Over time your compressor tank may fail, and it is time for a replacement compressor tank.
Why would a compressor air tank fail?
Compressors cram a lot of air into compressor air tanks. Along with that air comes a lot of water vapor. That water vapor will condense into water inside the air tank. Over time, the high level of moisture inside the tank will quite likely start to corrode the tank. Eventually, a pin hole leak may appear indicating it is time for a replacement compressor tank.
Replacement compressor tank now!
This is not something to fool around with.
If your air compressor tank has a pin hole in it and compressed air is blowing out, you can be certain that the area of corrosion inside the tank is much bigger than the pin hole size. If the corrosion damages the tank wall enough, then eventually you not have a pin hole leak, you may get a massive tank failure.
A pin hole leak is a warning. We suggest that you do not use a compressor with a pin hole leak in the tank wall until the tank is replaced.
Sourcing a replacement compressor tank
The issue always is… when your compressor tank fails, where do you get a new one?
Used Tank
Finding a comparable, used air compressor is one source for a replacement compressor air tank. The obvious issues with that method are how old is the old tank, and what corrosion issues are you buying when you acquire a used tank? There really is way to know what the condition of the inside of a used air tank is.
Original compressor source
Depending on where you purchased your air compressor originally, some of these vendors may actually be able to find you a replacement tank.
Even if they do, however, the new tank cost may surprise you.
Recently we saw a case where a compressor user, pricing the new tank from the same source they purchased their air compressor from originally, found that the new tank price was actually higher than the price for the whole air compressor when it was new.
Consider another air compressor
We recommend that, as a source for a new tank for your compressor, you review the sale prices for all brands of air compressors that have the same, or slightly large, tank size.
Examine the new compressors to compare how the pump section is mounted to the tank. Also see how the pump is plumbed into the tank and to the pressure switch assembly. You may find, as we did, that almost all the air compressors with the same style and size of tank mount in a very similar fashion. We also suspect the reason for this is that many of these different brands are actually manufactured by the same off-shore company.
Looking for new comparably sized compressors and tanks may result in you finding that it is less expensive to acquire a new compressor with the same tank size as your failed tank than to just buy a new tank. Not only will you have a brand new tank for your old air compressor, you will have a host of compressor accessories that you can have available as spares for your older air compressor as other compressor components wear out.
Does the tank have any type of warranty?
Hi Dennis. We suspect that the compressor tank warranty equals the compressor warranty, if you have purchased a new compressor. If you buy the tank separately, it may have a warranty too. You would have to check with the tank supplier.