FYI Interesting air tank drain hoops

[Joe Hogan]

As I wondered around the DP I find these inconspicuous items that are important to know about. There are 4tank drain valves that drain the low point of your tanks. It is important when in a humid area like Florida to keep water out of air tanks. Note the hoops in the wheel well. There is one in the back for the tag tank.

 

[Rich W.]

It’s important to periodically drain the tanks to remove any water and/or compressor oil that may have accumulated during driving and can contaminate the system. It’s also important to observe what is being discharged. Ideally you’ll see nothing or very little. A small amount of oil mixed with the water is acceptable. A lot of water means your air dryer isn’t functioning correctly, and a lot of oil means your compressor is failing. Just draining the tanks is only half of the process; observing what comes out is also important. If nothing drains out the system is working and the air dryer is in good condition.

This is part of a daily check (along with the seven step air brake test) that most people never do because of air dryers that automatically trap and discharge moisture. But if you don’t make a habit of regularly draining the tanks and observing the discharge you won’t know if you have a problem and you could allow your brake system to become contaminated, damaging the system and creating a safety hazard.

Depending on who you talk to, drivers will tell you they do it whenever they get fuel, weekly, monthly, every season, or never, but few will tell you they do it daily or at the end of every day of driving. It is also important in cold climates where water in the tanks can freeze.

With a new vehicle you don’t have to worry about the compressor and the air dryer has a three year maintenance interval. But its a good habit to get into, so my suggestion is to develop a routine and stick to it. Daily is excessive and is probably still in the regs only because they were written before air dryers. But weekly if you are driving a lot, and/or after a long trip makes sense.

This is a typical statement from a CDL handbook: “In an air brake system, the air storage tanks must be drained to remove accumulated water and compressor oil. Failing to do so can cause damage. Manually operated drains should be used at the end of each day of driving.”

 

[Neal]

It looks like you have several strips of blue painters tape in there that probably needs to be removed.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Good catch, I’ll be checking the other wells too

 

[Joe Hogan]

Tape removed. Neal thank you for the comment.