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How to empty the Moisture Trap?


Jasonb13

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Hi there,

 

I've had one of those cheap Chinese Compressors for about a year now. In general it's been working fine.

 

A while ago I decided to do a little bit of a 'service' on it, and I opened the valve at the bottom of the tank, and drained a small amount of water, and also used a cotton bud to clean around the drain hole.

 

Then I noticed, a couple of days later, that some moisture had gather in the moisture trap. I hadn't seen it before, so I think it's to do with me cleaning/draining the tank, though I could be wrong.

 

Anyhow, I used the valve in the bottom of the Moisture Trap to drain the moisture, but I couldn't get all of it, as the amount that's left is under the level of the lip of the valve. Hopefully it's clear in the photo below (the moisture has a slight brown tint to it):

 

 

resized_b02b4876-450a-4403-91fa-ffa3d7f9

 

 

Basically the moisture is pooling around the silver lip of the valve.

 

So, any ideas how to drain the Moisture Trap properly? So far it hasn't affected the performance of the Compressor/Air brush, but I'm just not comfortable with leaving it like this. From what I can see the glass bulb of the moisture trap doesn't unscrew (or, if it does, it needs more pressure on it than I was willing to try!).

 

Any advice appreciated, thanks!

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The procedure I would follow is....

 

Take the pressure out of the tank system before you open the drain plug.  Switch it off and let the pressurised air out slowly via the moisture trap.

 

An instant drop in pressure can spread any rusty water in the bottom of the tank around the inside of the compressor and moisture trap & clog the filter in the moisture trap. It's a bugger to clean if this happens.

 

Once the pressure is normal, you can clean the moisture out of the bottom of the moisture trap bowl with cotton buds.

 

Moisture in the hose, straighten it an drain out  what you can, then put it somewhere warm like an airing cupboard to evaporate the moisture that is left in there.

 

Paul

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Thanks for your reply...

 

I usually drain the air from the compressor by using a release valve in the top of the tank, should I not be doing that as the pressure drop is too sudden? It can take a long time to release the pressure through the airbrush, and I've never tried using the moisture trap valve to release the pressure, only to release water on an already empty tank. I've also only ever opened the drain valve on the tank after it's empty of air first.

 

Can you explain further how I clean the moisture out of the bottom of the moisture trap bowl using cotton buds? I presume you mean I have to unscrew the glass bowl first, assuming it does unscrew?

 

Thanks...

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On ‎22‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 9:46 AM, Jasonb13 said:

Thanks for your reply...

 

I usually drain the air from the compressor by using a release valve in the top of the tank, should I not be doing that as the pressure drop is too sudden? It can take a long time to release the pressure through the airbrush, and I've never tried using the moisture trap valve to release the pressure, only to release water on an already empty tank. I've also only ever opened the drain valve on the tank after it's empty of air first.

 

Can you explain further how I clean the moisture out of the bottom of the moisture trap bowl using cotton buds? I presume you mean I have to unscrew the glass bowl first, assuming it does unscrew?

 

Thanks...

If it doesn't come apart then there is nothing you can do, except put it somewhere warm to get rid of the moisture. All the traps I've used come apart as you mentioned so you can maintain them.

 

Paul

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