compressor help?

Main Train Horns
1

Hello all I need alittle help. I have had my Conductor Special now for several years and have just recently had to replace my Compressor. My wife surprised me with the purchase and got me the Viair 280C. My question is… The compressor builds PSI qucik from 0-50 and then it really starts to struggle. I have not ran it past 100 PSI yet because of the run time. I have checked for leaks and finally have them all fixed. Why does it start to struggle around 50 PSI? Thanks for any help.

2

Welcome to the forum. What size tank have you got, and how long are you letting it run? On a 2.5 gallon that compressor will take around five minutes to reach 150psi from empty.

3

Sorry. haha. I am running a 5 gallon tank and I have let it run for as long as 20 mins and it only got to 100 psi. I am scratching my head on this one man. I done the install on these horns myself so I know them front to back. Thanks

4

Leader hose / check valve installed the correct direction?
Arrow should be pointing towards the tank.

5

Hmm… 20 minutes is no good, especially on a 30% duty cycle compressor. It should fill the tank in just under 10 minutes. Has it tripped the overheat protection yet?

I agree with ear2ear. The most common issue (and first thing to test) is the check valve as you could have a suspect unit. Probably a silly question, but did you remove the red protective nipple from the valve before joining it to the tank?

OK… troubleshooting, I’d do:

  1. Try uncoupling the leader hose from your tank and run the compressor. Make sure you’re getting a good flow of air out of the leader. If that seems OK, then try No.2.

  2. Check all electrical connections with a multimeter (Resistance on your earth, power Voltage-In, Amperes during use). A little slow down of the compressor is normal… if it’s struggling, drawing more amps than it should, or slowing down a lot then you’ve got wiring issues or a dud. If all seems OK, then try No.3

  3. Install another pressure gauge. Make sure the readings are accurate. Unlikely, but the gauge could be faulty. I assume you’re running the HB combined pressure switch/relay? If all seems OK… then…

  4. Send your compressor back to Viair.

6

Thanks guys for the help. I replaced the leader hose and the check valve and it took no time at all to reach 150 psi. Once again thanks for the help.

7

Welcome to the forum. As you discovered, you came to right place for help.