CRAFTSMAN AIR COMPRESSOR PRO

Typically there will be one wire on each terminal on the switch. Method two: Unplug the compressor, and examine where the wires enter and exit the ON/OFF switch.

CRAFTSMAN AIR COMPRESSOR PRO

If probing live wire is not for you either do not do it and get a pro to work on your compressor, or method two may apply. Yes, this is a live circuit and you very much need to be careful. Then, use the multi-meter to check the voltage on the compressor side of the switch, with the switch turned on. Probe the supply line (the one from the wall plug) at the switch to confirm that power is making it to the switch. The easiest way to check the ON/OFF switch is with a multi-meter that can check voltage. If your Craftsman air compressor comes equipped with an ON/OFF button it needs to be checked to ensure that, even though you have power flowing to the Craftsman air compressor from the wall outlet, that the power is not being stopped by a malfunctioning ON/OFF switch. So far we’ve checked to see if we have power to the compressor, and tried to start it after draining the tank.ĭoes power at the plug mean power to the compressor motor? Step Three – Does the ON/OFF button work? It would be useful to know if there were any sounds from the air compressor at all, when you tried to start it. No joy? What’s next when Craftsman Air Compressor won’t start? Assuming that the ON/OFF switch is flipped to on (if your Craftsman air compressor has a switch) the compressor should start. Emptying the tank will emulate the function of the unloader valve, ensuring that no air is trapped over the piston, and eliminating this as a reason why your Craftsman air compressor will not start.Ĭlose the tank drain, and plug the air compressor back in. Trapped air will make it very hard for the air compressor to restart. The red arrow points to the tank drain.Īnother reason to drain the compressor tank is that your typical home air compressor usually has some sort of unload device that voids any air trapped over the piston when the air compressor stops. One such can be seen in the following image of a small Campbell Hausfeld air compressor. Tank drains are typically located on the bottom of the lowest part of the tank. As a result, the compressor pressure switch should have tripped to “passing”, meaning that power should now be flowing across the pressure switch to the motor circuit. Why drain the compressor tank?īy draining the compressor tank fully you ensure that the effect of the air pressure on the pressure switch has been removed. If you have not drained your tank in a long time, there may be quite a bit of water. You may want to open the tank drain with it sitting on some old newspapers or cardboard to catch the water sludge mixture. Sometimes the crud that comes out of the tank with any water is pretty dirty.

At the same time, you will be voiding the tank of any water accumulation, something you should do on a regular basis anyway. Unplug the air compressor, open the tank drain valve, and drain all the air out of the compressor tank.

We always suggest this as the first step when trying to find out what is wrong with an air compressor when it won’t start. The following information is applicable to pretty much all brands of air compressors that come equipped with an air tank. Second Step When a Craftsman Air Compressor Will Not Start If that happens, replace the fuse / breaker with the compressor unplugged from that circuit, and move to step two. If you turn the compressor on again, it may start, it may not – and it may blow the fuse or breaker again. If there was power at the outlet and the compressor won’t start, move to step two. It’s always useful too to have your air compressor plugged into an outlet that is protected by at least a 15 amp, and preferably a 20 amp breaker or fuse. Check that out and if there isn’t power to the outlet, either use another outlet with power, or reset the breaker or replace the fuse to get power to the compressor outlet. If it doesn’t – your circuit fuse or breaker may have popped. If the device works, then you have power there. Simply grab another electrical device that you know is working and plug it into the same outlet the your air compressor is commonly plugged into. Sometimes, when compressors are hard to start, the starting process may have popped the breaker or blown the fuse in the power supply to that outlet.

Always check the fuse or breaker first to ensure that you have power to the outlet for the air compressor.