Air Compressor Assistance - Trips breaker on restart

11504 Views 16 Replies 9 Participants Last post by ceyko, Sep 12, 2009

ceyko

Discussion Starter · Sep 5, 2009

So, I got what I thought was a good deal on a Craftsman compressor. 919.165310 is the model number. 30 Gal, 5.5 HP - oiless...horizontal...

So, when demo'ed it worked great. However, I got it home and found that it would not start without popping the breaker. Well, hell. I always wanted to put another circuit in the garage so I hit lowes and now have a 20A circuit for my compressor - that it still trips.

Turns out if the tank is empty, no problem. If the tank is under pressure it fails to start. Sort of chugs and then the breaker trips. I do not think it is the motor since it is strong. I suspect it is the check valve, which I now have soaking in some WD-40 and will clean/dry tomorrow with brake cleaner.

I've inspected everything else and it is okay. Motor spins freezly, electrical seems okay and the fact that it works with empty indicates it has to be something that jacks around with the air itself. Any ideas/experience with this problem?

I've googled, and no resolution was given for any of those problems.

My new garage circuit was GFCI, tried without. No extension cords...tried other outlets, much to the hatred of my pregnant wife. (Takes awhile for a 30 gallon compressor to fill.

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1 - 17 of 17 Posts

BIGCUBES

· #2 · Sep 5, 2009

pressure settings

Under the little lever there should be cut in and cut out pressure settings.Takes like a little flat screwdriver to adjust them.Adjust the cut in pressure lower

ceyko

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 5, 2009

BIGCUBES said:
Under the little lever there should be cut in and cut out pressure settings.Takes like a little flat screwdriver to adjust them.Adjust the cut in pressure lower

by the little level, you referring to the on/off switch? I may give this a shot.

ceyko

Discussion Starter · #4 · Sep 5, 2009

Oh and it is around 85# now that it does try to kick back on. Turns off at 125.

ceyko

Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 5, 2009

Not the check valve. Put a new one in and still the same issue. Although, I had developed a leak and it would work pretty well. Fixed the leak and now it sucks - gotta wonder if the motor is just crapping out.

mustgofaster

· #6 · Sep 6, 2009

Is it a cap start motor? If so, maybe the cap is on the way out?

fordracing19

· #7 · Sep 6, 2009

Just trash it. 125psi isnt enough anyways.

danielhv

· #8 · Sep 6, 2009

ceyko said:
So, I got what I thought was a good deal on a Craftsman compressor. 919.165310 is the model number. 30 Gal, 5.5 HP - oiless...horizontal...

So, when demo'ed it worked great. However, I got it home and found that it would not start without popping the breaker. Well, hell. I always wanted to put another circuit in the garage so I hit lowes and now have a 20A circuit for my compressor - that it still trips.

Turns out if the tank is empty, no problem. If the tank is under pressure it fails to start. Sort of chugs and then the breaker trips. I do not think it is the motor since it is strong. I suspect it is the check valve, which I now have soaking in some WD-40 and will clean/dry tomorrow with brake cleaner.

I've inspected everything else and it is okay. Motor spins freezly, electrical seems okay and the fact that it works with empty indicates it has to be something that jacks around with the air itself. Any ideas/experience with this problem?

I've googled, and no resolution was given for any of those problems.

My new garage circuit was GFCI, tried without. No extension cords...tried other outlets, much to the hatred of my pregnant wife. (Takes awhile for a 30 gallon compressor to fill. )

And there lies the problem.

Get a 30A breaker and be done. Thats what I run mine on. Does it have the option to run 220 to it? Some can do both 110 and 220. Probably just has a higher startup load when under pressure.

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miketyler

· #9 · Sep 6, 2009

agreed - it is still an electrical loading issue. If you have one of those inductive amp gauges like they use in AC work you could put it on there and see what the line is drawing when it kicks it.

Sound like its just peaking out the load when its on the maintain psi cycle.

ceyko

Discussion Starter · #10 · Sep 7, 2009

miketyler said:
agreed - it is still an electrical loading issue. If you have one of those inductive amp gauges like they use in AC work you could put it on there and see what the line is drawing when it kicks it.

Sound like its just peaking out the load when its on the maintain psi cycle.

This is the same general feedback I'm getting from DIY/Home Improvement sites too. There are numerous threads out there with similar compressors doing it with 0 resolution.

I'm going to temp setup a 30A circuit - just to see.

Danielhv, 110 only AFAIK - nothing in the manual/on the compressor itself indicates otherwise.

fordracing19, sooo, I have 150psi compressors that blow the air the same. The CFM rating on this compressor is what I was most interested in as well as the 30 gallon tank from my standard 6 gallon compressors. Does well, just need to make it do so in a reliable manner.

None of the tools *I* am using require an excess for 90psi

mikeb

· #11 · Sep 8, 2009

danielhv said:
And there lies the problem. Get a 30A breaker and be done. Thats what I run mine on. Does it have the option to run 220 to it? Some can do both 110 and 220. Probably just has a higher startup load when under pressure.

Dang, I need to get one of those hose coil deals. I've got compressor hose lying around everywhere.

marcs85gt

· #12 · Sep 10, 2009

danielhv said:
And there lies the problem. Get a 30A breaker and be done. Thats what I run mine on. Does it have the option to run 220 to it? Some can do both 110 and 220. Probably just has a higher startup load when under pressure.

nice set up

jyro

· #13 · Sep 10, 2009 (Edited)

under the small square cover there is an unloader

when the compressor shuts off the unloader relives the pressure on the compressor so it doesn't start under a load. If it doesent unload, the motor won't be able to start it no matter what amp breaker it has, when it reaches the set pressure it should shutoff and hiss for just a second when it unloads, no hiss and it will trip the breaker every time till it has no pressure in the tank. if you want to check the check valve, let the tank pump up, loosen the pipe at the compressor that gets hot, let the pressure blead off that line( should just take a second) and try to restart it. if the pressure doesen't stop blowing out, the check is leaking back. clean it out.

look at this video, hear the hiss when he stops it, does yours hiss?
http://images.google.com/imgres?img...oft:en-us&sa=N&um=1&ei=74OoStCnFIKEtwfAmKXpBw

ceyko

Discussion Starter · #14 · Sep 10, 2009

jyro said:
when the compressor shuts off the unloader relives the pressure on the compressor so it doesn't start under a load. If it doesent unload, the motor won't be able to start it no matter what amp breaker it has, when it reaches the set pressure it should shutoff and hiss for just a second when it unloads, no hiss and it will trip the breaker every time till it has no pressure in the tank. if you want to check the check valve, let the tank pump up, loosen the pipe at the compressor that gets hot, let the pressure blead off that line( should just take a second) and try to restart it. if the pressure doesen't stop blowing out, the check is leaking back. clean it out.

look at this video, hear the hiss when he stops it, does yours hiss?

Hey jyro,
Excellent explaination of everything. The unloader valve seems to be working fine though, I get the hiss.

It just occurred to me though, that I introduced a leak so it would start up after the initial fill. It maybe that noise I hear when done, a quicker boost of air that is leaking out the leak...not the unloader. I'll tighten it up tonight and let it do its initial fill and check.

I suspect that is good though. I replaced the check valve, which I think MAYBE the same as the unloader valve....

I did temporarily hardwire the compressor to a 30A circuit. I noticed no difference though. I was going to further disassemble the compressor this weekend and clean up anything that may need it.

I've also been told it maybe the capacitor for starting it...which makes sense. But that is a 70 dollar part which is close to what I paid for the compressor itself. (Used one) I may just live with it with the hole. If it lasts 5 years, great. Just bothers me not to be able to fix it cheap.

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jyro

· #15 · Sep 12, 2009

checkvalve and unloader

the check valve is close to the tank and prevents the unloader from emptying the tank when it unloads. The unloader is on the pressure switch and is usually a mechanical device that operates when the pressure switch trips out at it's setpoint.

capacitors are cheap, nowhere close to 70 my cost. Closer to 20.00

pm me, where do you live

miketyler

· #16 · Sep 12, 2009

So what did you fiugure out on this? Jyro's explanation sounded logical. Now that it's actually looking like a defective compressor component can't you get it covered under warranty?

ceyko

Discussion Starter · #17 · Sep 12, 2009

Jyro,
Besides the start capacitor, I was wondering if that was it as well. I replaced the check valve and will check out the rest. Your explainations make a ton of sense.

miketyler,
I'll post up as soon as I know. My wife is in the hospital now, twins that wanted to come out 7 weeks early so we're fighting with that. Probably won't be able to dig into this for another 3 weeks or so.

I bought the compressor used, it is older and would be perfect for me if it filled.

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