Diesel Fuel and old oil in a Compressor tank.

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Yesterday a keen, but not mechanical minded, member of the Alottment Shed took onto himself to winterise the tools and machinery at the Alottment shed.


We use a mix of diesel fuel and old oil. Hand tools and cleaned and wiped over with this mix.
The compressor is used to pump water from the sub surface tank, surface containers, drying stuff and inflating odd stuf
The member removed the drain tap, let the water out, very little. then poured in 2 cups of our fuel oil mix.
This was spotted and the compressor was taken to my place.

I removed the drain and the pipe from the pump to tank. Let as much of the mix drain out. I added Jizzer, 2ltr and gave the tank a good shake. This was done a number of times. Then as the instructions said, wash with water. I did this until the water ran clear. I repeated this 3 times.

I am now blowing warm air into the tank. I have checked the rest of the compressor and can not find the mix anywhere else.

My questions are:

What more can I do to ensure the compressor is good to be used?

What could of happening if the compressor was ran up?

Thanks.

 

[weldingnovice]

Sprayed crap everywhere. Don't think a little compressor has the minerals to ignite oil. Otherwise faulty piston rings could lead to a bang.

 

[Spark plug]

What more can I do to ensure the compressor is good to be used?

Turn it on

What could have happening if the compressor was ran up?

Probably nothing, getting your oil diesel mixture to ignite just by Bering in a pressurised environment is more than a long shot.

 

[zzr1200]

Turn it on



Probably nothing, getting your oil diesel mixture to ignite just by Bering in a pressurised environment is more than a long shot.

Yep, turn it on with the drain tap open allow to run for a couple of minutes, then close valve build to full pressure open drain, then repeat another couple of times to blow out any fluid, then when drained with no fluid coming out and pressure gone, close drain valve and leave....

Now slap (wrist optional) numpty, who put witches brew in compressor tank......

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Well it went back together.
Plugged it in.
Drain plug open, let it run for 10 minutes.

Nowt was blown out.

Run it up. looks ok.

The old oil leak is back, but that's an historical issue.


I guessed what I did was ok, was thinking the collective may of had a trick or two as well.

As normal a great response to a daft question.

 

[Other Daniel]

Well it went back together.
Plugged it in.
Drain plug open, let it run for 10 minutes.

Nowt was blown out.

Run it up. looks ok.

The old oil leak is back, but that's an historical issue.


I guessed what I did was ok, was thinking the collective may of had a trick or two as well.

As normal a great response to a daft question.

It's certainly not a daft question.
When in doubt, ask.
And that is where this forum shines.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

It's certainly not a daft question.
When in doubt, ask.
And that is where this forum shines.

Indeed it does.

 

[Morrisman]

How exactly did he pour cups of oil brew into the drain hole? Turn it upside down?

I'd have just left it to drain for a few minutes. It will have left a nice corrosion resistant coating in the bottom of the tank.

There no chance it will explode or anything remotely exciting.

As it is now it's clean bare metal and will be rusting as we speak.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

How exactly did he pour cups of oil brew into the drain hole? Turn it upside down?

I'd have just left it to drain for a few minutes. It will have left a nice corrosion resistant coating in the bottom of the tank.

There no chance it will explode or anything remotely exciting.

As it is now it's clean bare metal and will be rusting as we speak.

The drain hole, for the tap is 3mm dia. He removed the drain tap.
Used a funnel, set aside for weed killer and used that.

The tank, so say Draper, is coted with a rust preventing finish.

 

[Pete.]

I think that there's nothing more to be done. I'm sure that compressors with worn pumps get oil vapour in the tank all the time.

 

[8ob]

Compression ignition is never going to happen in a shagged out compressor or even a new one.

Bob

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Compression ignition is never going to happen in a shagged out compressor or even a new one.

Bob

I guessed that.

But I had fun explaining that.
I even took the glass rod, glass tube, piston to fit, lamp oil and showed them compression combustion.

Thee Old science kit from the 80's

 

[carbon]

Diesel needs to be atomised to be ignited when under high compression. As a liquid it’s very unlikely to happen

 

[not done it yet]

Just make sure the mix does not contain petrol.

 

[bricol]

I think I don't have the patience or the ability to keep politely quiet within such organisations . . . bad enough as work where they pay me . . .

 

[colnerov]

As said you're never going to get the pressures needed to ignite the diesel let alone the oil. On the draining front, pressure in the tank won't blow the oil mix out the drain hole. The passage of air will keep the oil from the edge of the hole, leave the drain open overnight with a receptacle underneath to let the oil to slowly dribble out on its own. I've done that and it's surprising the amount that comes out.

Colin