Air line and fitting question

[thedeatons]

Hey guys... I have a 33 gallon compressor i run at 110psi with a 3/8 air hose reel.

I just upgraded all my fittings to milton type v high flow, which are much larger.

What i noticed was that all my fittings are 1/4NPT. So, i know this is the size of the pipe thread, but are my fittings a restriction to my 3/8 air hose?


Thanks!
James

 

[thedeatons]

I guess that was a dumb question, i realize the hose is probably a larger ID than the fittings. Would it be a huge deal to change to a 1/4 hose reel?

What is the biggest restrictor here?

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

It also matter how long your hose is. But go with 3/8

 

[diesel research]

The regulator.

 

[nathan_454]

I don't know if your compressor is like mine (33 gallon Craftsman) but I recently put in in my detached pumphouse and ran 3/4 copper underground and into my garage. at first i used one of the provided quick connects and a short section of 3/8 hose between the compressor and the 3/4 copper, performance was less then acceptable. upon closer inspection the line that feeds the regulator, and distribution manifold is tiny - 1/4 or so. so the bottleneck seemed to be right there.

my fix was to pull the large plug in the side of the tank, and using a reducer and large 1/2" quick connects and 1/2 hose re-plumb it to my copper hardline. performance is now great, ad while it is not the greatest of air compressors it really works great now.

 

[Motofixxer]

Many cheaper hoses have 1\4 threads. The Milton V are available with 1\4 or 3\8 threads. You can see the difference in the size. The smaller the diameter, the more the restriction. I would buy another hose\reel with 3\8 fittings. Use the first as needed for reaching out in the driveway or something. Having high volume with minimal restrictions will make quite a difference. Double check your regulator or any other restrictive points. Will it work as is...sure? But can you get more performance from it by eliminating restrictions... probably.

If your able to swap out the large bushing in the tank, do that. I would recommend reducing to a 3\4" on the tank bushing instead of the 1\4 3\8 or 1\2 that's on there. Then you can always reduce to 1\2 or whatever. Never know if you decide to use the tank with a more powerful pump or something.

 

[Outlawmws]

Whoops wrong thread!

 

[pipsters]

Not for air fittings but I used to collect different fasteners and hardware that should not have made it through QC, Nails with no points or half a head, or the whole head on the nail on the edge (perfect for nailing close to a wall...), deck screws without the Phillips recess, or without threads, bolts without threads, or the threads double rolled, etc. It got to be so I had so many, I lost interest and tossed em all...

I still run across them once in a while

sweet story

 

[thedeatons]

I never thought about checking the tank for restrictions!

FYI - All my air tools use 1/4 NPT, so I'm guessing it wouldn't make a difference to upgrade the hose reel to 3/8NPT???

James

 

[thedeatons]

Well, no reducers from my air tank. I think that is 3/8, right?

I did find one strangulation: I am feeding my 3/8NPT hose reel with a 1/4NPT coiled hose... Perhaps I should remove that...

James

 

[Motofixxer]

That fitting out of the tank might be 1\4, it looks kinda small. You can go to a plumbing supply house and get a tank bushing of proper size if needed. You can always switch the plumbing on the tanks a bit if needed. Use the big bushing in back and connect a Tee or whatever you gotta do.

Most general tools are 1/4, but that's also why you should use the Milton V, they still pass more air. Every restriction is exactly that...a restriction. It's not as noticeable in short bursts, but an impact trying to bust a stuck lugnut, you will notice quickly a loss of air volume. Think of breathing through a straw, you can do it...but how much can you do while breathing through that size? I put the Milton V on all my air tools. The difference is noticeable on every one.

Upgrading a hose to 3\8 NPT fittings is gonna give a bit more free flow and maximum volume.

Yea a 1\4" coiled hose...gonna kill your flow. You can get Goodyear hoses from Harbor Freight for reasonable prices. Or just black pipe it, with a short larger whip hose between black pipe and compressor.

 

[thedeatons]

The tank isnt bushed though, whatever threads you see are welded in.

I will get rid of the 1/4" coil then. I have 2 craftsman 3/8" coils i can use instead.

In a rental house now so i cannot plumb my air like i would prefer.

Thanks!

 

[Outlawmws]

Going through that switch is not helping either.

You can:

Remove that whole switch assembly, drill out the weld spud and tap with 3/8.

Get a 3/8, 1/4, 3/8 tee (3/8 through), and a 3/8 ****** long enough to allow the pressure switch to clear off the 1/4, (Plug off the now unneeded 1/4" port)

Continue the 3/8" pipe to your pipe/hose regulator assembly.

 

[thedeatons]

So redesign the manifold... Okay. Could be done pretty easily.

What would I use for a switch, a light switch for the outlet?

How much would this idea really help, percentage-wise? 50% improvement? 25%? 5%?



The nice thing about it now is resale value... Un-modified. I don't think I would buy a modified compressor, cuz one guy's upgrade is another guy's WTH (what the heck?)...

**That pipe measures 1/2"OD by the way. I bought the compressor in 2004, still kicking, and I use it all the time!

James

 

[Outlawmws]

So redesign the manifold... Okay. Could be done pretty easily.

What would I use for a switch, a light switch for the outlet?

SNIP

James

Use the same switch, all it needs to do is see a pressure port so it knows when to turn the motor on and off. That can be almost anywhere.

 

[thedeatons]

Ah, I get it...

Okay. Thanks! If I get to doing all this I will show you the results... I have been considering an oiled compressor, but don't want to spend the money....


James

 

[Motofixxer]

The tank isnt bushed though, whatever threads you see are welded in.

I will get rid of the 1/4" coil then. I have 2 craftsman 3/8" coils i can use instead.

In a rental house now so i cannot plumb my air like i would prefer.

Thanks!

That tank looks like there is a bushing in the back with a brass Tee or something and a silver 1\4" line coming out of the brass Tee. It really doesn't matter where on top of the tank the lines are.

As for lines I would either use a decent 3\8 hose 3\8 NPT hose reel, or just a hose that size.