I was checking my setup for leaks by spraying soapy water on all the fittings, and in the process, some water got onto the pressure switch. I connected the pressure gauge to the system, which caused the compressor to turn on. It did not turn off when the pressure reached 145 psi like it should have and, instead, continued pumping until it reached 160 psi, which was the limit of the pressure gauge. At this point, I turned off the manual switch to the compressor.
Is water bad for a pressure switch? Should I let it dry on its own, or should I try drying it quicker? Or is it too late already?
It’s hard to say. You might be okay if you let the pressure out and let it dry, but I think it is probably junk. I had problems with a few pressure switches. I finally bought a Viair, and haven’t had a single problem since.
It’s on the shocker 228vx kit, so it just has the 2 wires coming out. I went ahead and ordered another pressure switch from hornblasters, just in case I do need it.
The reason I was checking for leaks in the first place was because, every 3 to 5 hours, the compressor was kicking on and turning off a minute or so later. After I shut the compressor off Friday, I went back out Saturday morning to find there was no pressure in the tank at all. So I do have a leak somewhere.
Ok, I’ve tested the pressure switch, and it is still not working. So, I have received a new switch in the mail. A problem has come up, in that I seem to be unable to remove the old switch from the tank. None of the wrenches I have will fit it. A 1" is too small, and a 1 1/16" is too big–it slips off. What size of wrench do I need to get the old switch off?
Have you tried metric sizes… or what about an adjustable wrench? If it is rusted (seized), make sure you give it a good burst with a penetrating lubricant. If all else fails (last resort), use a high pressure jaw clamp around the brass throat and have a go at it.
It sounds like it rusted onto the tank because the pressure switch shouldn’t need to be tightened down so much that you can’t shift it anyway . When you put the next one on, just use some good thread sealant tape and hand tighten until you have no air leak
An adjustable wrench won’t fit in the small space between the pressure switch, the port with the leader hose/check valve, and the mounting bracket on the tank. And the whole system isn’t even a year old, so it shouldn’t be rusted. It appears I’ll need a large pair of vice grips.
Well, looks like the pressure switch WAS rusted onto the tank. I finally got it off by using a pair of channel lock pliers. The rust was mainly confined to the bottom of the pressure switch, and it had eaten through the finish and was working its way up–probably a reason it failed.
I put the new switch on, hand-tightened it, then a couple more turns with the channel lock pliers. When putting the leader hose back on, I noticed the inside of that was rusted a bit too. However, I still was unable to get any water out of the tank itself.
It is very humid in North Florida, and it’s raining every day now. Is there any way I can filter the moisture out of the air before it gets sucked into the compressor or something? I remember kinda reading about a “moisture trap” or something that would do this.
Yeah we suffer the same down here. With the high humidity you always end up with water in the tank and it doesn’t take long at all to get rusty. You can get water traps on the inlet side but not that common because the tank is meant to trap the moisture. They are more often placed on the outlet side because as the warm compressed air looses pressure it drops temperature and water condenses as it hits the cool surfaces. Just make sure that the pressure switch doesn’t sit on the bottom or right next to your outlet port. Other than that just drain your tank regularly whilst it’s warm and humid.