Refrigerated air dryer question

[JimG]

I just picked up an Eaton 52-dry air drier for a couple hundred dollars. It appears in good condition, I’ve not gotten it plumbed yet but my question is there are two valves ******* sticking out of the side with what I think is a very bad English translation that says “ Pollutant outlet. Daily Base” nothing about these in manual and looking online at other units, I’m not seeing any equipped with these apparent drains. Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[Firebrick43]

Its condensate, all refrigerant based systems will have condensate

 

[engineer2]

A refrigerated air dryer will have 3 connections; air inlet, air outlet, and a water drain.
You can take the covers off and figure out which is which.
Moist air goes into the air-to-air heat exchanger.
Then it goes to the refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger where it is chilled, water is condensed out, and drained.
The treated cold air goes through the air-to-air heat exchanger to re-warm it.

 

[NFT5]

While drying air after it leaves the tank is quite effective, cooling and drying between the compressor heads and the tank entrance, is vastly more effective. Using some high heat hose just connect from the cylinder heads to the cooler. Cooler only needs to be simple. I use 15mm copper tube in a vertical array, totaling about 35m in length and with vertical tubes having drain taps at the bottom of each second riser. That way, the air that comes into my tank is already dry and presents no risk of corrosion nor of getting into the lines/jobs downstream, although I do have filters down to 0.5µm, I have NEVER had any moisture this side of the tank. As a painter I need clean, dry air and this way I get it, without the capital cost of refrigerated dryer(s), or of the cost of cooling.

 

[Junkman]

While drying air after it leaves the tank is quite effective, cooling and drying between the compressor heads and the tank entrance, is vastly more effective. Using some high heat hose just connect from the cylinder heads to the cooler. Cooler only needs to be simple. I use 15mm copper tube in a vertical array, totaling about 35m in length and with vertical tubes having drain taps at the bottom of each second riser. That way, the air that comes into my tank is already dry and presents no risk of corrosion nor of getting into the lines/jobs downstream, although I do have filters down to 0.5µm, I have NEVER had any moisture this side of the tank. As a painter I need clean, dry air and this way I get it, without the capital cost of refrigerated dryer(s), or of the cost of cooling.

Might you be able to post a picture?

 

[NFT5]

Might you be able to post a picture?

Easy. There are two motors, two sets of pumps and, therefore, two outlets. Remove original lines from these outlets and replace joining together in a Y fitting. I used braided lines but it could be done in copper tube. A hose attached to this then attaches to the copper tube array


Cooling tube array. Each vertical is about 1.8m long and you can see the series of taps along the bottom. Water condenses as it cools at flows into the extensions where it sits, out of the airflow, until drained. Where I live is not humid so what I have is more than sufficient. In a more humid climate those legs could be longer or larger diameter tube used. I drain daily - it's easy to just flick the handle to open the valve. Much easier than draining the tank, which I never have to do, although I do check occasionally. It could also be set up to all drain into a single receptacle fitted with an auto drain.


The cooling array sits behind the compressor, in this picture in a temporary position but later attached to a wall.


One other major advantage of drying your air before it goes into the tank (apart from the fact that no water sits in the tank to cause rust) is that there is a valve where the air comes into the tank. This is connected to the switchbox but if the air coming through is wet then these valves can play up and leak back up to the switch unit. Dry air means that this valve never causes a problem.