Help with Bleeder Valve?

Claudia Whitten · Post by **Claudia Whitten** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 5:55 pm

I just got done using my sandblasting equipment yesterday. Today, I went out to use it and the bleeder valve will not shut down. It worked fine yesterday. I don't know what I have done or what I did. I have turned it as tight as it will go and it still lets out air. Any suggestions........Claudia

Marty · Post by **Marty** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 6:45 pm

Is this the little dohicky (tech. term) with a wire sticking out at the bottom of the water trap?
I don't think it's supposed to shut completely.

Claudia Whitten · Post by **Claudia Whitten** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 8:00 pm

Hey Marty,
No, and I think I have it fixed. It is the bleeder valve under the pressure gauge on mine. It is connected to the Pressure relief valve. I am not sure what happened to make it not shut off. I talked to a guy friend of mine and he explained different ways this bleeder valve works. So I took it off and looked at it,mine when open has a hole that allows the air to escape and when screwed shut should seal. So I took it apart and looked at it . It looked fine and worked fine when off. I put it on and it leaked air. So, I took it off again and looked at it,put it on and it seals. So, I did nothing to make it not work and now I have done nothing to make it work...........Just glad I can blast.......Off to finish making dinner and then I can Blast.......Blasted equipment anyway.
Claudia

Tom White · Post by **Tom White** » Sun Feb 15, 2004 10:15 pm

It sounds like you are talking about the pressure regulator that controls the pressure delivered from your compressor's tank to your airline. If that is the case this device has a rubber diaphram attached to a metal stem which is moved by the plastic knob above it to adjust the pressure delivered to the air outlet. If this diaphram develops a hole, separates from the metal stem or fails to seal completely around its outside edge it will leak continously as you related. If any of these conditions exist the regulator leaks pressure to the outside air and is ineffective. It sounds like your's may have lost the seal around the outer edge and you restored that seal on your second examination and reassembly of the regulator. You might consider purchasing a spare regulator diaphram if it is available by itself. My supplier carries only complete regulators, not component parts. In an emergency (late night) situation I have constructed a new diaphram from innertube rubber and super glue to finish a job. If you will not be using your compressor for some time it is a good idea to reduce the pressure on the regulator to zero by loosening the plastic knob of the regulator counterclockwise until the output gage reads zero. This removes the stress from the diaphram and imho makes it last longer. Also, if I am not going to be using the compressor for a while I use the manual part of the pressure release valve to bleed the pressure from the tank after I reduce the regulated pressure to zero.

Best wishes,
Tom in Texas