Why a receiver tank matters
A compressor sized correctly still short-cycles — switching on and off too often — if the receiver tank feeding it is too small for the demand spikes downstream. That wears the motor and pressure switch faster than steady running would. Undersized tanks are one of the most common causes of an early motor failure we see on service calls.
Vertical or horizontal?
- Vertical tanks suit workshops and plant rooms with limited floor space — a smaller footprint for the same capacity.
- Horizontal tanks suit larger industrial capacities where floor space is available and a lower centre of gravity is preferred.
How we size a tank
Tank capacity is matched to your compressor's free air delivery (CFM) and how spiky your demand is, not sold as a fixed list:
- Workshop-scale tanks from roughly 50–500 litres, paired with piston compressors
- Industrial capacities from 500 litres up to several thousand litres, paired with screw compressors
- Mild steel construction as standard, built to the pressure rating your system needs
- Fitted with safety valve, pressure gauge and drain valve as standard
Related
- Piston compressors — workshop-scale units these tanks are commonly fitted to.
- Screw compressors — industrial units needing a larger receiver.
- Dryers & filters — often fitted alongside a receiver tank for clean, dry output.