Fixing My Air Compressor

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

I've got two "Husky" air compressors from Home Depot. These are made by Campbell Hausfeld. They're rated 7hp and 19cfm two stage 175psi. The 7hp rating was a joke as the motors were rated about the same amps as a standard 5hp motor. Very early on the motors went south and I replaced them with heavy duty 5hp motors that I had around. These have worked well.

Recently they had gotten rather noisy. Now Ive had these for about 7 years and alway added oil when they ran dry. Because of the noise, i recently built a sound enclosure for them. That helped for a while. One reason for having two is so I always have at least one running if one quit. Well, I noticed one's flywheel seemed to be wobbling a bit and finally quit when it ripped the motor apart. Just tore the welds loose from the stamped base. At about the same time the other one was getting pretty noisy too and would not pump up to pressure.

Thought I was going to have to replace them both, bummer. Well, it was going to take too long to get new pumps so I decided to tear one down. I started with the one that pumped good. The slop in the flywheel end made it obvious that the bearing was gone. Tore the whole thing down and was surprised that almost everything seemed in perfect condition, connecting rod bearings were tight, bores looked good, good compression etc.

Replaced the $25.00 ball bearing and put it back together. I did take the heads apart and cleaned up the little reed valves, they had a little buildup on them. Fresh oil and a new air cleaner, WOW, so quiet!

That went so well I pulled the other one down. Valves needed a little more work with the Scotch-brite plus the same flywheel end bearing. I'm back in business! Might try to remember to check the oil a little more often now, but I'm impressed with how much they can be abused.

All is well!

[Fe-Wood]

Here I was settling back for a story about cheep home depot junk! Aside from the motor, you give a pretty good endorsement (own stock?). I've always shied away from Husky Compressors... May have to reconsider...

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Yeah, except for the motor, I'm pretty impressed. They don't seem to offer this model any more. It's an upright with 90 gallon tank, around $1,000.00. They do have, like, a 5 year warranty, but I didn't want to take them back just to get another junky motor.

Oh yeah, they run all day every day, sometimes constant.

[pkrankow]

WOW, I'll keep this in mind when I start compressor shopping. Those are about 2x the size I am looking for though, but that is based on what I expect to do with one.
Phil

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

I suppose I spent about four hours on each one, not bad for seven years of "deferred maintenance”!

"Need" always expands to exceed what is available.

[Brian D]

That's pretty good service from those compressors....I have talked to others that tried to use them in industrial or commercial service and they did not last very long at all. May be that they were in a little different application or consumption demands. If they hold up for your daily use, they should be an excellent fit for the average home workshop.

I'm glad that they are holding up for you.

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Yeah, I think, like mine, the motors are junk. I knew that going in and expected to have to replace them.

Edited October 6, 2009 by nakedanvil

[mcraigl]

Grant,
did you do any sort of "break-in" procedure when you first got them? I got a new Quincy about a year ago, and it was shipped with a "break-in" lubricant, and after so many hours (40 I think), etc. I was supposed to D&R with new compressor Oil. Ingersol Rand's have a similar break-in procedure. I figure I'm probably getting close to the 40hrs. of service at this point and will probably do it before winter "really" sets in. Just wondering if you had done it and maybe we could attribure some of the things you saw to it, or conversely if it's just a gambit to get you to buy their bazillion dollar per gallon synthetic compressor oil (quincy or IR).
ML

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Probably a good idea. No, I didn't do anything like that. I'm certainly not unhappy with 7 years of service and then just needing a ball bearing. They only have a single "A" belt and so need the belt pretty tight, put more load on the bearing.

[beth]

oops i didnt know about any break in procedure mine cant have done many hours - prob about 30 or 40 hours.. should i be doing anything?. maybe ive got the sales manual somewhere..

[Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver]

Other than replacing the motors they really had no maintenance, zero, nada. Only started checking the oil in the last couple of years. Outa sight, outa mind. I kinda thought of them as disposable, I guess.

[Dawg]

Heres another use for old hot water tanks they make great reserve storage tanks on air systems with little work. any compressor made of cast iron is a good bet for rebilds and long life anvil just proved it.

[Avadon]

I have a Porter-Cable CPLMC7580V2C 7.5hp 180psi 25scfm @90psi and it runs on 30amps (220V) and when I bought it I thought it was humongous! It came in a giant package. It was like christmas. At $2330.00 plus shipping it wasn't cheap. Everyone was telling me buy bigger then you think you'll need and so I did. Well after using it for about 2 years and researching pneumatic power hammers I realize this is only about mid range to run power hammers meaning it would probably run more (longer duty cycle) than something bigger and more adequate. So when they say go bigger, they mean really bigger. lol Like I probably should have gone to an Ingersoll Rand 10HP Two Stage 2545K10 FP. Some people do swear by campell hausfield and they make decent lower output models but i've relegated to stay with porter cable, ingersol or Chicago Pneumatic. Some day i'd love to build some specialized sound proof cabinet for the thing so I can have it outside where it can run it's little heart out.