I borrowed some landscaping tools from my brother in law and he offered his old air compressor since he doesn't use it. Broken tube. Easy normal part to replace.
Got a air compressor accessories kit on the way home. Replaced the hose and tip. Plugged it in outside. Left it for 10 minutes...
Never turned off. Hmm. Might be one of those that have a release valve and not auto shutoff.
20 PSI? That's odd. Unplugged it. Hissing...
Air coming out the bottom. Maybe a puncture?
Found the spot. Got 80 grit sandpaper and 3300 PSI rated epoxy. Sanded and found rust.
Patched it and my spidey sense went off while looking at the epoxy...
Did a search:
A leaking air compressor tank—especially with a leak on the bottom where corrosion is likely—can be extremely dangerous, even if "repaired" with epoxy or other sealants. The primary risk is catastrophic rupture under pressure. If the integrity of the tank is compromised (for example, by internal rust or a patched-up hole), the tank can explode with explosive force, launching shrapnel and causing severe injury or death, as well as property damage
When tanks rupture, the velocity of air and shrapnel can be lethal. For example, a 60-gallon tank at 150 PSI can explode violently, creating 680 mph air blasts and extremely loud noise, both of which are highly hazardous for bystanders
Nope! Tossing it!
Dodged a nearly literal bullet there.
Bonus shots:
When it comes to industrial-grade pressure vessels (which are genuinely terrifying BTW), the first step is to inspect the damage. In a backyard setting, most people don’t have access to ultrasonic testing, radiographic imaging, or any of the other fancy tools professionals use—so yeah, that might be the end of the project right there.
The danger doesn’t magically disappear, but at least the tank probably won’t obliterate your entire house if it fails. Probably. No guarantees though, but you can safely expect to see a hole in a wall and any people standing in the line of fire.
Once you’ve figured out how bad the damage is, you’re left with two options: repair or scrap. If you don’t know whether there are other weak spots lurking in the tank, you’re basically playing Russian roulette—with shrapnel. Not my favorite variety, but you do you.
If you’ve somehow made it this far and still think repair is the way to go, here’s what that might look like:
You could weld a reinforcing plate over the damaged area. Ideally, you’d also do a proper stress test afterward to make sure it’s not just a ticking time bomb with a fresh coat of misguided confidence.
And if (or when) the tank fails and someone gets decapitated, it’s good to have documentation ready—so it’s clear who gets to explain things to the judge. That means keeping track of who did the repair, how it was done, what materials were used, and where they came from etc. Bonus points if the paperwork is legible.
Professional UT equipment is expensive but Im wondering how well a cheap one would work (not recommending this one, just the first link I came across)
That would definitely be a step in the right direction. Clearly better than just eye-balling it.
Funny it's a $70 tank. Scrap it is!!
I sanded it down and sealed with epoxy
BTW Epoxy is a temporary fix at best. I would use it only in an emergency. For example, let’s say you’re on a ship sailing across a vast ocean, and your compressor begins leaking. I would fix it with epoxy, and get it replaced at the next port.
In a normal backyard shed situation though, you can just skip straight to the point where you scrap the old one, and buy something better.
Yeah well I went to YouTube and this guy didn't have a disclaimer about making bombs...
Thier (my sister and brother in law) he has constant flooding issues so it definitely got wet over years.
I also had false confidence from the 3300 PSI rating epoxy:
This doesn't account for structural damage from rusting inside out.