Potential disaster averted.

[Louie Ballis]

Last night, before I called it a night, I heard my 21 gallon harbor frieght compressor cycle on (faintly from the kitchen), which is not out of the ordinary.

This morning while leaving for work I heard it again, for some reason I thought that I should takle a look into my workshop, the compressor had obivious been running all night. I could smell what seemed to burnt oil (not an oil less compressor), a faint blue/black haze in the shop, and the motor housing was unbeleiveably hot to the touch.

I unhooked the air hose and shut it off, I noticed what (for lack of a better term) seemed like frothy oil comming out near the relief vavle on the actual cast iron tank. Upper part near the motor.

I really didnt have time to take a real close look, just shut it down. I will investigate tonight.

Is this worth looking into as far as getting repaired, or should I just consider myself luckey and realize that this is what you get for 138 dollars when similar compressors cost hundreds more?

A scary moment indeed. My six month pregnant wife and 5 year old daughter were asleep in the house as I was leaving.

[scott allen]

I would:

- Write off the $138. I can't imagine this would be worth fixing.
- Make it a habit to turn off the compressor when not in the shop.
- Don't tell the wife what happened!

Scott

[David Nelson1]

1+ on the Dont tell the wife..........

[Joe Jensen]

Do you think the blue haze was oil mist or smoke from a hot motor and compressor?

I read somewhere that a large compressor distributor used to test new 5-15HP compressor models from their suppliers by seeing if they could run all weekend with the tank valve open. Apparently none of the ones from Asia survived.

I'd start by checking the compressor oil level. If it still has enough oil, the pump might be ok.

Did it make pressure? Could be the auto start pressue switch failed and it kept running and excess pressure was released by the relief valve. this would be my guess. If so, I bought a new one from Grainger for a larger comrpressor for $50. I'm sure there are cheap asian ones somewhere. I think this is your best case. if yes, and you replace the switch, you still have a compressor that ran continuously for more than 8 hours. It's service life I think would be severely shortened.

[Lee Schierer]

Sounds like a good reason to power off the compressor when you aren't in the shop. At the very least I would change the oil in the compressor, then I would replace the pressure switch unless I found a good reason why it didn't reach full pressure. I would also check to insure the safety valve can actually lift to let off excess pressure.

[Bill LaPointe]

1. or should I just consider myself luckey and realize that this is what you get for 138 dollars when similar compressors cost hundreds more?

2. A scary moment indeed. My six month pregnant wife and 5 year old daughter were asleep in the house as I was leaving
Yes to both above.

[mark kosse]

I have that compressor and would buy another in a heartbeat. I keep mine hooked to a intermatic 20A spring woung timer on a circut in my garage. Plugged into that set of outlets is the compressor and any battery powered tool chargers I have. I set the timer for how long I think i will be working in the shop or how long the battery will need charged and I forget abot it. Best 20.00 I've spent.

Hope it helps.

[Van Huskey]

Glad you didn't have a bigger problem!!!

[Bruce Page]

1. Count your blessings, it could have been a tragedy if you hadn’t heard it running.

2. Change the oil and fire it up. If it works, investigate the problem. If not, cut your losses.

3. Always shut down any auto-start machinery when not in use.


JMHO :)

[scott vroom]

1) Never leave a compressor turned on...it's asking for trouble.

2) Throw it away and spend some money on a quality compressor.

3) Don't tell your wife.

[glenn bradley]

Glad that didn't get out of control. I have a timer on my compressor that only lets it come on after 8am and not after 10pm. This is just a belt and suspenders as I always (read usually remember to) unplug it when I am done for the day. Ironically this might have prevented you from being alerted to the problem.

[Mike Cruz]

+1... DON'T tell the wife!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You'll lose the whole shop!

[Brian D Anderson]

I'll echo what others have said and don't leave the compressor on . . . or plugged in for that matter.

A year (and 3 days) ago, I was awoken by my smoke detector in my basement at about 11:30pm. I came down and found my compressor on fire.

I was lucky on many counts. No damage to the house, wife and kid were away for the weekend.

I used to leave it plugged in and in the Auto (on) position. It only ever ran when I used it . . . otherwise it never leaked, so I was ok with leaving it in the Auto position. Needless to say I don't do that anymore.

And definitely don't show your wife these pictures. :D

-Brian

[Mike Cruz]

Wow, Brian, that is well, um, how do I put this...ready for CL! You should list it like this "This thing is HOT! It's smokin'! Very rare. Must see!" You are sure to get a lot of responses...:o

Glad to hear no damage and wife was away.

[Bruce Page]

Brian, +1 one the wow!
Did you notify Sears and what was their response?

[Van Huskey]

Brian that is one serious reminder to watch auto-run tools!!!

[Brian D Anderson]

Brian, +1 one the wow!
Did you notify Sears and what was their response?

You bet I did. There's a long story to it.

The somewhat shortened version is that the next day I called their 1-800 number. The operators there told me they were sorry, but Craftsman power tools only have 1 year warranties. So they couldn't do anything for me.

I wasn't too happy with that response :mad:. So I crafted a nicely worded, professional email expressing my disappointment in the product and the operators unwillingness to help me. I then sent this email, with pictures to everyone I could think of . . . which included the Sears product safety division, the Sears CEO, Devillbis (the company that actually made the compressor), and Intertek (the company that gives the ETL ratings/listings).

I was contacted almost immediately by lawyers from Sears and Devillbis. I arranged through the Sears lawyers to drop the compressor off at a local Sears and was told they would take care of me. And to their credit they did. I was able to upgrade to an oiled version, worth much more than my original compressor.

Interestingly, a week later the Devillbis lawyers called and wanted to get the compressor for testing. I told them they would have to talk to the Sears lawyers.

Then about a month later, I got a call from Intertek letting me know that they were opening an investigation and they wanted more details.

And even more strange . . . I actually just got a call from a woman last week, from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, saying she too was looking into it.

I don't think they've come to any conclusion on whether to recall this compressor or not.

Anyway, I was eventually happy (after I "ruffled their feathers" a bit :)), and now have a nice, quiet oiled compressor . . . that I leave unplugged!

-Brian

[Joe Mioux]

I'll echo what others have said and don't leave the compressor on . . . or plugged in for that matter.

A year (and 3 days) ago, I was awoken by my smoke detector in my basement at about 11:30pm. I came down and found my compressor on fire.

I was lucky on many counts. No damage to the house, wife and kid were away for the weekend.

I used to leave it plugged in and in the Auto (on) position. It only ever ran when I used it . . . otherwise it never leaked, so I was ok with leaving it in the Auto position. Needless to say I don't do that anymore.

And definitely don't show your wife these pictures. :D

-Brian

UP until a couple months ago, we always unplugged our sears craftsman 25 gal compressor. I have owned it for 12-13 years. HOwever, we got lazy. This compressor is at my store. I am going to unplug it right now.

thanks for the reminder.

[Louie Ballis]

Thanks all for the kind words.

I consider myself quite blessed, I never, and mean never, go into the shop before work. And I work a 12 hour day on wensdays. Had I not checked the shop that compessor would have been ruinning for over 20 hours or until.... I still dont know why I went in there yesterday, as I was even running late to my real job.

After a long time of sticking up for HF I think I might be done with them (except for their clamps and few smaller items). This compressor is less than three months old. Could take it back, but I dont think I"d take a new one as a gift now.

As a relative newbie I thought it ok to leave the compessor on auto all the time. Time for a new one; any suggestions?

[Bruce Page]

Time for a new one; any suggestions?

ingersoll rand. pricey but worth it.

[Bruce Page]

Brian, that's quite a story. I'm glad that Sears took care of you.

The squeaky wheel gets the oil!

[Alan Lilly]

I'd throw it away, but I'd keep the motor. You never know when a motor can come in handy for other projects. :)

[Aaron Wingert]

I'd toss the HF compressor and cut my losses. Glad to hear this wasn't a bigger disaster for you and yours.

You know, I never gave this a thought until now. I have a 30 gallon (I think it is 30) super-loud oilless Craftsman in my garage and I have air lines piped to the basement shop. It stays on all the time and periodically refills. Or at least it did...Going to turn it off today.

I'm thinking that I'll install a 20A switched receptacle in the garage and will install the switch by the door to the shop so I remember to turn it off.

[Jim Terrill]

I'd toss the HF compressor and cut my losses. Glad to hear this wasn't a bigger disaster for you and yours.

You know, I never gave this a thought until now. I have a 30 gallon (I think it is 30) super-loud oilless Craftsman in my garage and I have air lines piped to the basement shop. It stays on all the time and periodically refills. Or at least it did...Going to turn it off today.

I'm thinking that I'll install a 20A switched receptacle in the garage and will install the switch by the door to the shop so I remember to turn it off.

Something that just came to mind- those motion sensing switches. Not sure what the amp rating is on them, but what if they only supplied power when you were working in the shop? Nearly idiot-proof and IIRC you can set them from 5min-1hr depending on the model. I wouldn't use on for my shop lights for obvious reasons, but for other things like compressor or air cleaner, they could be a good idea. How many times have people gone to work in the shop, thought it was a bit dusty and realized the air cleaner was off?

[Rick Fisher]

This is a good thread..

I often hear the compressor that operates my sander cycle on at 11:00 PM.. It reminds me to go out and turn it off. Its just caused by a slow leak in the sander, but just the same..

I think a receptacle that is tied to the light switch would be a good idea.. if the lights are off, no power to the compressor.

[Jim Terrill]

This is a good thread..

I often hear the compressor that operates my sander cycle on at 11:00 PM.. It reminds me to go out and turn it off. Its just caused by a slow leak in the sander, but just the same..

I think a receptacle that is tied to the light switch would be a good idea.. if the lights are off, no power to the compressor.

I think a switch next to the lights might be good, but if my compressor decides to cycle up while I'm on the TS and somehow pops my lights, not good. Not saying it would ever happen, but there is a reason my shop lights aren't even on the same panel as the rest of my shop circuits. Even if I somehow overload my shop supply and pop that breaker, I still have lights.

[Van Huskey]

Brian I don't know what part of the story is more compelling, before or after the fireworks!

[Steve Kohn]

I was helping a friend rewire his shop. He has a big old honking 80 gallon compressor that he used to leave on all the time. He claimed his system was so tight that the compressor hardly ever cycled.

I convinced him to go out and buy a $25 relay. We wired the relay coil to one of his overhead light circuits and the relay contacts to the dedicated 220V circuit for his compressor.

Guess what happens every morning when he goes into the shop and turns on the lights? Yep, his compressor starts up and runs for a good couple of minutes. Obviously his air system wasn't as tight as he thought.

IMHO leaving your compressor in the auto mode is a safety and energy saving issue. Now all I need to do is to do the same thing in my shop. But until I do, I turn my compressor off when I leave the shop.

[Van Huskey]

Very good idea Steve.

[mreza Salav]

Glad you and your family are Ok.

1- I always drain the compressor if I am not going to use it for a couple of days, turn off and unplug it.

2- I never leave any power tool ON when leaving the shop.
In fact I turn OFF all the breakers of my shop whenever I leave the shop.
It's better to be safe than sorry.

[Chip Lindley]

Compressors have three ways to self destruct. Hazard 1 is the electrical pressure switch. A good chance your cheap pressure switch contacts melted closed and allowed the motor to keep running...and running... It's hard to justify a $40 pressure switch on a cheap compressor, but, the choice is yours.

Hazard 2 is a pressure relief valve which malfunctions. Evidently yours worked properly to keep the tank from exploding during all that pumping.

Hazard 3: It's amazing your motor did not fry from extended running. It's internal overload switch may have opened a few times to allow it to cool down and then resume running (and pumping) again. Who knows? A motor with a push-to-reset overload would be more failsafe when easily accessible.

As for changing the oil and running your HF compressor again, it will probably run but keep blowing oil, as the piston ring(s) are probably well-worn, allowing air to enter the crankcase, thus blowing frothy oil out the breather vent. But, your motor and tank are still usable. Peddle them on CL, or look for an AC with fried motor or rusty tank to rebuild yours. Good Luck, and very glad all turned out well!

[Mike Harrison]

Glad to see there was no serious damage, but, Speculation, manufactured horror "what if'" stories, and perpetuation of "I heard somewhere" urban myths are all childish pursuits. The questions that matter are; What actually happened? Is it repairable? Do I want to keep and repair it? Is it still under warranty if I decide to repair it?