Clarke shhh silent compressor fault

[fuff66uk]

I'm after some advice please folks,i have been offered a clarke shhh silent compressor but although i'm tempted i don't want to get it if it needs throwing in the bin.The guy that has it apparently didn't pay attention to the duty cycle on it and just kept using it,it obviously got way too hot and cut out,now every time it is switched on it overheats.Could this be a simple fix like all the oil has boiled away or is it likely to be something more major?I don't mind spending a bit on it to make it a decent little unit for airbrushing but not if it's going to cost a fortune.

 

[rtbcomp]

Does it just have the one pump unit?

When you say it overheats everytime it's switched on do you mean it actually gets hot or just that the cut-out trips. If the latter it could have very well seized which means you'll have scored piston/bores.

The oil could have disappeared, they do use oil. There should be a sight glass on the side.

They need proper synthetic oil too, if he's put ordinary compressor oil in that would cause problems.

Offer him a couple of quid scrap value and find an old chest freezer and pinch the pump off that.

 

[fuff66uk]

I'm not sure if it trips he just said it overheats, and that it needs oil putting in

 

[fuff66uk]

Any idea's guys?

 

[rtbcomp]

Any idea's guys?

Yes, find out if it actually runs & gets hot or just trips the cutout, and have a look in the sightglass to see if there's any oil in it.

 

[fuff66uk]

Had a word with the guy and he says

When turned on it runs and compresses ok. Then it cuts out as normal. However, it seems to cut back in again even though its at pressure. It then gets hot since its duty cycle is too high.

There is plenty of oil in it - about 1/2 way up the sight glass. However, it did run out of oil about a month ago.

 

[rtbcomp]

It may be losing pressure somehow for it to cut in prematurely.

When it switches off, remove the plug from the mains and see if you can hear any hissing, in particular from the pressure switch and air inlet.

If so, it maybe the non-return valve, where the pipe from the pump connects to the tank, is leaking.

 

[fuff66uk]

So do you think it's worth me buying it from him to try and fix given that he doesn't want a fortune for it ?

 

[rtbcomp]

So do you think it's worth me buying it from him to try and fix given that he doesn't want a fortune for it ?

Only you can answer that one, bear in mind they don't put much air out. Personally I wouldn't go above the price of a couple of pints.

They're expensive to run because they use oil and you need special synthetic oil which costs a lot compared to ordinary oil.

 

[fuff66uk]

Cheers rtbcomp,i'll have a think about it,he wants a bit more than the price of a couple of drinks

 

[Emmsy]

deffo check the NRV mine hissed.
constant cleaning it out but it always ended up sticking, i think mainly because there was no spring return in it.
i ended up ditching the original one and fitting a much higher quality one and no problems since.

 

[fuff66uk]

I decided to not bother getting it,i'm glad too the guy that had it found out it is only really fit for scrap