Garage Air Lines: Rapid Air, Opinions ?

regguy1 · Mar 31, 2010

Looks like a quick and versitile way to run air lines:

http://www.everyaircompressor.com/Rapid-Air-90500-RRA1000.html

Anyone had experience with this kit?

Northern Tool has them to.

srmofo · Mar 31, 2010

http://garagejournal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=2561128

DanD1 · Apr 1, 2010

Yeah, I have experience with these lines. I put them in about three months ago and never could get those push in fittings to stop leaking. Today I took all the nylon lines out and put in copper. I did use all the air manifolds for the disconnects.

I don't think that I would ever spend the money on them again.

Matt M PA · Apr 1, 2010

I installed the Rapid-Air system over a year ago and have been well pleased. I have three outlets.

I can report that I have no leak issues.

tdkkart · Apr 1, 2010

DanD1 said:
never could get those push in fittings to stop leaking.

Were they Rapid-Aire brand or the Harbor Freight versions?? Our equipment at work uses scads of this style fittings in all kinds of sizes, rarely do we have a leak.

DanD1 · Apr 1, 2010

I started out with the harbor freight ones then added one of the rapid-Air ones. The biggest problem seemed to be getting the nylon lines to straighten out so they would go in at close to a straight angle.

66HertzClone · Apr 1, 2010

Did you do the install during the cold weather? Just wondering if the cold temps made the tubing less flexible and helped to cause the leaks. I've been considering this system for my garage, I have one of those horribly noisy oil-less Craftsman compressors. I have it as fas as possible away from my work area to make the noise level at least tolerable. Currently when I need air I connect a hose and drag it across the garage, running these lines could be completed pretty quickly. I have a Taskforce overhead air reel that I picked up on special from Lowes. Getting the kit from HF and plopping down one of those 20% coupons seems like a good idea.

akdiesel · Apr 1, 2010

I have not used Rapid Air system but when ever dealing with o-rings or some sort of rubber sealing service try to use a lubricant to aid in sliding it over the pipe as well as keeping the rubber plyable.

Dan in Pasadena · Apr 1, 2010

srmofo said:
http://garagejournal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=2561128

This link doesn't work.

I assume there have already been threads on the use of these kind of systems but I am wondering what the preponderance of opinions were? Thumbs up or down?

That price tag of $135 for a complete 100 ft. system looks temtping...IF it works.

modeltford · Apr 1, 2010

Don't think it was that brand, but I ran over 2000 ft of it in several buildings, with a couple hundred drops - worked great! this was 15 years ago - some of it still in use. Also used inside 15 heavy-use machines with no leaks, & easy to service . Used both metal & plastic connectors...

srmofo · Apr 1, 2010

Dan in Pasadena said:
This link doesn't work.

wierd it worked last night. Either way it was just the search results for "rapid air" <- keep it in quotes. 15 threads of discussion, non of them were real long though.

jhchoppers · Apr 14, 2010

modeltford said:
Also used inside 15 heavy-use machines with no leaks, & easy to service

True, our CNC Milling Machines use these kind of stuff with smaller 3/8 OD and 1/4 OD for all the pneumatic connections with no issues.

Is there a good online source for this stuff without the a kit? Maybe some larger diameter tubbing too?

Thanks,
JH

tdkkart · Apr 14, 2010

I see McMaster Carr is carrying the same system now,and lists all the parts individually for less money than the above supplier. Sooner or later I'm gonna convince myself to use this system.

http://www.mcmaster.com/

Look up part# 5594K11

We buy from McMaster all the time at work, quality is not an issue with anything from them.

hilld · Apr 14, 2010

I bought the HF kit, but decided to only use the tubing and the distro blocks. For all the quick connect fittings I purchased the SMC versions from Grainger, they come in a lot of sizes, for example, I am using the 1/2 NPT male threads on some of my copper pipe, and using the 3/8 NPT on the distro blocks.

jhchoppers · Apr 14, 2010

Found this today on the web... Looks like the same kind of stuff too.

Is this the same stuff you can buy at Home Depot? Shark Byte and PEX Tubing?

JH

http://www.pexsupply.com/Wirsbo-Uponor-F3040500-1-2-AQUAPEX-Blue-100-ft-coil-2193000-p

http://www.pexsupply.com/Sioux-Chief-555-23-Tube-Talon-for-1-2-5-8-3-4-PEX-Tubing-Bag-of-100-2206000-p

http://www.pexsupply.com/SharkBite-Push-Fit-Fittings-588000

Jeff Ivers · Apr 14, 2010

I plumbed my shop airlines with 1/2" PVC sched 40 pipe. Works great, as it is rated for 300psi and most compressors only put out about 150 psi.

Jack Olsen · Apr 14, 2010

Jeff Ivers said:
I plumbed my shop airlines with 1/2" PVC sched 40 pipe. Works great, as it is rated for 300psi and most compressors only put out about 150 psi.

Jeff, did you do any research before you chose PVC to contained compressed gasses (as opposed to compressed liquid)?

mjozefow · Apr 14, 2010

Jeff Ivers said:
I plumbed my shop airlines with 1/2" PVC sched 40 pipe. Works great, as it is rated for 300psi and most compressors only put out about 150 psi.

Prepare for criticism. The general wisdom on here is that PVC is dangerous and should not be used. Some have been met with disaster, others have had no issues.

Just a heads up.

And welcome to GJ!

Post up some pics of the garage if you have not already. :beer:

TurboCup87 · Apr 14, 2010

I got similar stuff from Eastwood. It works great! I have 3 runs.

tonydanzah · Apr 14, 2010

It would be much easier to use semi truck air lines and connecters you can get at a hyd distributor

tdkkart · Apr 14, 2010

tonydanzah said:
It would be much easier to use semi truck air lines and connecters you can get at a hyd distributor

Pretty sure it's basically the same stuff as used on the new trucks.

larry_g · Apr 15, 2010

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These fittings and tubing are very common in industry. I have run literaly run thousands of feet of this stuff. Look for pneumatic fittings on the web and you will come up with many. Legris, parker, smc and others are name brands if you want to try e-bay. one site to check is http://www.pneumaticdepot.com/index.php

Here the Tfitting is $3.39 and you Rapid air vendor is $10 plus and probably the same fitting.

A common name for these is pushloc fittings

Wander around there and you will find many fittings, manifolds, and tubing. I am not reccomending this vendor but just pointing out where you can find this stuff outside the home depot and very expensive Eastwood.

lg
no neat sig line

mustangmccance · Apr 15, 2010

I used a combination of the air net 3/4 inch aluminum pipe and the rapid air 3/8 inch nylon. I used the 3/4 as a distribution line and to get it to my blast cabinet and then ran the 3/8 to the distribution blocks. I am very happy with it. I do concur that it is hard to get the line to straighten out but I did my install in the cold.

larry_g · Apr 16, 2010

If you want to straighten this plastic line out then run some hot water through it till it softens pull it straight and then switch to cold to set it again. Conversly if you want to make one of them coil wind it around a mandrel run the hot water then the cold. You can also use a heat gun but you must wait till it cools before releasing it.

lg
no neat sig line

Jeff Ivers · Apr 16, 2010

Before using PVC, I spoke to several people who had been using it for several years without problems. I did install a valve and only pressurize my lines when I am using air. Upstream of the PVC lines, I have a pressure regulator which I keep set at 100 psi or less and a water separator. My lines have been installed for about a year. I am curious why others are leary of it.

Jack Olsen said:
Jeff, did you do any research before you chose PVC to contained compressed gasses (as opposed to compressed liquid)?

RbrtAWhyt · Apr 16, 2010

Jeff Ivers said:
Before using PVC, I spoke to several people who had been using it for several years without problems. I did install a valve and only pressurize my lines when I am using air. Upstream of the PVC lines, I have a pressure regulator which I keep set at 100 psi or less and a water separator. My lines have been installed for about a year. I am curious why others are leary of it.

And here it comes....

Weedwaka · Apr 17, 2010

Jeff Ivers said:
Before using PVC, I spoke to several people who had been using it for several years without problems. I did install a valve and only pressurize my lines when I am using air. Upstream of the PVC lines, I have a pressure regulator which I keep set at 100 psi or less and a water separator. My lines have been installed for about a year. I am curious why others are leary of it.

I worked in a shop with pvc lines. We would get blowouts quite frequently. They were about 5 years old.

litljay · Apr 17, 2010

Jeff Ivers said:
Before using PVC, I spoke to several people who had been using it for several years without problems. I did install a valve and only pressurize my lines when I am using air. Upstream of the PVC lines, I have a pressure regulator which I keep set at 100 psi or less and a water separator. My lines have been installed for about a year. I am curious why others are leary of it.

The general consensus is that they're dangerous. Blowouts can occur and that causes plastic shrapnel to go flying and possibly causing injury.

The 300psi rating is for compressed liquid not gas. OSHA also frowns on it.

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