Should a Pancake Compressor Bleed Air?

[Russ Filtz]

OK, I know I should use the blow-down valve to get rid of moisture after using my pancake compressor, but sometimes I forget! :o

Anyway, is it normal for these compressor to leak some while setting? Probably gets back to 0 psi in maybe a day or so.

Should I not worry, or try to tighten all the fittings, or swap it out? Pretty much brand new PC 150 psi unit.

[tod evans]

russ, i wouldn`t worry about it...unless you can hear the air hissing......02 tod

[Tyler Howell]

As Tod said no worries. That is pretty common for most units. If you have absolutely nothing better to do and are ready to open a can of worms.
You can reseal all the connectons with pipe dope and or teflon tape.
Sometimes just tightening the connection will seal her up.;)

[Al Willits]

If you have the quick disconects on your air hoses they can leak also, I come out of my compressor and use a 3/4" ball valve to shut the line off.
Seems to help when I remember to shut it off...

But like said before, if this is a small unit I wouldn't worry about it.

Al

[Russ Filtz]

Thanks all, just kind of bugged me when I went to use it and had no pressure, ha dto go to the trouble of plugging it in! :eek: too much work.

[Kent Fitzgerald]

No, it shouldn't leak, and that compressor is way too loud to run any more than necessary (especially if you leave it switched on and it fires up in the middle of the night).

If yours is like mine was, it's leaking at the pipe nipple between the tank and the pressure switch. This is a weak spot in the design, because any tension on the air hose puts torque on this joint. Mine was assembled barely finger tight and it developed a major hiss after a few days' use. I didn't feel like returning the whole package, so I D/C'ed the switch wiring and was able to get a full turn on it with my bare hand. It's tight as a drum now.

[Steve Clardy]

I've got two of the 6 gallon ones.
One will have air in it for weeks at a time.
The other will bleed down in a matter of hours.
I don't worry about leaks until I can hear them spewing air.

[Kyle Kraft]

Check it with some snoop. It can pinpoint leaks down to a gnat f@r+...maybe smaller.

[Ben Grunow]

I have used spray water and dish soap to find the leaks on air compressors. Most are too time consuming to repair but depending on where the leak is it might be worth it. It can be annoying to listen to the compressor fill every time you start work. In my experience the pipe and fittings are seldom tight enough from the factory and most units leak. I would at least check where the leak is. Just MHO.

[Vaughn McMillan]

My little compressor (18-ish gallons) has historically maintained its pressure pretty well, but a few weeks ago it started turning on avery 20 minutes or so, and would drop to 0 psi overnight when it was switched off. I wasn't looking forward to sussing out the leak, but I almost accidentally waved my hand under the pressure regulator (I think that's what that part is called) and felt a slight breeze. It's coming out of the bottom of the regulator body itself, not a fitting, but it should be a pretty easy replacement job.

- Vaughn

[Lee DeRaud]

If you have the quick disconects on your air hoses they can leak also...Yup. Mine loses about 2-3PSI per week...unless I leave the hose plugged in, then it bleeds down completely in about three days. (Not really a problem: it's unplugged when not actually in use, due to the socket-challenged state of my garage.)

[Norman Hitt]

The most common leak on these is the quick disconnect. Try unplugging your air hose when finished, and see if it doesn't hold the pressure.