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Reading Pressure Gauges on your Tanks, Compressors and Rifles.

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K

KnowNothing

Member
Jul 8, 2019
110
0
California, United States
I got my Yong Heng Compressor yesterday, and got it all ready for today.

I am currently filling an empty 74 cubic foot tank, and have yet to get it to the green after two 10 minute sessions. Why 10 minutes? I am worried about the heat building up, and causing damage. I know the instruction manual says to shut the compressor off at 75C, but I am trying to keep it down by going by time.

What is puzzling me is that the pressure gauge on the air tank reads when being filled by the compressor, but doesn't have any reading when not getting air from the compressor. That has got me wondering if the rifle manometer does the same as the compressor and air tank, no reading unless there is air being pumped into the system.

My temperature gauge would not stay on if bumped, and I was totally puzzled until I opened it up, and found one of the batteries unseated. I had to put small pieces of cardboard to put pressure on the batteries to keep them in place.

I didn't realize that this compressor would be stinky. I am filling the tank in my kitchen where I have some outlets. Why the kitchen? I do not have a garage or any other outside outlet, so the house is the only place I can do it.

The unit is very noisy, and I am going to find a way to power it up outside the next time I try filling my tank. It's as bad as an aircraft jet engine.
 
Still have a ways to go. Will finish up tomorrow. Then I need to check the filter that came with the unit, and the bigger one I purchased that is in series with it to see just what kind of gunk it removed.

So far, just tipping the air tank and opening the valve a little, I've seen no water come out of it. Not sure that means there isn't any, but apparently there is more than likely very little. I live in the high desert of southern California, so our humidity is very low.

Then I will change the lubricant, as it is looking darker. I guess there is a lot of gunk that gets left inside during the manufacturing and testing process, if they do any testing in the Chinese factories.

It will take a few more uses of this compressor before I know if I got something worth while. My first impressions are that it does the job it is supposed to. But it looks like a lot of TLC is required to keep it happy. Kind of just how you would treat your car to ensure it gives you long service.
 
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It is good to limit the time the compressor is running although ten minutes is a bit conservative. Remember also that the gauge only reads the second stage head temperature and not the motor or first stage piston assembly temperature. Sounds like you have a single gauge on your tank and it reads line pressure. That means you would need a dead head plug to check the pressure in the tank. Yes, the YH smells and yes it is noisy. You want to run the compressor in the driest area possible that may mean inside to keep moisture out of your guns and tanks. If you take it outside and use an extension cord make sure it is short and has 12 gauge wire else you could have problems and possibly damage your compressor. You want to make sure the tank or gun you fill is situated above the compressor to cut down on moisture getting in your tanks or gun and the water supply is level with the compressor to make it easier on the pump. 

Another thing I learned after overheating my compressors more than once is to make sure the pump is running when you turn on the compressor. Find a high amperage electrical strip with a switch on it and plug both your water pump and the compressor into it so when you turn on the switch the pump activates before you turn on your compressor. One more thing I do to be kind to the pump is to release the pressure before I turn it off. That seems to stop it from blowing so many rupture discs. Welcome to the life of the addicted. ;^)




 
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Still have a ways to go. Will finish up tomorrow. Then I need to check the filter that came with the unit, and the bigger one I purchased that is in series with it to see just what kind of gunk it removed.

So far, just tipping the air tank and opening the valve a little, I've seen no water come out of it. Not sure that means there isn't any, but apparently there is more than likely very little. I live in the high desert of southern California, so our humidity is very low.

Then I will change the lubricant, as it is looking darker. I guess there is a lot of gunk that gets left inside during the manufacturing and testing process, if they do any testing in the Chinese factories.

It will take a few more uses of this compressor before I know if I got something worth while. My first impressions are that it does the job it is supposed to. But it looks like a lot of TLC is required to keep it happy. Kind of just how you would treat your car to ensure it gives you long service.
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Most of the SCBA tanks have a tube in them so they take air from below the neck of the tank so tipping your tank will not get the moisture out. You should be releasing part of the pressure, purging the moisture from your lines, every three to five minutes while filling your large tank. Just open the valve for a second or two. I usually replace the filter element from the little YH filter after ten to fifteen minutes of use and set the one I took out aside to dry and swap it in next time. If you do this the large filter will seldom need to be messed with. I changed the oil in mine after the first 40minutes as it was very dark. It stays clean allot longer now like for hours of use.
 
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The temperature gauge of Yong Heng only measures how hot the first-stage cylinder head / second-stage cylinder are. For the motor, there is a sensor monitoring the temperature but there is no reading provided. The compressor will stop automatically if the motor gets too hot. Despite these safety features, the recommendation I got from the Yong Heng people is that the compressor should not be allowed to run continuously for more than an hour. You will need to purge the water separator a few times in the process.

I don’t have any experience with tank set up but it seems that the pressure gauge on your tank is isolated from the air inside by a check valve so it is not constantly indicating the pressure inside unless air is pumped in and the check valve is pushed open. For PCP, the guage is always showing the pressure inside the air tube / bottle so you can always see a reading unless it’s completely empty.
 
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You have much to learn, Grasshopper. These things are made for handyman use but require a little mechanical knowledge and a lot of common sense. It is not a kitchen appliance like a blender or waffle maker. It might sound a bit loud but compared to most other shop tools it's pretty mild. If it is overly fumey, you may have overfilled it with oil. Advice that you receive on this forum should be used as a guide only and not as gospel. Most of the problems with these units are caused by user ignorance. One important tip from me is if you are filling in stages, you must not restart the pump whilst there is pressure in the line. The motor should only be started with zero load on it. Always check that your fittings are locked and secure and double-check everything including water flow before flicking the switch. It's also a good idea to use a dead-head to check for leaks before the first fill. I.M.O common sense is not very common in the general population.
 
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Thanks Guys. Eaglebeak, I just put on my shooting range ear protectors to lessen the din the machine makes.

Biohazardman, Thanks for the tips. I will look at bot filter units before I resume filling the tank.

I have that nice heavy box the compressor came in. I will place my air tank atop that, which will make it higher than the compressor. 

I wish I had a garage or shed I could do this in like you have Bio. I've always wanted something large enough to do both my wood work in, and all the other hobby stuff I like. Maybe once I get my new vehicle, and pay off some debt, I will get a contractor to build a nice 20x20 building in my back yard, when I have saved for it. Or maybe I should just put in a garage where my gravel driveway is, and make it for both the car and my hobby room. I can dream anyway I live in a 750 square foot house, so anything I build will probably dwarf my house.

I watched a few videos, and what I do is turn on the water pump, and run it for a few minutes. I then turn on the compressor, and watch its gauge to ensure it pressure comes up to what my tank had last. Then I open the tank valve. Once things have run, I close the tank valve, then turn off the compressor. I then bleed the lines, before disconnecting the tank from the compressor. I leave the water pump run until the temperature comes down to near what it was when I first started. Now that I have read your post, I will bleed the line before turning off the compressor. Thanks for that tip. I definitely need this unit to last a few years until I have money to possibly purchase a better one. 

I like the Venturi, but $1500 is just a bit out of range for me right now. Need to save money to replace the car that was totaled when someone ran a red light. That is priority.
 
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You don't need to let the pump run for a few minutes before you run the compressor although it is a good idea to do so after.

I am in the basement of my duplex so really not the best of places to be when running the compressor but it is what it is. Like you I would love a shop and still may have one some day but it will have to be after I finish my remodel and move out of the ghetto I live in. One of my YH's is over a year old now and other than blowing a couple of o-rings I have no complaints especially when I overheated it so badly several times and it still werqed afterwards.
 
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Bio, Thanks again. I finished my Scuba Tank fill without any problems. I also filled my rifles bottle, and was a bit worried about an air leak. I finally realized that because I was filling an empty bottle, there was a lot of heat generated that expanded the air going into the bottle. Once it was cooled down, I again added air, and this time the reading remained stable on the meter. Taking me a bit of time to learn all the little ins and outs of this pastime, but I am slowly learning.

Glad you have the skills to fix problems like blown O rings. I am hoping I never blow one, and if it happens, that I can fix the problem like you did.

Hopefully you will get a place that you can put up a workshop, if it doesn't already have one. I am hoping to do that also, though I think the best be is that extra long garage with the back being my workshop area. Just need about $35K to get it built. Maybe I will win the lottery. Yeah! The universe will grow old and die several times before that would every happen. CaleyAnn
 
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Somewhere I watched a video about the Yong Heng compressor water pump. The authors opinion was that the pump was insufficient to move water fast enough, or in enough volume to adequately keep the compressor cooled. He suggested that a larger per hour volume water pump be used. I purchase one that moves 1100 liters per hour, or almost twice the volume. I didn't get the bigger pump this author got for his, because I was worried about overloading the compressors plumbing capacity. I just have to get a bushing reducer so that I can use the pump with the provided hose. CaleyAnn
 
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Somewhere I watched a video about the Yong Heng compressor water pump. The authors opinion was that the pump was insufficient to move water fast enough, or in enough volume to adequately keep the compressor cooled. He suggested that a larger per hour volume water pump be used. I purchase one that moves 1100 liters per hour, or almost twice the volume. I didn't get the bigger pump this author got for his, because I was worried about overloading the compressors plumbing capacity. I just have to get a bushing reducer so that I can use the pump with the provided hose. CaleyAnn

HelloKnowNothing(CaleyAnn)

Will you please post a link to the pump that you bought?

If you a link to the other pump (from the video)that would be great also

I too am just getting to know my YH

Thanks

Edwad
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Somewhere I watched a video about the Yong Heng compressor water pump. The authors opinion was that the pump was insufficient to move water fast enough, or in enough volume to adequately keep the compressor cooled. He suggested that a larger per hour volume water pump be used. I purchase one that moves 1100 liters per hour, or almost twice the volume. I didn't get the bigger pump this author got for his, because I was worried about overloading the compressors plumbing capacity. I just have to get a bushing reducer so that I can use the pump with the provided hose. CaleyAnn
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The supplied pump is adequate for the job. Your larger unit will not flow anywhere near it's rated output through the restriction of the hoses and spigots. In fact, it will only flow slightly more than the standard one and not enough to make any difference to the cooling efficiency. Your first mistake of following advice from dodgy reviews. Some people are always trying to reinvent the wheel. You now have a spare pump in case the original one fails which is quite likely.
 
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dont worry my son?some day your gun room will look like this"
1573011430_21464093745dc23fe6dbbdb0.05442864_DSCF2385.JPG

 
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