150psi Air Tank Used with 200psi Compressor?

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

I have an air tank that says 150psi rated on it, but my onboard compressor is a 200psi unit. What are your thoughts on the tank being capable of holding 200psi? Back when I was building machines and stuff with the tool and die company I thought I remembered one of the engineer saying that pressure vessels are required to hold pressure 5x what the rating printed on the tag says its rated for.

 

[hesutton]

200 psi is a lot. Can you just have the compressor cut off at 150?

Heath

 

[BioFarmer93]

Sean,
It's not 5X across the board- it runs from 1.5 to 4 in most cases and dependent upon useage. Some folks will probably jump my ass for this, but 50psi over the tank label rating at the absolute minimum FoS of 1.5 still puts you 25psi under. If my tank was in good shape/fairly new, I'd do it and not look back- but that's me.

 

[subway]

Sean,
It's not 5X across the board- it runs from 1.5 to 4 in most cases and dependent upon useage. Some folks will probably jump my ass for this, but 50psi over the tank label rating at the absolute minimum FoS of 1.5 still puts you 25psi under. If my tank was in good shape/fairly new, I'd do it and not look back- but that's me.

i agree with the safety rating but am not sure i would like to push it that much. might also want to consider where the tank came from, if you pulled it out of a harbor freight store you might want to cut the pressure back to 100 psi. i think they run a .5-1 safety rating overall.

compressed air is a dangerous animal to have let loose.

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

The tank is brand new its a surplus tank my old shop had sitting around I believe they bought it from Freightliner for some truck job they were doing and they gave it to me after it sat there for over a year. But when I took it I wasnt aware my compressor was rated at and had a 200psi switch in it. I'm with you henry. I was leaning towards using it too since its a brand new tank.

 

[Full Monte]

It won't be a new tank in a few years. Can you put an over-pressure dump valve on it set to 150psi and set the pressure regulator accordingly?

 

[towcat]

firstly, you really shouldn't be running past 180 psi. that's what most tools and lines are rated for. de-rate the cut-off switch for 180psi and you won't overwork the compressor.
secondly, how big is the tank? if it is less than 20gal, you have no issues. I have a 500gal tank rated at 240psi. it sees no more than 120 psi. the air volume otoh is off the charts. it has a 1.5" inlet and a 2" outlet. it's job is to drive one HVLP spraygun and two air dryers

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

Uh lol, yea its only 6.5 gallons. The pressure switch with the compressor says 165psi On 200psi Off. I don't think its adjustable. But I don't know for sure. I've never actually ran it so who knows the switch might shut off at 175psi tank pressure for all I know. Calvin knows exactly what I want to be able to use it for. lol I want to be comfortable having the ability to use air tools with it if I need to, plus as an added bonus I'm hooking my old Hadley air horns up to it. Hehehehehehe

 

[stumiister]

I have an air tank that says 150psi rated on it, but my onboard compressor is a 200psi unit.

Thats what it is rated for but what pressure does the compressor stop at when it is building air pressure that would be a good place to start it probably stop someplace between 150psi and 175psi.

 

[riotwarrior]

Just set the cut off to 150 and be safe and secure...you'll live to love it instead of possibly die to regret it!

 

[maskale]

Im with the adjust ur compresser people.

No need for 200psi.

I have an electric compresser that was sold as a 200psi compressor. I turned mine down to 175, no need for that much stored air. Saves lots of wear on ur compressor also.

 

[94f450sd]

You said it came from freightliner? Its a truck tank? If so id run 200 without a thought.

 

[The Warden]

The pressure switch with the compressor says 165psi On 200psi Off. I don't think its adjustable.

IMHO going over the rated pressure, even if the tank is capable of of holding 5x that pressure, is asking for trouble in the long run. I'm not an expert, but I imagine that the tank is capable of holding higher than the rated pressure for a short period of time...but that, if it's done on a consistent basis for a long period of time, the metal joints in the tank are going to fatigue more quickly and you could be looking at a possible blow-out. As others have said, that can make for a very dangerous situation.

You SHOULD be able to wire the compressor to an external pressure switch that you can adjust to whatever-you-want ON 150 PSI OFF. IMHO that would be the safe way to go.

 

[maskale]

I work in an industrial environment with lots of air operated equipment. Many of which have their own fail safe air tanks out in the weather. From what I have seen in my personal experience, ur not going to blow the tank up with 200psi. Even long term ur not going to see a major failer. Even if it gets rusty the tank will still hold and eventually develop a leak in it from a small area where the rust has ate though.

Still I would just adjust the set pressure, save ur compressor. Many are adjustable even if they dont look like it.

 

[towcat]

Uh lol, yea its only 6.5 gallons. The pressure switch with the compressor says 165psi On 200psi Off. I don't think its adjustable. But I don't know for sure. I've never actually ran it so who knows the switch might shut off at 175psi tank pressure for all I know. Calvin knows exactly what I want to be able to use it for. lol I want to be comfortable having the ability to use air tools with it if I need to, plus as an added bonus I'm hooking my old Hadley air horns up to it. Hehehehehehe

200psi on a 6.5gal tank is a toy.
run it.
the vertical mounted tank in the pic below is what a bomb looks like.