Need some help with a Hydrovane

[Richard Chowns]

Hi all,
I'm new here and would like some advice with a Hydrovane we have here which is being problematic.

When we bought it a few months ago the previous owner stated that it occasionally leaked (didn't state air or oil) but stated it just needed a service kit and it would be fine.

Well when installing the service kit it had water and oil in the air chamber and lines into the tank. So I decided to clean the compressor all up and install new seals needed.

I bought correct size O-ring for the main chamber, used some o-rings I had here for the oil cooler lines and then made a gasket out of gasket paper as the kit for it to get it working was £120 which I didn't really want to pay.

Anyway when rebuilt and oil put in up to the fill plug (700ml oil) it's is producing air but it seems very low CFM. Also after 10minutes and up to temperature it was leaking oil from lots of places.

I then took the air line off to the tank and it was full of oil and the main chamber was full as well. (Previous owner has modified the switch and the tank was at 15 bar)

I don't know enough to fully understand the issue here with it.

It's a Hydrovane 5 with a 1.1kw single phase motor on it.

Can anyone help me please as I don't want to install new air lines in our workshop until it's running fine.

We need it for spray painting, sand blasting and air tools such as air guns.

Regards

Richard

 

[WorkshopChris]

Hi and welcome, first the bad news even when working a Hydrovane 5 is never going to give enough air for sandblasting, paint if you are lucky.
When you fitted a service kit did you change the oil/air separator cartridge?
15 Bar = 215ish psi ? are you saying this is the pressure the compressor was running up to?
I would expect around 100 psi as a constant output depending on model and exact specifications.

 

[maz0]

Hi and welcome, first the bad news even when working a Hydrovane 5 is never going to give enough air for sandblasting, paint if you are lucky.
When you fitted a service kit did you change the oil/air separator cartridge?
15 Bar = 215ish psi ? are you saying this is the pressure the compressor was running up to?
I would expect around 100 psi as a constant output depending on model and exact specifications.

I think people fall for the hydrovane hype and think that name + price equals massive cfm. That model outputs about 8 CFM apparently so your right about the bad news....

 

[Richard Chowns]

Hi.

Thank you for the reply. It will be the first of many I am pretty sure of it .
Damn I will have to use our diesel Rand compressor for the sand blaster then until can get a better one for sand blasting. (Which would you recommend)

The compressor when we ran it up to test it. I left it in the garage and came back and the gauge read 15bar on the tank . Guessing the previous user has been inflating lorry tyres or something with it.

I changed the oil filter unit in that picture. It was brand new when installed.

Richaed

 

[Richard Chowns]

I think people fall for the hydrovane hype and think that name + price equals massive cfm. That model outputs about 8 CFM apparently so your right about the bad news....

We bought it as our current compressor is really noisy and breaking down.

As long as it powers air tools initially we don't mind.

Richard

 

[WorkshopChris]

No wonder its leaking oil, if the gauge is reading correctly its probably going to need a full service and kit, once the control gear is tested and correctly operating.
If I saw a gauge at 15 bar unless it was something I had seen the hydraulic test cert for I would be pulling the plug and running.

 

[Spark plug]

As has been said 15 bar is scary pressure for a unknown compressor, it should probably be running about 8 bar. That kind of pressure could also explain why the oil is being pushed by the separator also.

 

[brightspark]

what sandblaster do you have cfm depends on the size of the blast nozzle .smallest is about 3mm they work on about a 14cfm up over comp .next up is a 6.0mm nozzle they run on about 75 cfm up over

 

[Richard Chowns]

what sandblaster do you have cfm depends on the size of the blast nozzle .smallest is about 3mm they work on about a 14cfm up over comp .next up is a 6.0mm nozzle they run on about 75 cfm up over

It's a home made one out of an old butane tank, 10mm hose and a dead man handle I got off eBay. Has different size nozzles on it. We also are making ourselves a cabinet one with a syphon one for quick little jobs.

No wonder its leaking oil, if the gauge is reading correctly its probably going to need a full service and kit, once the control gear is tested and correctly operating.
If I saw a gauge at 15 bar unless it was something I had seen the hydraulic test cert for I would be pulling the plug and running.

I may replace the control now I found it is running that stupid pressure. The tank is rated to 17bar

As has been said 15 bar is scary pressure for a unknown compressor, it should probably be running about 8 bar. That kind of pressure could also explain why the oil is being pushed by the separator also.

I basically did. I opened the tank vent instantly when saw it at this pressure.


I think I will have to clean everything up again and see where we are.


How.much oil does this take?

 

[Robotstar5]

May be worth sending a PM to member @Gary900r as he knows a lot about Hydrovanes.

 

[Turbo]

Don't want to worry you but there may have been a reason the previous owner sold it - it led a very hard life & it was knackered! The fact that it was set to run up to 15 bar is evidence that he didn't have much sympathy for his tools. That's like using a 3 ton trolley jack to lift a 6 ton weight, it might work for a while but soon something is going to fail!

 

[Tractor Tony]

I have to agree with all the above
I have a Hydrovane 15 which I run at around 100psi and I only ever use genuine Hydrovane Service kits and oil.
When a Hydrovane goes wrong it is usually expensive.

 

[dannyp]

i came to the conclusion a long time ago that the only hydrovane you buy is a new one. they are very good in the right application, quiet, efficent and long lived compared to most piston compressors the problem is the rate they clock up running hours as people only tend to get them if they need them.

 

[DAPPH]

Do Hydrovane still operate in Redditch / You say you're in Redditch … if so I'd drag it there and ask for a quote to get it repaired & serviced .. you'll have a decent machine at the end of the day if it is a viable proposition . ..All this cutting corners & messing around with it your self thinking you are going to sort it is a false economy as it still costs you time & money & there is a high risk of you not getting it right .

When you get it done at Hydrovane you'll also get a safety test cert as well as a warranted proper repair .. something your insurers require I'm sure .

You were talking of Bars .. a bar is one atmospheric pressure at sea level at about 15 oC …... in old money it's 14.7 pounds per square inch at 60 oF most plant & general compressor air receivers are tested ( Well used to be ) to 300 PSI and are designed to work at 120 PSI
You said " (Previous owner has modified the switch and the tank was at 15 bar) that is 15 x 14.7 pounds per square inch equalling 220 psi that means they have overridden the safety valve

Hydrovane will also look inside of the air tank to see whether it has become badly rusted internally .

 

[DAPPH]

i came to the conclusion a long time ago that the only hydrovane you buy is a new one. they are very good in the right application, quiet, efficient and long lived compared to most piston compressors the problem is the rate they clock up running hours as people only tend to get them if they need them.

Have to agree no one gets rid of a chainsaw , brush cutter , petrol mower , compressor , small motorcycle , out board engine etc. etc.if it is any good . They tend to sell them because they can't fix them correctly or safely .

 

[knighty]

the lack of air could be your gasket.... whe bit that goes over the vanes, is that the gasket you mean?

when you buy a service kit you get about 15 different thicknesses of gasket, it needs to be just right for the vanes to seal


mine had a small air leak back out of the air intake, I couldn't find the right one way valve for it anywhere... ran it for a long time like that but got sick of it... so put it into thorite who repair them... it had a little thorite plate on it from when it was new (I didn't buy it now)

told them just to fix the non return valve, nothing else.... they sent me a quote for £950 for fixing a load of stuff at silly prices (new plug, new cover on electrics etc. etc)... told them no, just change the non return valve...... instead of changing the one fitted they fitted an external one at the tank inlet.... £140 for parts and £100 labour!!! (£10 part, 15min job)

ok... I sent it to them, it was my fault, should have just done it myself... paid up and set it running....

now there's a load of oil coming out of the air intake every time it shuts down... didn't used to do that, tried talking to thorite but manager there was a **** kept saying I was just trying to get a free service out of them!

I gave up, it's been moth balled, too ****** off to do anything about it! :-(