Air Compressor Issues

Croatan_Kid

Croatan_Kid

How's your hammer hangin'?
Joined
Nov 4, 2007
Location
New Bern
So, my old air compressor has more or less given up the ghost. It won't restart once it's made an initial run...seems like the compressor head locks up and the motor can't start it back up.

Should I replace the compressor itself...or do I just buy a whole new air compressor? It's a 5hp, 60 gallon Campbell Hausfeld. It's been in my dad's shop since the mid 90s.

It looks like I can get a new pump for 200-300 bucks or I can get a new complete setup for anywhere from 550 to 900 bucks depending on what I want.

Suggestions?
 
Sounds like the check valve and or unloader. When it kicks off do you hear it hissing? It should have a check valve and decompress the cylinders. This relieves the pressure and allows it to start up without a load.


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I believe most compressor motors have capacitors on them. Maybe one is going bad and the heat from the initial run is causing it not to work until it cools off?
Just thinking out loud.
 
If it hisses and continues to hiss it's probably check valve. Might have some trash in it not letting it close. If it's not hissing at all I'd check the unloader. Not familiar with yours but a lot of them have the unloader built into the pressure switch. It'll have a small tube running from your compressor head to the pressure switch. Maybe if someone's been in the switch it's out of adjustment. Both are free-30 bucks fix
If you have a old compressor it's probably better than some of the Indian Chinese stuff selling now. I'd fitz it if I was you.


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If it'll crank and pump to pressure from empty, then it's not the capacitor. It does sound like the unloaded valve is bad. Look for a line somewhere between the outlet of the head and the check valve in the tank. It could go to the contactor. Often it controls the unloaded valve. The line could be kinked or clogged or the valve could be bad. It could also be the motor getting weak. If it still builds pressure fine but won't restart, it's not likely the head.
 
When mine wouldn't start after building psi I replaced the pressure switch. Contacts were flat worn out and was not getting proper current to the motor.
 
All that stuff makes sense too and I think it's a combination of several things. I'm pretty sure the pump is clapped out...it makes a helluva rattle, but I believe the issue at hand is the switch itself or the pressure relief for start up. I'm going to go mess with it in a little bit and see what I can figure out.
 
Croatan_Kid said:
All that stuff makes sense too and I think it's a combination of several things. I'm pretty sure the pump is clapped out...it makes a helluva rattle, but I believe the issue at hand is the switch itself or the pressure relief for start up. I'm going to go mess with it in a little bit and see what I can figure out.
Click to expand...

Post up a picture of the plate or model# of the head I've got one that may work for you
 
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