Brief Description: Clean-up shop and repair air regulator
After finishing the top wing skins this morning, I decided the shop needed some clean-up. Also, my Harbor Freight pressure regulator needed some maintenance. The regulator appeared to be stuck allowing the full pressure from the compressor to flow through (no pressure regulation). I disassembled the regulator and found that the pressure valve was indeed stuck. It had corroded and was unable to move freely. I cleaned it up, put some light lubrication on the parts, reassembled and tested the unit. It works for now but if it froze once it will again. If it becomes a problem, I will just rely on the regulator on the compressor tank (don't really need two regulators anyway).
I originally installed the Harbor Freight regulator to trap moisture and particulates but to date, I have never found any water or dirt when draining the unit. However, there is always a bit of water in the compressor tank when it is drained. I suspect moist air is getting to my air tools and that can't be good. For now, I am putting 3-4 drops of oil in the tools each day before use but I really need to find an effective moisture filter for my compressor.
