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I've just got my first air compressor, it's a Nuair Belt Drive 3HP 150Litre 10Bar machine.

The instructions say to drain water from the tank after use. There is a tap on the bottom to do this.

Is it safe to open the tap when the tank is full or do I need to reduce the pressure in the tank before opening the valve?

Also should the tank be depressurized after use?

isherwood
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Keith Miller
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2 Answers2

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It is safe to open the drain while the tank is fully pressurized. The compressed air helps force the water out of the tank.

You do not have to de-pressurize the tank after using the compressor.

Edit: not de-pressurizing the tank is something I and co-workers have always practiced. We never de-pressurized. However, two compressors' owner's manuals I looked at say to release the tank air down to 20psi pressure then drain the water. So the water drain process when done by the book does effectively release all the air. On the other hand, my boss's auto-drain compressor did not require full depressurization to auto-drain....

Triplefault
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Also should the tank be depressurized after use?

5 people are voting here for You do not have to de-pressurize the tank after using the compressor.

Should I release the pressure out of an air compressor when it is not in use?

^^^ However, from there 10 people voted for drain the tank after each use or daily and also for storage, and other 5 for a separate answer of Yes, definitely drain it after each use., and another 2 for a separate answer of I always drain my compressor when finished. So 17 total for drain it, versus only 5 here for don't have to. So following the science if more people are draining it after each use versus not draining it, then the correct course of action seems to be drain it after each use.

you could also inquire from the manufacturer if they offer an air compressor training class.

ron
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