Air Compressor

[Brown]

I just ordered a new air compressor for the garage. The old craftsman 30 gal died about 2 months ago so i am springing for a Ingersol Rand 60 gal 18 CFM unit. I have done a little reading and it seams like they recommend the water filter/separator be installed as far from the compressor as possible to allow the water vapors to cool so the water can be removed. I also saw some places that made what amounted to a vertical pipe rack to add a place for the air to cool down. Tt was made using long vertical sections of pipe with drip valves at the bottom of each section. Pipe was about 7 foot in length so 4 pipe would give you over 28 feet of pipe to cool air before the water separator was installed.

I'm planning on running black pipe (3/4 or 1/2???) as the deliver system with a few drops in the garage. By the front doors for tire filling and tools, by the work bench and were i operate my saw to blow the dust away.

The recommend another double unit oil/ water filter at each drop and then at lest one for suing tools that need to be oiled.

Any recommendations of brands of filters, water separators, oilers to use or any other suggestions that might be nice to have with the system?

Thanks

[Raj]

Great question. Please post pics of the work. Will you be placing the compressor inside or outside the garage. Id like to do the same project. I have seen some plastic pipe used for around the garage plumbing. Did you check them out?


*subscribed*

[Raj]

http://www.eastwood.com/100-ft-rapid-ai ... ?reltype=3

[EDNCAROL]

Don't use black pipe it will only create rust causing you all sorts of grief.

[rob711]

One of my cousins was a mechanic, now a cop, but has a garage with a lift and a few professional roll always chock full of pro tools. Any way, his compressor is plumbed with 3/4 pic, when he was doing it I asked if it will hold, he was reluctant to use it but advised by another gearhead it would work. That was 5yrs ago and it's working fine. Good luck
Rob

[Bugggy]

Just remember to turn off the compressor each night or include a shutoff valve before the flexible tubing to be able to shut it off the distribution tubing when not needed.

If a soft line breaks, lets loose or leaks, your compressor will run all weekend long and burn itself up.

[Raj]

One of my cousins was a mechanic, now a cop, but has a garage with a lift and a few professional roll always chock full of pro tools. Any way, his compressor is plumbed with 3/4 pic, when he was doing it I asked if it will hold, he was reluctant to use it but advised by another gearhead it would work. That was 5yrs ago and it's working fine. Good luck
Rob

Assuming you meant PVC. Was reading up on this a while back.... I heard its ok... until it fails.... which it will. And when it does... WATCH OUT! Its very sharp and can have a few hundred psi behind the shards. Can you say quasi grenade? no thanks.

[Brown]

One of my cousins was a mechanic, now a cop, but has a garage with a lift and a few professional roll always chock full of pro tools. Any way, his compressor is plumbed with 3/4 pic, when he was doing it I asked if it will hold, he was reluctant to use it but advised by another gearhead it would work. That was 5yrs ago and it's working fine. Good luck
Rob

Assuming you meant PVC. Was reading up on this a while back.... I heard its ok... until it fails.... which it will. And when it does... WATCH OUT! Its very sharp and can have a few hundred psi behind the shards. Can you say quasi grenade? no thanks.

Everything I read said do not use PVC, as Raj said when it breaks it's like shrapnel!

[Brown]

Great question. Please post pics of the work. Will you be placing the compressor inside or outside the garage. Id like to do the same project. I have seen some plastic pipe used for around the garage plumbing. Did you check them out?


*subscribed*

It will be Inside! From what I read metal pipe is better to get the water vapors to cool so it can be separated out. The plastic does look easy to use though!

[Brown]

Just remember to turn off the compressor each night or include a shutoff valve before the flexible tubing to be able to shut it off the distribution tubing when not needed.

If a soft line breaks, lets loose or leaks, your compressor will run all weekend long and burn itself up.

Good tip Ritchie!
Where can I get the flexible tubing to connect the compressor to the distribution pipe?

[rob711]

Yikes about the pvc!! Never seemed right but was assured by it would b ok. I never researched it myself but sounds like it might not be a good idea, I always wondered what the schedule 40 pvc we all know and love that I made a potato gun out of 15 yrs ago could handle! I thought about that as I'd hold it level with my abdomen sending potatoes out of sight into the woods!! Ahh Good times! Please do not use pvc! If u do, don't do it based what I posted earlier!!

[rob711]

Just did some reading about pvc for compressors, yeah don't use it. Northern tool has a kit for 90$. I'm going to let my cousin know. Good to know!!

[Big_kid]

Is the old tank still suitable to plumb in for some extra capacity? When I only had a 15 gallon tank my impact could drain it if I was on a roll. I rigged up my portable 5 gallon tank to assist and it helped. I put a quick coupler on it so I could add/remove it as needed.

[Brown]

Is the old tank still suitable to plumb in for some extra capacity? When I only had a 15 gallon tank my impact could drain it if I was on a roll. I rigged up my portable 5 gallon tank to assist and it helped. I put a quick coupler on it so I could add/remove it as needed.

I still have at and was thinking about doing that. I think I read some where to put it at the end of the line, I'm not sure why but I'll read some more about it.

I think I'get going with 3/4" copper for the main distribution line and then 1/2 drops. I was going to use black iron but I'm worried about getting rust even though a lot of places seem to use it.

[Big_kid]

We used black iron at the old Montgomery Ward shop back in the day. We had the drops for water with drains at the bottom and water separators right at the outlets, I don't recall having any problems in the 10 years I worked there.

[Bugggy]

When I use an air hungry tool at the end of a long hose I usually use a surge tank to increase available air supply. This allows the tool to run a little better with out running out of air.

I have an old tank with a male and female connector. I put it at the end of the hose and then run a short fat hose from the tank to the tool.

[Bugggy]

At each point of use drop off the ceiling mounted distribution line there should be a long vertical run with a ball valve at the bottom. The point if use should be a tee off, high off this vertical pipe. This will allow condensation, rust or debris to collect on the bottom of the vertical pipe, and a quick open and close to blast it out.

[Brown]

When I use an air hungry tool at the end of a long hose I usually use a surge tank to increase available air supply. This allows the tool to run a little better with out running out of air.

I have an old tank with a male and female connector. I put it at the end of the hose and then run a short fat hose from the tank to the tool.

What size tank do you use?

[Brown]

At each point of use drop off the ceiling mounted distribution line there should be a long vertical run with a ball valve at the bottom. The point if use should be a tee off, high off this vertical pipe. This will allow condensation, rust or debris to collect on the bottom of the vertical pipe, and a quick open and close to blast it out.

Rich, so if I set up my drops that way would you go with 3/4" black iron mains and then 1/2" for the drops?

Thanks

[Bugggy]

I think that the sizing is done by trial and error and based on air compressor size and tools used.

I think a 3/4 inch main distribution and 1/2 inch drops for the regulators and hoses should work.

I assume that you will be using full air compressor pressure in the distribution pipes and reduce down the pressure at each point of use regulator.

I usually use an air tank from a small old dead hand carry air compressor with a male and female hose connector to put it inline near the tool being used, but with a big compressor and main line, it may not be necessary.

[Brown]

I think that the sizing is done by trial and error and based on air compressor size and tools used.

I think a 3/4 inch main distribution and 1/2 inch drops for the regulators and hoses should work.

I assume that you will be using full air compressor pressure in the distribution pipes and reduce down the pressure at each point of use regulator.

I usually use an air tank from a small old dead hand carry air compressor with a male and female hose connector to put it inline near the tool being used, but with a big compressor and main line, it may not be necessary.

Rich Thanks
it seems a lot of people talk about water in the air, although i usually will not be running the compressor for that long to build up a lot of moisture but i plan on making a cooling grid of pipe on the wall behind the compressor. Either 25' of vertical or horizontal pipe running back and forth connected to the compressor with a flexible line and then run it to my drops where i will install water separators and regulators. I'm thinking about buying a coalescing filter on the drop i would use to paint to capture anything that might get in the air line and then have another drop with two water separator/regulators with one of them having an oilier for tools that need to be oiled.

Any thoughts on brands of water separator, regulators, coalescing filters etc? There seems to be a big difference in price. I was looking at TP Tools. They were not the cheapest but not the most expensive either.