New air compressor questions

[BigOkie]

I have a new IR TS4N5 setting in the corner of my shop and plan to use 1/2" black iron pipe along 30' of the side wall. The pipe is rated at 150 psi but the compressor puts out 175 psi. Do I need a regulator right at the compressor to keep pressure at 150? I plan to have three drops, one for air tools one for paint and one drain at the end. Should I tee up and over with 3" ******* for the two drops I use for tools and sprayers?

BigOkie,

 

[RickP]

You should use a regulator to keep the pipe at 150 psi. Many people use black iron at 175 psi -- it's your choice. For the pipe sold at Lowe's, 150 psi is the specified operating pressure, but the burst pressure is higher.

Yes, the tee up and over is the best way to go. Have you considered running your main line in 3/4" pipe and using 1/2" for your drops? It doesn't cost much more and it adds a little volume to your air reservoir.

EDIT: The safe working pressure of Sch 40 1/2" black pipe is 214 psi, if the pipe is marked ASTM A53.

 

[sberry]

Iron is used all he time at 175 and higher. Especially with small bore.

 

[BigOkie]

My old compressor was a Sears oil less with a 26 gal tank. I could go thru it and set its regulator at 150. It ran at 175 psi but the pump fried, no oil!

 

[stonesfan68]

I'd pay the slight extra money for galvanized piping. It has a higher pressure rating and will last longer in this application.

 

[All]

I'd pay the slight extra money for galvanized piping. It has a higher pressure rating and will last longer in this application.

I'd pay extra money to REMOVE galvanized piping from a compressed air system.

When the zinc in the galvanized is doing it's job sacrificially preventing the iron in the pipe from corroding, it is creating a byproduct of itself... in the form of a white powdery, stringy substance that winds up everywhere in the air system. Not good.

In fact, forbidden in the air systems of many, if not most industrial environments.

That's why the industry has invented all kinds of expensive compressed air piping systems made from other types of metals like certain grades and thicknesses of aluminum with special fittings. If galvanized piping would do, or were even allowed, there would be no market for the fancy piping systems.

For us mere mortals, like SBerry says: Black iron.

Tell you a navy story about a boomer sub. The was a fairly critical component to national security during the Cold War. Ships, including subs, have sacrificial zinc with a little current running through it throughout the boat. Well, a mechanism in a silo stopped working. Guess what the problem was eventually found to be? That weird white powdery stringy artifact of zinc. It floats around and gets everywhere.

Galvanized piping is avoided in compressed air systems. I'd follow the best practices already established.

 

[sberry]

Menards has a filter reg combo that is 1/2, it comes with oiler but you could throw that away. This has 2 extra hydrants not needed. One is hi pressure and one regulated, it should be removed and plugged but no one uses it as the reel does the work. In this location the one reg feeds drop[s to the hoist, a feed to the paint booth and the reel.

Its easy to get carried away, in hindsight I could easily or near as easily simplified my system, we were not really sure exactly what was going to happen.

That is the beauty of a simple 1/2 system in a small shop. I have seen some under plumbed because of no effort, a few with 90% of the fittings never used but a couple spare fittings and ******* and a guy can change or add as needed, maybe even re think the whole thing, parts are cheap. A great selection of ready made ******* under a dollar.

I do NOT like hydrants and sections of hose for plug/unplug. I have fixed whips with a coupler at the tool or a reel. As I mentioned, those could be removed but the place is generally well supervised and you just don't need to get creative on most days, its already in place. I have a few things semi fixed, a plasma and 1 hose coupler connected at another location. I would just as soon use a barb and a clamp and I try not to leave tools connected, most parasitic leaks come from couplers.

Some of these pics are old,, many as we did them. The changes are fewer and minor but we didn't leave some awkward setup just because "that's the way it was" I will move a pipe if there is a reason.

I guess I do have 2 overhead I should check for leaks, they were drops folr hoist and a ready made 25 ft was perfect, it made a plug and play setup but I really copuld and should remove the connectors and screw direct.