Thread: Compressor Drain Valve

Dear Gentlemen,

Just a quick post. To begin with, my apologies if this isn't quite the correct Forum for this one, but a search of thread titles seemed to indicate that most Compressor-related threads lived up here, instead of down in "General & Small Machinery", but no sweat if it gets moved down there...

Anyhow, was doing some spray painting up on the roof over the weekend, and wanted to drain the tank at the end of it, but ended up unwinding the "Needle" (I guess you'd call it) too far and it came right out of the Drain Valve altogether. After it came out, there was still air screaming out because whatever it was that formed the seal between the Needle and the Seat came off the Needle and was stuck inside the Valve for a couple of seconds before it blew out at Warp Speed into Hyperspace - never to be seen again...

The compressor is an Arlec, and a picture of the Needle is below. It's a different setup to the one in my little Scorpion, so I need to ask whether any of you know if it's just a normal little O-Ring that goes back on the end, or some sort of special little washer (like in my little Scorpion, unless it's just a squashed-to-buggery O-Ring impersonating a washer in that too...)

N.B. Don't go taking the thing out altogether to check it for me unless there's no air in your tank, or you're wearing goggles...

Thanks fellas,
Batpig.