Viair check valve; frozen in 13 degree F temp?

Partners & Manufacturers Viair
1

So a few nights ago I went outside and it was 13 degrees Fahrenheit. I noticed that my compressor was on but it was much louder than normal. I let it go for about a minute because I think it just turned on. It never shuts off so I took a look at the battery voltage and it was at about 11.6V loaded with the compressor, so it couldn’t have been on for that long, maybe 20 minutes at the most. No, I don’t have a shut off switch for the compressor.

So I open up the hood and the compressor isn’t that warm because it’s so cold outside and I have a 120mm Delta fan over it. But it is much louder than normal and I don’t hear the check valve rattling open and closed like normal. It isn’t pumping up.
I take out the 35A fuse for the Viair 400c and I turn it back on a few times and tap the check valve with a wrench, no luck. The next day I put it back in and it works fine, pumps right up.

So was it definitely water that froze up the check valve or is it that when it get cold enough the metal shrinks enough so that it hugs the check valve plug thing? I’ve emailed Viair asking for the temperature range.

Also, what happens when a Viair compressor comes up against infinite pressure, it wasn’t seized, it was pumping. So where did the air go? Did it go past the piston ring or the valve? Did the compressor incur wear? Not an expert.

Thanks

2

The Viar just runs a reed valve on the top of the piston AFAIK, so it will only draw in air when the downward stroke generates lower air pressure on top of the piston. That’s partly why you need the check valve, otherwise as pressure builds it wouldn’t draw in any fresh air to compress. It’s not that the air goes anywhere, it just won’t compress more than what it can take in.

Running for an extended time in a blocked state would probably just generate heat and therefore wear out piston rings, bearings etc.