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot. Is there any way to tight them, so
that sir doesn't leak? If not, can you recommend a brand that fits
together properly. This air leakage is driving me crazy.

I tried posting earlier... getting error messages. If this posts
twice, or similar post, sorry.

Sonny

All air couplers will leak sooner or later, but the cheap ones start leaking
a lot sooner. It costs a bit more to buy good commercial couplers but they
do go longer without leaking. The leaks drive me crazy too. I can't stand
putting down a tool and hearing the hiss. Check your local yellow pages for
commercial air couplers.

I don't know about that -- I've Milton's that are at least 40-50 years
old that don't leak and haven't ever had anything done w/ them. I
suppose _eventually_ one of them might leak some, but I don't expect it
in my lifetime...

--

Leaking Air Couplings
 

I USE TEFLON TAPE. Lowes has a heavier (thicker) tape for "Gas
Fittings" that may help if the tolerances of your fittings are iffy.

I also put my compressor on a switch leg so that turning off the shop
lights turns off the cohmpresor feed as well as the feed to the little
power transformers for the battery chargers and such.

Leaking Air Couplings
 

The teflon tape is not working?

You should not need teflon tape on air couplings.


Looks as if I wasn't the only one that miss-read the OP. Sorry 'bout
that. I use the cheap couplings from HFT but found the BRASS versions
better than the STEEL (Pot metal?) set I returned as I found the
thread tolerances way off. Most of my leaking issues are with threads
(and, lately me bladder).

Leaking Air Couplings
 

On Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:13:35 -0400, "Greg Neill"
wrote:

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
"Sonny" wrote in message
Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot.

It is cheaper to spend more money on better quality from a god industrial
supply house.

"God industrial supply house". Must be Universal couplings.

Immaculate connection?


mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Leaking Air Couplings
 

Interesting idea..

but the flip side says if your compressor overdraws and the breaker trips..
you'll be in the dark.

"Hoosierpopi" wrote in message
...
I USE TEFLON TAPE. Lowes has a heavier (thicker) tape for "Gas
Fittings" that may help if the tolerances of your fittings are iffy.

I also put my compressor on a switch leg so that turning off the shop
lights turns off the cohmpresor feed as well as the feed to the little
power transformers for the battery chargers and such.

Leaking Air Couplings
 

In article 6ec150b7-17d5-43ff-b0c9-
,
says...


The teflon tape is not working?

You should not need teflon tape on air couplings.


Looks as if I wasn't the only one that miss-read the OP. Sorry 'bout
that. I use the cheap couplings from HFT but found the BRASS versions
better than the STEEL (Pot metal?) set I returned as I found the
thread tolerances way off. Most of my leaking issues are with threads
(and, lately me bladder).

Aye.

S.

Leaking Air Couplings
 

"dpb" wrote in message ...
Mike Marlow wrote:
"Sonny" wrote in message
...
Almost all of my air couplings leak lots of air. I bought them from
Harbor Freight and Home Depot. Is there any way to tight them, so
that sir doesn't leak? If not, can you recommend a brand that fits
together properly. This air leakage is driving me crazy.

I tried posting earlier... getting error messages. If this posts
twice, or similar post, sorry.

Sonny

All air couplers will leak sooner or later, but the cheap ones start
leaking a lot sooner. It costs a bit more to buy good commercial
couplers but they do go longer without leaking. The leaks drive me crazy
too. I can't stand putting down a tool and hearing the hiss. Check your
local yellow pages for commercial air couplers.

I don't know about that -- I've Milton's that are at least 40-50 years old
that don't leak and haven't ever had anything done w/ them. I suppose
_eventually_ one of them might leak some, but I don't expect it in my
lifetime...


Well hell - send me some of those then. I've never seen a brand of couple
that would not leak over time with regular use. Do you use your air tools a
lot? Do those couplers get daily, or even weekly use? If so, I really want
some.

--

-Mike-

Leaking Air Couplings
 

"Hoosierpopi" wrote in message
...
I USE TEFLON TAPE. Lowes has a heavier (thicker) tape for "Gas
Fittings" that may help if the tolerances of your fittings are iffy.

I also put my compressor on a switch leg so that turning off the shop
lights turns off the cohmpresor feed as well as the feed to the little
power transformers for the battery chargers and such.


Why the caps? Why not include the text you are responding to so that we
know what your response is in reference to? If your tolerances are iffy,
then you're using junk. The best solution to that problem is to get rid of
the junk because teflon tape is not going to make junk into a decent
product.

What does your power feed have to do with any part of this conversation?

--

-Mike-

Leaking Air Couplings
 

Mike Marlow wrote:
....
Well hell - send me some of those then. I've never seen a brand of couple
that would not leak over time with regular use. Do you use your air tools a
lot? Do those couplers get daily, or even weekly use? If so, I really want
some.

We standardized on the Milton Syle M clear back in the 50's sometime and
many of the ones still in use are of that vintage.

It's not a tire shop, no, but a working farm and they're used as the
need arises and certainly aren't pampered. I used them extensively w/
during the barn refurb project for nailers, sander, etc., ... That was
a two year or so period of quite heavy use. Other than that, compressed
air for cleaning and the almost inumerable number of tires by the time
one counts up all the tractors, trucks (from pickups to 18-wheel and all
axles combinations in between), farm implements, etc, etc., ... the
usage is frequent if not continuous. Don't know how else to
characterize it.

Here's the link to Milton--any decent supply house should have them.

https://www.miltonindustries.com/

--

Leaking Air Couplings
 

"Kevin" wrote in
l.net:

Interesting idea..

but the flip side says if your compressor overdraws and the breaker
trips.. you'll be in the dark.


I think he'll know right away.

Puckdropper

Leaking Air Couplings
 

On Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:26:11 -0500, samson wrote:

In article 6ec150b7-17d5-43ff-b0c9-
,
says...


The teflon tape is not working?

You should not need teflon tape on air couplings.


Looks as if I wasn't the only one that miss-read the OP. Sorry 'bout
that. I use the cheap couplings from HFT but found the BRASS versions
better than the STEEL (Pot metal?) set I returned as I found the
thread tolerances way off. Most of my leaking issues are with threads
(and, lately me bladder).

I missed the original post but I'll chime in here. If you can find
Cejn couplings you won't go wrong. I used to own an air tool repair
company and we sold Cejn as well as using them. I had one on our
repair bench that was connected and disconnected constantly 8 hours a
day, 5 days a week for over 10 years. Every so often it would start to
leak but there is a screwdriver slot on the end and a slight twist
would seal it right back up. Others around the shop that saw less
frequent use never leaked or needed tightening. I sold thousands to
customers and never had a complaint.