Free air?

[3930dave]

I received one of the 12 volt compressors as a gift back about 1989 and used it one time only. A cousin had a flat on his pickup and we sat in the shade and drank 2 beers each while it aired up that tire. From what I've read, some of the newer ones are vastly improved.:laughing:

Bird - sometimes new technology isn't better.

A faster compressor would mean less time for drinkng beer ! :drink:

Rgds, D.

 

[crazyal]

Most times I can't be bothered to wait for my 5hp 60 gallon compressor to get enough air in it. Besides why pay for the electricity to turn my pump when a local company is willing to pay for me. I assume the cost to own and operate it can't be too much since it's still there. If they do remove it I'll probably stop less often.

 

[Diamondpilot]

My shop compressor is 33 gallon and it has not been shut off in over 10 years except to drain. I I have two hose reels in the shop each with a hundred foot hose. When we built our barn we plumbed air back to the house. I have a air fitting upstairs in a closet, one downstairs in a closet, and a small hose reel in the attached 2 car garage. The compressor only runs when needed to cost me very little to operate. No waiting around for it to air up.

Chris

 

[SPYDERLK]

The air isn't really free. Someone has to pay to run and maintain the compressor. Just surprised by how many here don't even have a small home AC...Shocked really. I have always had a 60gal upright 220v. I always saw it as an absolute necessity.

Agreed! ... I grew up without it but went to having air as soon as I had my own place. Soo many uses - pre assembly cleaning among the highly convenient.
larry

 

[Diamondpilot]

I flew to Chareleston today. Saw a guy at a gas station airing up a trailer tire with a bike pump.


Chris

 

[timswi]

Agreed! ... I grew up without it but went to having air as soon as I had my own place. Soo many uses - pre assembly cleaning among the highly convenient.
larry

When I built the new house I left my 60gal at the last house (I pretty much wore it out and the new owner was more than happy to try and rebuild)..Once we moved in I didn't have a compressor. When I had to do vehicle maintenance it was really painful seeing toolbox drawers full of air tools that I couldn't use...Needless to say, that deficiency didn't last long.

 

[ENC]

Those bike pumps are handy. The one they sell at Walmart says it will pump to 50 psi which is enough to get someone with a slow leak out of a jam. They take up little space they are maintenance free and they are cheap. I gave up on the 12 volt jobbers they never work fast enough or long enough. I work in construction. And there is usually more than one compressor anywhere I am headed and I still have a pump in all my vehicles.

 

[powerpace]

I buy all my tires from Les Schwaub tires. A chain of tire stores located mainly in the Northwest. If I need air I pull into the tire bay, they check the air on each tire and do a quick physical on the brakes and running gear. No charge, no heavy sales pressure. They repair tires (bought through them) no charge.
I rotate my tires every 10,000 miles also no charge and the quick gear check-up.
I can also get my tractor tires filled with Calcium Chlorate or Beet juice. The local John Deere dealer and Kubota dealer have their tractor tires filled at Les Schwaub.

I do have a air compressor at my shop but it's more convenient to go to the dealer for the road tires.

 

[MESSMAKER]

My shop compressor is 33 gallon and it has not been shut off in over 10 years except to drain. I I have two hose reels in the shop each with a hundred foot hose. When we built our barn we plumbed air back to the house. I have a air fitting upstairs in a closet, one downstairs in a closet, and a small hose reel in the attached 2 car garage. The compressor only runs when needed to cost me very little to operate. No waiting around for it to air up.

Chris

I get having air in the garage, but I don't recall using that much air in my closet?:laughing:I got you know what you use it for.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I get having air in the garage, but I don't recall using that much air in my closet?:laughing:I got you know what you use it for.

Super handy. I use it at least once a month. Just last month we did crown molding in our master bed room. Used the brad nailer and finish nailer. It was minus 13 the day we did it. No running hoses all over and having open doors or windows. Also used it to blow out dust from computer key boards, tv's, ect. Used it in December to run a die grinder up in a chimney flue to cut off a broken damper. No way to do it with anything but a die grinder or possibly a dremel.

It was a no brainer. I was running air 200' to the garage anyway. It only took another 25' of pipe and and a few chucks plus a 50' hose that lives in the house.

Ran everything with 1/2" pex. My compressor is 175 psi unit and I put a regulators at each fixture with a gauge. Got them on line for $5 each back when I did it so I can set the pressure as needed.

Chris

 

[Bird]

I'd love to have air plumbed inside the house for the same uses, although in my current home, it's 12 ft. out the back door and across the patio/breezeway into the shop/recreation room. And I, too, keep that 30 gallon compressor charged up all the time and I step out there to blow out my electric razor every time I shave.

 

[Gary Fowler]

That is very innovative ideas for new house. I don't know that I would have done it in the closets even if I had thought about it, but having it in the garage would have been great. I have to go to the shop to blow out the HEPA vacuum filters and the little small hand vac filters now and then and having air at the house would sure beat walking thru the rain and cold to the shop 200 feet away.
I too keep my compressor plugged in and charged up all the time. Its much more convenient when using it for small tasks the just pick up the hose and have pressure there rather than wait for it to charge up.
The one thing I have been meaning to do for a long time is install a 90 ell and 1/4 turn valve on the bottom for draining the water. I just cant remember to pick up the parts needed to do it. Mine is so low to the floor that I have to tilt the compressor back in order to get pliers on the petcock to loosen it up, finger tight stops it but I always need pliers to loosen it up. Not as strong as I used to be in the grip.

 

[Gary Fowler]

As for free air, I haven't seen that in my area since early 70s when most of the mom and pop stores folded up as Walmart came to town. Full service stations went at about the same time. Now it is hard to even find the quarter operated ones at most places and then like has been said they are stuck in a corner somewhere and no way to get to a trailer tire and even a car might have to be turned around to get to the opposite side if checking all 4 tires. I got my first compressor in 1974 and was one of the first purchases to go in the garage of my new house. I have had one ever since and now have 2. I recently bought a dual tank Puma for portable use if needed as the 30 gallon one is a bit hard to load up. Now with a small genset and small compressor, nothing is outside the radius of working with the right tools no matter where the breakdown occurs.

 

[jinman]

I try to kill two birds (not Birds ) with one stone. I buy a booster/jumper battery pack with a built-in compressor. That way, I have a booster battery and compressor for emergencies. I also have a small 2-gal compressor in my well-house that is perfect for mower, auto, and even tractor tires. It does very well even for filling rear tractor tires. Of course, if the rears are liquid filled, they don't require as much air to top off.

I noticed many places that used to have air that quit after repeated vandalism of their air station. I've seen slashed hoses, stolen hoses, and even damage to hard lines from vandals. Many stations used to have a pit with a locking cover where their air hoses attached. Most of the old stations had self-retracting hose reels when full service was common. My place I go for oil changes always checks and tops off the air pressure in all my tires and also tops up washer fluid in the reservoir. So, every two to three months, all my tires get checked and topped up.

 

[Bird]

The one thing I have been meaning to do for a long time is install a 90 ell and 1/4 turn valve on the bottom for draining the water.

I did that a long time ago. Since it's so quick and easy, I pop that valve open at least 4 or 5 days a week.

Unfortunately, the drain was so low to the floor that even a little 90 el was against the floor, but since I never move the compressor anyway, I put some blocks under the wheels, as you can see.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I did that a long time ago. Since it's so quick and easy, I pop that valve open at least 4 or 5 days a week.

Unfortunately, the drain was so low to the floor that even a little 90 el was against the floor, but since I never move the compressor anyway, I put some blocks under the wheels, as you can see.
View attachment 360024

I had to go into town today to get my eye glasses fixed so I stopped by Lowes and picked up a 1/4" valve, 90 street ell and a 3" nipple. I had to get everything in brass which is ok for the lack of corrosion but much more expensive than galvanized. Lowes didn't have anything in 1/4" other than brass. I hope the $5.88 3" nipple is long enough because they wanted $12.88 for a 4.5" long one. I also hope it is 1/4" NPT size that I need as I didn't think to measure it prior to getting the parts. Now, I just have to install it. Sure hope I can make it work without the blocks like Bird, as I do move my compressor around the shop at times rather than roll out 50 feet of hose, I just move the compressor.

 

[Bird]

rather than roll out 50 feet of hose, I just move the compressor.

That can sometimes work better, but I haven't moved a compressor around instead of more hose since we were full time RVers and carried a little 2 gallon compressor.:laughing: In other words, not since the first of 1995. I leave one 50' hose hooked up all the time, and have two more of them hanging on the wall. Of course, all my air accessories have quick couplers.

 

[grsthegreat]

for portable jobs, i use my twin tank emglow compressor. that unit if over 20 years old and still works great. getting kind of cranky starting up in 5F days...but then again so am I

 

[grsthegreat]

one thing i did do a few years ago was to add a shut off valve and male hose end to my underground sprinkler control box next to my shop. For years, i kept taking off sprinkler ends and blowing out the water come winter. then a few years ago i had a brain fart.....why not just add a hose adapter. Now i just roll out my 50 foot hose from shop, plug it in and open valve. All i have to do is manually open all 24 zones and blow them out. what used to take hours and hours of labor now takes maybe 20 minutes. and all i have to do is turn the valves on manually from the control box. Did i tell you i LOVE my shop compressor.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I did that a long time ago. Since it's so quick and easy, I pop that valve open at least 4 or 5 days a week.

Unfortunately, the drain was so low to the floor that even a little 90 el was against the floor, but since I never move the compressor anyway, I put some blocks under the wheels, as you can see.
View attachment 360024

As I stated earlier, I was determined to put in a quick valve to drain the water, so while in town at Lowes I picked up all the fittings I need in brass which was all Lowes had in 1/4" size- 1 street ell ($5.20) one 2.5"long nipple ($5.29) and a 1/4 turn ball valve ($6.49). It all fit like a glove and by using the street ell, it keeps everything up off the floor by at least an inch and the 2.5" nipple puts the valve out far enough so the curvature of the tank bottle allows for the valve handle to be facing up so it is easier to reach. I just need to take a picture of it to prove that I actually did install it.