Cleaning a pressure vessel

[Memmeddu]

I received as payment a felisatti 913/100 air compressor and I need to clean the tank because it was filled with water and any kind of junk
What I should use to clean it as I can check if the tank is still usable?
I removed the water by opening the moisture discharge valve and it was clean but I'm sure that the tank is very dirty inside.
Another thing is possible that the tank is 4 or 5 millimetres thick?
I put my finger in a coupling and I felt that the tank seems to be thick (put the metal between my fingers
The compressor is almost 40 years old

 

[8ob]

At forty years old and having been used as a water tank I would seriously be thinking of scrapping it.

Bob

 

[Davidcardiff]

Pressure washer with a drain jetting head in through the end port ?

 

[pedrobedro]

Tap it with a hammer and listen to the sound. Is it an old tank with removable glands? If there's no way to clean it out just use a good separator on the line after you have drained it.

 

[500e]

Must be a small tank with no inspection port would turn it into a Barby
If it is 100Ltr should it not have the port for internal examination

 

[Lazurus]

An internal soak with citric acid?

 

[Memmeddu]

At forty years old and having been used as a water tank I would seriously be thinking of scrapping it.

Bob

Only moisture formed in the years

 

[Memmeddu]

Tap it with a hammer and listen to the sound. Is it an old tank with removable glands? If there's no way to clean it out just use a good separator on the line after you have drained it.

Hammering sounds good no difference between downside and upside

 

[Memmeddu]

An internal soak with citric acid?

That's an idea that I thought too ,but I don't know if this should cause corrosion
How long I have to wait before to drain and try to use a pressure washer to remove all the rust?

 

[Memmeddu]

Must be a small tank with no inspection port would turn it into a Barby
If it is 100Ltr should it not have the port for internal examination

Yep I was trying to see through the ½" fittings

 

[Yamhon]

You might be able to get a cheap inspection camera off of Ebay, or borrow one to check the quality inside.

 

[Memmeddu]

The friend that gave me the compressor ,has given me more information about the compressor life
It's been bought nearby 1988 and 1992 ,always being purged from the moisture , changed the oil every year
10 years ago he quit the woodworking shop and stopped it
3 years ago something being dropped on the pressure regulator
So I think that the moisture in the tank is recently formed in it so there is a good chance that this thing can be good
Is rathed for 20 ATM and it works at 10 ATM

 

[Memmeddu]

You might be able to get a cheap inspection camera off of Ebay, or borrow one to check the quality inside.

I will ask to someone after cleaning using citric acid

 

[Lazurus]

That's an idea that I thought too ,but I don't know if this should cause corrosion
How long I have to wait before to drain and try to use a pressure washer to remove all the rust?

Not sure 48 hours and then a wash out, its got to help?

 

[gaz1]

Must be a small tank with no inspection port would turn it into a Barby
If it is 100Ltr should it not have the port for internal examination

mines a 170 litre tank with a pump on it and no inspection port on it

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum...needs-some-attention-to-it.65839/#post-857111

im just about to scrap the above compressor tank havent used it in 2 years dont have the motor anymore but do have another pump that runs at 240v

the pump on that one works as it does presurise against a hand against the pump tank feed unknown if any back pressure on it

as goes for water in a tank get rid its dangerous if water has been sat in it over a long time , copper degrades over tank with copper tanks thats why the bust open after years of use and expansion due to heating them up

 

[knighty]

how full of water was it?

I'd just use it as is...cleaning will probably cause more problems than it fixes

 

[Memmeddu]

how full of water was it?

I'd just use it as is...cleaning will probably cause more problems than it fixes

Half tank
And the rust isn't all rust there is also a good amount of burned sawdust
I found it also into the pump head

 

[Memmeddu]

mines a 170 litre tank with a pump on it and no inspection port on it

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum...needs-some-attention-to-it.65839/#post-857111

im just about to scrap the above compressor tank havent used it in 2 years dont have the motor anymore but do have another pump that runs at 240v

the pump on that one works as it does presurise against a hand against the pump tank feed unknown if any back pressure on it

as goes for water in a tank get rid its dangerous if water has been sat in it over a long time , copper degrades over tank with copper tanks thats why the bust open after years of use and expansion due to heating them up

Sorry but I can't understand
Can you tell me this using simpler terms
I opened the pump and I found a good amount of sawdust in the head ,valves are stuck and on the compression side the sawdust caught on fire in some moment of the life of the compressor
I think that isn't worth anymore trying to repair it ,but I can increase my experience trying the impossible to repair it

 

[Brad93]

The only way to be certain this tank is safe is to have a thickness test carried out with UT and then a hydro test.

 

[Memmeddu]

The tank gave up ,hydro test failed at about 6 bar
So I have to cut off the plate the motor and the pump from the tank , and in future I will buy a new tank for it