QuickTip: Compressor Drain

For everything from chair rail to deck building to wood flooring, many of us depend heavily on our air compressors to power our pneumatic tools.

But when it comes to draining the compressor’s tank—large or small—it’s been my experience over the years that the valve on the bottom of the unit is usually hard to turn. It’s either jammed tight, rusty, and/or there’s just not enough of the knurled area to get grab and turn.

My favorite solution is to replace the typical valve altogether with a ball type drain valve—a ball valve has a built-in lever and flips open/closed easily. But if you can’t find one, you can use a pair of small Vise-Grips. In fact, I leave my Vise-Grips on the valve all the time (unless I’m transporting the unit.)

It’s always there, easy to turn, and the locking jaws grab the knob firmly without damaging it.