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How many times a month do we have to drain the water from my compressor?

Every time you operate your air compressor, the atmospheric air that fills your compressor tank contains a certain percentage of water vapor, and if left alone, this water vapor can accumulate and damage the internal structure of your air compressor. The interior of your tank is covered with a moisture resistant coating to prevent corrosion that would otherwise result from water-to-steel contact. Depending on where you live, the humidity in your air will affect the rate at which water vapor condenses on the inside of the air compressor and accumulates at the lowest point in the tank. Eventually, water can build up and your air compressor could be pushing out water droplets. Water inside the tank can more easily pick up bits of dust and residue in the air and from the tank components that can further react with and damage the tank coating. Eventually, the degradation of the protective coating will lead to rust on the inside of the tank and affects the integrity of the tank itself. Our experts recommend getting in the habit of draining your tank on a daily basis.

Tips on remembering when draining your compressor:

When you are draining your compressor, make sure your compressor is turned off and unplugged, and as an extra layer of precaution, also wear safety glasses when you are draining your tank. They’re functional, yet keep you looking cool. Follow the instructions in your model’s manual to locate the drain value, open the drain valve completely, and leave it open until the tank is completely empty to ensure that all water is evacuated. Automatic drains are available for your compressors to take the "thinking" out of remembering to drain your machine. By draining your tank completely on a daily basis, you will be actively preventing the effects of corrosion and prolonging the life of your air compressor.

You ask, we listen. Please join us every Thursday with #CPTechThursday posting common questions you would like answered. Our passion are our machines and helping our customers. Reach out anytime.

Steve Shrum , Technical Support Manager for Chicago Pneumatic

Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up to date on our #CPTechThursday posts.

Please contact [email protected] for additional information. For tech support for any Chicago Pneumatic product, please call us at (877)861-2722, opt 1. Or email us at [email protected] . We look forward to helping.

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