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pancake air compressor questions

2K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  lenaitch 
#1 ·
I just ordered a 3 gallon Porter-Cable pancake air compressor and have some basic questions about its operation.

1) Suppose for example I intend to use it to inflate tires on two bikes. Do I have to fill the compressor completely or can I stop the operation when I feel it has enough air for two bikes?

2) Regarding portability, once filled with some capacity of compressed air does the unit have to be plugged in the wall in order to fill tires or be used to operate an air blow gun?

3) Does the tank need to be drained of air every time you are done using it? Or is it okay for it to sit idle a certain amount of days before the compressed air NEEDS to be drained out.

Thanks!
 
#10 ·
A lot of people don't understand how a compressor works and think they can run anything off of a small pancake.They see 150-150 psi and think that can run anything.
You need enough air storage and cubic feet per minute to run whatever tool you will be using at the duty cycle the compressor can keep up with.PSI has little to do with it.
Ayuh,.... Agreed,.... Plug an impact gun to it, 'n the gun will run for a few Seconds,....

Same with car tires,...
Bring the car closer to the power for the compressor, or use an extension cord,.....

Pancake compressors have very, very little volume,....

As far as drainin' it,...
It's the condensate water ya wanta drain,...
The air in it is irrelevant to anything,...
 
#2 ·
I have that exact model of pancake compressor.

1) Yes, let it ramp up completely with air before inflating tires. Bike tires don't take the pressure down too much to be sure, but I always fill to capacity. It only takes a minute or two to fill.

2) It doesn't have to be plugged in to use it, but your pressure will drop quickly especially if using a blow gun or filling car tires. Sometimes I fill mine, unplug it and carry it to fill my truck tires if my truck is parked away from an electrical outlet. You might get 15 psi into one truck tire before the air pressure begins to dwindle down.......

3) I don't know if it's good for a compressor or not, but I leave mine on and filled for weeks at a time. You never know when you're gonna need it! About every month or so, I drain the air, and drain any moisture that has collected in the tank. I've had mine for 5 years with no problems operating it this way.
 
#3 ·
#1 The compressor will take may two minutes at most to get full.You don't have to wait on it but why not?If you shut it off and it does not inflate the tire you are starting over again and wasting more time.
#2 It does not have to be plugged in to get the air that will remain in the tanks out considering it will hold air for the period of time and nothing is leaking.Do not keep the hose plugged into the unit when considering using it this way.
#3 I have owned many compressors over the years and have drained the tanks after every use.The tanks are steel and moisture sitting in them for any extended time will cause them to rust inside.Along with rusting thru from the inside the scale from the rust will also clog your drain valve which will have to be taken out and cleaned or replaced.
 
#15 ·
There is a difference between 'pressure' and 'volume'. Filling a bicycle tires to 35psi from flat takes a lot less volume than filling a car tire from flat.

All air contains moisture. Whether it's in or out of a gaseous state depends on temperature and pressure. I don't think I've ever known a shop to drain their tanks when not in use and some of their equipment lasts for years, let alone draw it out with a vacuum (which the valving probably wouldn't support anyway).
 
#12 ·
So the liquid is drained to prevent rust? About as far from the truth as could be since the tank air that remains is still moisture laden.

To prolong the tank life from rust, draw a vacuum to dry it, heat it to dry or never use it. But draining water does increase the cubic inch capacity by about that much.
 
#13 ·
CAUTION:​
Do not operate air compressor without air filter.

Storage Tanks​
Storage tanks should be drained after each use or after every four hours of operation to prevent​
condensation build-up and corrosion inside tank. To drain tanks, slowly and carefully open drain​
fittings tip unit towards drain and allow water to drain out.​
NOTE:​
When draining tanks, watch for debris (rust particles). If there appears to be debris in water,

contact your dealer for possible tank replacement.

Copied from a Bostich compressor manual.
 
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