How To Fix an Air Compressor Tank Leaking Problem? 3 Quick Steps

We use an air compressor in many ways which makes it an important component, but with time its performance starts getting bad and you end you replacing it with a new one, but you can extend the life of your air compressor by maintaining it, one of the common issues that occur in the air compressor is its leaking.

So you are in a situation where your air compressor is not working properly and you realize that it is because of leakage?

If yes then this is a good place for you to find the solution 

The things you would use for doing this task

• Soap Water
• Wrench
• Brazing torch
• Brazing rod
• Angle grinder

So before moving on to the steps to fix the air compressor leak first let’s understand how you would determine that your air compressor is leaking because many of the times you misunderstood the problem as leaking while in actual there is some other problem. 

How to Determine Air Compressor Tank Leaking Issue? 

The easiest way of determining the leak is using soap water, this check is very simple and you will not need any expensive equipment or expert guidance.

Before beginning the test, charge the air compressor to the full level, doing this will give the best results and you can even find a very small leak in the tank.

Now follow these easy steps to determine air compressor tank leakage

• Make soap water in a small bucket.
• Fill soap water in any of the sprayers to spray it on the air compressor’s surface in order to find leaks.
• Now using the sprayer spray the soap water on the valves and hoses of the air compressor notice any bubbles forming on the surface.
• The place where you will see bubbles on these parts are the places where fittings are not proper or loose, so do tighten these places first using a wrench otherwise it can be very harmful.
• After doing all the fittings properly, if you still think there is some problem then it can be leaking in the compressor’s tank, and if it is then proceed with the below steps. 
• Now finally spray soap water on the tank of the air compressor and make sure that you are covering the whole surface otherwise you will miss the place of the leakage.
• Again look for any bubbles emerging after spraying, the place where you will see bubbles on the tank is the place from where the tank or compressor is leaking.

Now after knowing the place of leakage on the tank mark all such spots with chalk to fix and now the time is to fix the leaking, 

Fixing the Leak

• Now that you know the points of leakage, now you do not need any power, so disconnect all the hoses and turn the power off.
• Open the valves of the compressor to release all the air out from the compressor, wait for some time for releasing air.

Now it’s time for the final steps

Grind the Surface

Use an angle grinder to clean and shape the places where you have done the markings with the chalk, this will remove all the rust from that area and also removes the raised metal to make it to the level of the surface.

Use Brazing Torch

As we have already seen above that we will use a brazing torch and brazing rod to fix the issue now the time is to cover the leaking hole by doing welding on it, this is the most important part of the process, as it fixes the main issue.

• Turn on the brazing torch using welding lighter.
• Place the brazing torch on the area that you have marked.
• Now put the brazing rod on the same area and heat it till the flame of the brazing torch becomes blue. 
• Press the brazing rod to melt it down in the same place to block the place of leaking. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

You can totally fix the issue using this method, but be aware while doing this and always wear protective equipment such as glasses, gloves, etc.