I discovered a pin hole leak in the bottom of my 80 gallon, 200psi compressor tank.

The motor/compressor unit are in excellent condition, but the previous owner must not have drained the tank often enough.

A replacement tank is going to have to be purchased for ~$1100. I am NOT going to attempt to repair it. I value my life and shop too much.

The factory offers powder coating:

External: $350
Internal: $400

The tank comes with a primer coating, so I'm leaning towards declining the external powder coat and just painting the outside myself. However, I'm on the fence on the internal coating. I drain my tanks very often, so would it really be worth it? Freight shipping alone is $350...

Thoughts?

Seems like it would be a better move to buy a new 80 gallon compressor as they seem to be the same or nearly identical in cost as a receiver tank.

Install the new unit or utilize just the tank if you have a quality pump or motor you'd like to continue using.

New compressors of similar specs seem to be 2-2.5k or higher and many made of foreign junk. This unit was made by Sanborn in MN and seems to be pretty good quality. Plus, if I get a new tank I can convert it to horizontal. I can't stand the top heavy vertical units.

Seems like a waste to buy a whole new one, but maybe not.

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However, I'm on the fence on the internal coating.

Is that even possible? There's a lot of internal surface, with only a small external opening to apply it through, to coat. I'd just do what you're already doing, keeping it drained.

Apparently it is. I’ve noticed that several manufacturers offer either a powder coat or epoxy coat on the inside of their tanks. I’m guessing they apply it through one of the large bung holes after the tank is welded up.

Im not sure if tanks on your typical northern tool, tractor supply type compressors are coated internally but I have noticed they almost all seem to use Manchester Tank as the tank or receiver manufacturer. I wonder if the specs are different on material gauge and/or internal coating.

These tanks seem to last decades if drained regularly. If your in New Mexico yours would probably have the best chance of a long service life.

Maybe get one of those auto petcock drains too.

I have a vertical 80 gallon Rol-Air but recently bought a used Quincy compressor head that I plan to put up there if clearance allows. Id have a horizontal tank too if I had the space.

Two of the main manufacturers I was looking at who offer coatings were Samuel and Morganton. They both manufacture on the east coast, apparently.

I was thinking about the local climate, too. I still get some water out of my compressors when I drain them, but it's nowhere near what I'd get back in the South. I was definitely going to upgrade the drain, too.

If I skip the coating(s), the total cost of a new tank, plus freight, would be ~$1300. It's still much cheaper than a new unit.

I figured we've probably gone with uncoated tanks for over a century, I can make it work. I'm just curious if anyone has any first hand experience with coated options. It makes sense from a physical/chemical standpoint, but is it really worth it with proper draining/maintenance...?

EDIT: Another possible drawback is that internal coatings can flake off and contaminate the rest of the system. I'd like to think most modern companies have powder coating down really well, but that isn't always the case.

Too bad you do not know and NDT tech to take some thickness readings on the tank with a hole to see if a repair is sufficient.

I’d sure be inclined to patch it up if the rest of the metal seems ok. But, I’d suspect there are more thin areas since the corrosion is probably not isolated. Check Surplus Center, they may have a tank that will work. I have not looked at their inventory for a while.

The outside of the tank looks damn near brand new. I'd be curious to bore scope it, but I don't have one of those, either. Even if it was just one isolated spot, I don't know if I'd feel comfortable gambling so much on a repair. Paying for a hydrostatic test plus ultrasonic inspection would probably approach the price of getting a new one anyway.

Nothing in stock at the moment at Surplus Center, it appears.

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The outside of the tank looks damn near brand new.

The inside will look a lot worse.