5 Ways To Reuse Your Air Tank (Now That You Don’t Need One!)

Written by VMAC | Jul 18, 2019 8:05:22 AM

One of the coolest benefits of rotary screw air compressors is that they don’t need an air receiver tank. Instead, these powerhouse air compressors operate at 100% duty cycle and provide instant air on demand.

But there’s one “problem” that many operators experience after they upgrade their recip to rotary screw: their old air receiver tank is suddenly a stationary, unnecessary hunk of metal.

Fortunately, we’re here to help. In this post, we’ve put together a list of five ways to reuse an air tank now that you don’t need one…

1. Turn It Into A Smoker or BBQ

What better way to give a tank new life than turn it into a functional BBQ or smoker? Air tank cookers are a fun DIY project for those who love hands-on work and are an excellent way to cook meats.

One guy took his dad’s old 30-gallon Campbell Hausfeld tank and transformed it into the beautiful smoker below, which has successfully cooked sausages, brisket, pork butt, and ribs.

This side-project only took a couple weeks from start to finish and is the perfect way to give an old tank some new life! You can check out his full story here.

If you’re into less ambitious projects, there are simpler designs as well:

Regardless of how fancy you choose to go, YouTube videos can teach you everything you need to know to transform your old air receiver tank into a BBQ or smoker.

2. Create a Planter for Flowers or Vegetables

There’s something satisfying about working in the earth and an air receiver tank can become a simple gardening container. Cut a hole in the side of the tank and voila—instant planter!

You can grow any type of plant you want to contain, as long as it doesn’t need deep soil. We predict pumpkins and squashes, mint and other herbs, and most flowers would do particularly well in an air tank garden.

Check out this garden, made from a water heater, to get the general idea:

3. Design An Awesome Fire Pit

Air receiver tanks are built to last and they are fireproof, which make them a great base for a decorative fire pit. From simple conversions to complex works of art, people have created phenomenal fire pits out of old tanks.

Here are a couple examples of air tanks that have been transformed into decorative fire pits:

Your imagination (and skill) is the limit when it comes to designing fire pits out of old air tanks!

4. Create Unique Sculpture Art

If you’ve ever wanted to create your own sculpture, an air receiver tank is the perfect starting point. All sorts of animals, characters, foods, and creations can be made out of an elongated cylinder.

If you never thought about converting your air tank into sculptures, perhaps these works of art will change your mind:

But you don’t need to be a welder or metalworker to create an amazing piece of art. Painting propane tanks is a long-standing form of art and there’s no reason you can’t do the same thing with your air receiver tank.

For a little extra inspiration, simply look up “propane tank art”

5. Sell It to A Scrap Metal Yard

If all else fails, you can transform your air receiver tank into cold, hard cash. Many scrap metals places will pay for the metal in the tanks at very fair rates. Once you’ve converted your air tank into cash, you can convert that cash into anything your heart desires!

Just ensure you phone in advance because many scrap yards have strict acceptance rules, such as removing valves or cutting tanks in half.

Regardless of which reuse route you choose, ditching your air receiver tank is always a great move. Congratulations!

Ready to ditch your air receiver tank? Check out our rotary screw air compressor products.

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