Air Compressor Leaking Air From Unloader Valve
Air compressor unloader valve leaking.
Air compressor leaking air from unloader valve. When the air compressor reaches the normal cut out pressure and stops but you notice while the air compressor is off that air is leaking out of a valve attached to or perhaps inside of the air compressor pressure switch. Plug the compressor back in. I had a look at the check valve and all is good. If your electrically powered air compressor is having a hard time starting try pulling the power cord and opening the drain valve to void all air from the tank.
This is evidenced by the continuous hissing sound that you will hear. The valve on the outside of the pressure switch may look something like the one in the image. A failed air compressor unloader valve is one of the most common reasons why your air compressor cannot restart after you have used air from the compressor tank. If air leaks out the unloader when the pump stops replace the check valve because the check valve leaks air back towards the unloader.
Well if air continuously leaks out of the unloader valve then the compressor tank is emptying and the compressor needs to restart to replenish the air in the tank to get back up to cut out pressure so it can stop on its own. The unloader valve is leaking air when the compressor is running. Because the unloader valve is installed in an air line all of the air could escape. When this happens this means that the valve probably has a leak.
My air compressor just started to leak air continuously when the unloader fires off as the motor is cut off. The continuously leaks from the valve on the bottom of this. Air continuously leaks out of the unloader valve on your air compressor and this is a problem. The safety valve pops open to relieve excessive air pressure if the pressure switch fails to shut off the air compressor at the cut out pressure setting.
Sometimes the air evacuating from the unloader valve would not stop. The unloader valve is only leaking when the compressor is running. Unloader valve is leaking air. This will effectively emulate the operation of the unloader valve as any air trapped over the piston will flow into the tank as the tank pressure drops.
When the the air compressor unloader valve is working correctly the pressure in the tank has dropped to below the normal cut in pressure level of the pressure switch the pressure. I have included pictures of the air compressor. My little 2 gal.