Clean out your strainer!

Many companies that have compressed air have timed electric drains on their tanks.  They look like this:

They are very convenient, because you don't have to remember to drain your tank every day.  However, the convenience is a double-edged sword.  They're sometimes so convenient that the maintenance person forgets to maintenance them at all. 

You are supposed to clean out the strainer to make sure it's not clogged.  Most of the failures we see from these drains are because the strainers were clogged.

You should check the strainer weekly.  It's very easy to do.  Here's how.

1.  SAFETY FIRST - Make sure the power to the compressor is disconnected - at the the disconnect - don't rely on the pressure switch.  Make sure the drain is unplugged from it's electrical supply.  Make sure you drain all of the pressure out of the tank.

2.  Find the strainer on the drain.  It should be piped between the solenoid of the drain and the tank.  There will be nut you can remove without unpiping it.  On some strainers it's on the end, and on some it's in the middle.

3.  Remove the nut, take out the mesh inside, clean out the mesh, and put everything back together.  Turn everything back on, and pressure test it by having the drain manually open (usually there's a button on the drain).  Check for leaks.

That's it.  It should only take a couple of minutes, unless the nut is stuck on there. 

If the mesh is gone, you can pick up some cheap from a local hardware shore.  Cut it to size, roll it into a cylinder and put it in the strainer.

If you don't have a strainer - get one.  You can pick them up nearly anywhere and they're cheap.  Just check the psi rating to make sure it meets or exceeds the psi rating of your tank.  If you can't find one, we sell a 1/2" one for $20 (our part number is YBS50).  You know what - I'm knocking down that price 20% to $18, if you like this on Facebook or share it on Twitter.

This simple step can prevent a drain failure.  In some air systems an unnoticed drain failure can be a disaster - the tank will fill up with water and you'll shoot it downstream, damaging all of your equipment.

Never skimp on maintenance - you'll pay for it later.