Adding a Filter/Dryer to Compressor

[Greatwhitewing]

Looking at adding a 3 stage industrial filter and dryer to my 33 gal Sears shop compressor.
It has an existing regulator (obviously) and the new filter/dryer also has a regulator. Should I remove the existing output regulator or should I regulate twice?

I need to remote mount the filter so I will connect to the compressor with a short hose using QD's. Pressure in the hose will be higher with only one regulator. I know not to remove the pressure switch section.

This is what I am considering currently. Better options out there?

Amazon.com

 

[Steve_P]

For a small compressor like you have, 1/2 NPT will be fine. I'm not familiar with that brand, but it looks like a copy of the Wilkerson system as far as how they're joined. You want to have a long run of tube, pipe, hose.... before the filters to let the air cool and the water vapor to drop out of suspension. If you can run the supply down the garage wall and then back to the filters this will give you the best results. I'd remove the regulator at the compressor.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

For a small compressor like you have, 1/2 NPT will be fine. I'm not familiar with that brand, but it looks like a copy of the Wilkerson system as far as how they're joined. You want to have a long run of tube, pipe, hose.... before the filters to let the air cool and the water vapor to drop out of suspension. If you can run the supply down the garage wall and then back to the filters this will give you the best results. I'd remove the regulator at the compressor.

Helpful info, thanks but what about the double regulators?

 

[rdoty]

I would open the regulator on the compressor wide open and use the regulator on the filter/dryer/regulator to set output pressure. You would lose some potential air flow, but this is the simplest approach. You will lose more airflow from multiple quick disconnects. The hose connecting the compressor to the dryer/filter/regulator will be fine with maximum compressor pressure,

 

[danielbuck]

I see no need for more than 1 regulator, unless you have more than one 'drop' point where you'll be connecting hose/tools. Just let the entire system be open until right before your soft hose connection.

 

[danielbuck]

Me personally, I would (and have) build an actual cooler/dryer. You can use vehicle transmission radiators/coolers and a pressure switch on an electric fan, or a series of copper pipes. Do that inbetween the compressor and the tank, and a water trap before it goes into the tank. It cools the air and the water condenses, and then the water trap removes the water (get an automatic draining one). That will remove a very high % of the moisture from the entire system. (like probably 90% or more)

I'm genuinely surprised at how much water is removed from the air.

 

[GeoBruin]

Does the tank on your compressor have a separate bung where you can connect a dedicated hose? Ideally you run a fitting out of that point to your filter regulator setup bypass the regulator that may or may not be integrated into your pressure switch manifold.

The filter regulator set up you linked is the one I recommend for most people. It should serve you well.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

Does the tank on your compressor have a separate bung where you can connect a dedicated hose? Ideally you run a fitting out of that point to your filter regulator setup bypass the regulator that may or may not be integrated into your pressure switch manifold.

The filter regulator set up you linked is the one I recommend for most people. It should serve you well.

I don't know of any separate "bung" just the drain at the bottom. I reviewed the PDF owners manual and no mention but did remind me to check the air filter.

 

[rsanter]

Is the regulator part of the pressure switch? If so you have to keep it.
If the regulator and pressure switch are separate then I would remove the regulator from the compressor

 

[Greatwhitewing]

Is the regulator part of the pressure switch? If so you have to keep it.
If the regulator and pressure switch are separate then I would remove the regulator from the compressor

There is a ****** between the two

 

[GeoBruin]

I don't know of any separate "bung" just the drain at the bottom. I reviewed the PDF owners manual and no mention but did remind me to check the air filter.

If your tank has no separate outlet, you have no choice but to replace the existing regulator assuming you don't want two regulators in line. You can always just leave the first regulator wide open but it will introduce restrictions in your system. Also, using quick disconnects for the hose that connects the compressor to the filter regulator will also introduce restrictions. That said, it depends on what you're doing with the compressor whether that will affect what you're trying to do with it.

Maybe you can tell us what you're trying to achieve?

 

[Greatwhitewing]

If your tank has no separate outlet, you have no choice but to replace the existing regulator assuming you don't want two regulators in line. You can always just leave the first regulator wide open but it will introduce restrictions in your system. Also, using quick disconnects for the hose that connects the compressor to the filter regulator will also introduce restrictions. That said, it depends on what you're doing with the compressor whether that will affect what you're trying to do with it.

Maybe you can tell us what you're trying to achieve?

Just trying to clean up the air going to my tools, mostly brad and pin nailers (rarely a framing nailer and 1/2 impact wrench both using much more CFM). I don't have a practical way to mount the filter directly to the compressor connecting with rigid piping so I planned to mount the filter to a wall nearby and I need some flexible connection. Doesn't seem right to just "hang" it off the fittings.
Pretty sure I am going to remove the small regulator on the tool unless the hose could burst from the 150psi tank pressure. I was thinking a good quality 3 or 4 foot hose.
My place has no heat but is well protected from UV, rain and snow.

May try more spray painting and I know I need clean dry air.

 

[GeoBruin]

Just trying to clean up the air going to my tools, mostly brad and pin nailers (rarely a framing nailer and 1/2 impact wrench both using much more CFM). I don't have a practical way to mount the filter directly to the compressor connecting with rigid piping so I planned to mount the filter to a wall nearby and I need some flexible connection. Doesn't seem right to just "hang" it off the fittings.
Pretty sure I am going to remove the small regulator on the tool unless the hose could burst from the 150psi tank pressure. I was thinking a good quality 3 or 4 foot hose.
My place has no heat but is well protected from UV, rain and snow.

May try more spray painting and I know I need clean dry air.

You should definitely run a hose between your compressor and your filter regulator setup, I think what we're suggesting is to use pipe fittings as opposed to quick disconnects.

Here's a link to a series of videos I made showing the pressure drop created by introducing a QD into a system.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3-uylR9bS15NSbmV0Sh7_Jp3G__YrwMJ&si=emCctXmGNLWTludF

 

[Steve_P]

Helpful info, thanks but what about the double regulators?

Read my last sentence. You can remove it, or set it wide open as suggested.

 

[vanapplebomb]

I highly recommend bypassing the regulator on your tank, and going directly to a proper regulator. The cheap little ones that come built in are a huge bottle neck to flow. There is zero point in running any hardware bigger than 3/8 with the stock regulator. It just won’t flow that.

Also, keep in mind, the farther you put the filter from the tank, the more effective it will be at separating moisture. If consistently running, you can blow a lot of warm moist air through the air lines before it cools and condenses enough to be separated.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

I highly recommend bypassing the regulator on your tank, and going directly to a proper regulator. The cheap little ones that come built in are a huge bottle neck to flow. There is zero point in running any hardware bigger than 3/8 with the stock regulator. It just won’t flow that.

Also, keep in mind, the farther you put the filter from the tank, the more effective it will be at separating moisture. If consistently running, you can blow a lot of warm moist air through the air lines before it cools and condenses enough to be separated.

Hmmm, I have two not very flexible medium grade hoses I think about 25 foot long. I use a 50 foot flexilla hose for dragging around connected to tools usually. Will one the 25 footers be okay coiled up in about a 4-5 diameter to provide the cooling you suggest? I keep them near the compressor if need extra range so connecting to filters 2 feet away would be easy.

 

[GeoBruin]

Hmmm, I have two not very flexible medium grade hoses I think about 25 foot long. I use a 50 foot flexilla hose for dragging around connected to tools usually. Will one the 25 footers be okay coiled up in about a 4-5 diameter to provide the cooling you suggest? I keep them near the compressor if need extra range so connecting to filters 2 feet away would be easy.

A rubber hose is really not ideal for cooling. Ideally you would use metallic pipe for better heat exchange. Also, I don't know what diameter hose you're talking about, but adding a 25 ft hose for a relatively nominal cooling effect probably isn't worth it given the flow loss it will create.

Here is a video in which I test the flow of various quick couplers, but at 7 minutes, I test a 25' 1/2" hose vs a 25' 3/8" hose and you can see the difference.

 

[danielbuck]

Hmmm, I have two not very flexible medium grade hoses I think about 25 foot long. I use a 50 foot flexilla hose for dragging around connected to tools usually. Will one the 25 footers be okay coiled up in about a 4-5 diameter to provide the cooling you suggest? I keep them near the compressor if need extra range so connecting to filters 2 feet away would be easy.

as mentioned, a soft hose isn't really going to cool the air much, if anything I imagine it's going to insulate it and keep it hot. Which means when it expands as it leaves the hose and into your tools, that's when it will cool and condense and leave your tools with moisture in them.

Ideally you would cool the air and remove most of the water before it ever gets to the tank.


Grab the copper/metal pipe coming out of the compressor into the tank. I'll be so hot you can't touch it after it's been running for a bit. And if you don't have any cooling inbetween the compressor and the tank, run it for a while longer and the tank will start to get warm/hot. That's because they are metal and radiating the heat into the outside air. Grab the insulated soft hose coming out of the tank after using air for a while, you probably won't feel any warmth at all, because it's insulating, not conducting/radiating.

 

[vanapplebomb]

Rubber hose is pretty insulating, and the air won’t cool too much with that. But solid plumbing helps condense vapors.

Do you have a plumbing system, or are you direct to the compressor?

If you are direct to the compressor, you are pretty much stuck with it near the compressor.

If you have an air piping system, put the filter/regulator at the end of the drop, not by the compressor.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

Rubber hose is pretty insulating, and the air won’t cool too much with that. But solid plumbing helps condense vapors.

Do you have a plumbing system, or are you direct to the compressor?

If you are direct to the compressor, you are pretty much stuck with it near the compressor.

If you have an air piping system, put the filter/regulator at the end of the drop, not by the compressor.

Direct off compressor now. Not a setup I can readily run any pipes or a radiator as some suggested.

 

[GeoBruin]

Direct off compressor now. Not a setup I can readily run any pipes or a radiator as some suggested.

One common approach is to pre-cool the air right after it comes out of the pump, before it goes into the tank. There are relatively affordable coolers you can buy and place in front of your compressors fan shroud or cool with a separate
fan.

Here's a couple pictures and a quick video of a separate water trap placed after the cooler and before the tank. You can see how much water it pulls out after a single cycle of the pump (cut in to cut out)

It may not be necessary for you but I think you said above you wanted to paint so keeping water out of your lines will be somewhat necessary.

 

[Greatwhitewing]

One common approach is to pre-cool the air right after it comes out of the pump, before it goes into the tank. There are relatively affordable coolers you can buy and place in front of your compressors fan shroud or cool with a separate
fan.

Here's a couple pictures and a quick video of a separate water trap placed after the cooler and before the tank. You can see how much water it pulls out after a single cycle of the pump (cut in to cut out)

It may not be necessary for you but I think you said above you wanted to paint so keeping water out of your lines will be somewhat necessary.

More than I bargained for but looks like it might be worth the effort if I want to spray finishes someday.
Thanks, I think... lol

 

[danielbuck]

More than I bargained for but looks like it might be worth the effort if I want to spray finishes someday.
Thanks, I think... lol

it's definitely something to keep in mind once you get a more "permanent" installation.