Air Comp outside in winter

[slackdaddy1]

Does anyone have 1st hand experience with their air compressor outside in the winter?
Maryland area, below 32deg Dec-Feb most nights, dipping to teens on some occasions.

I want to setup my 60gal vertical IR compressor in the shed that is 10' from the shop, a drain line at the lowest point of the line going to the shop is no problem, as the shed is 14" off the ground.

The compressor has (will have) an after cooler between the pump and tank, with a water separator just after the after cooler.

My fear is not so much water freezing in the bottom of the tank, as it is a little bit of water in a large volume area.

But water freezing in these areas that are more constricted:
bottom tank drain (its a 12" long 1/4 ****** with manual drain valve,

The water collector between after cooler and tank (it's a 2" dia x 30" long copper pipe with a 1/2" drain pipe/valve on the bottom.

The low drain of the pipe from the shed to the shop.

Does anyone have 1st hand experience dealing with this??

Thanks,
Slack

 

[plinker]

I've had the brass pipe I use for the drain burst from ice when it freezes. Anymore I drain all moisture and leave the manual drains open.

More of the issue for me is the pump being too cold where it doesnt want to turn over easily, so I dont use the compressor unless I have to in the winter (no shop anyway).

 

[Sam'sAutoParts]

I built a insulated closet in an attached shed and have one 100w light bulb in there, keeps it warm enough in the winter to protect from freezing.

 

[Red Robbie]

I would drain everything when you're done using it, or install heat trace cable as req'd.

 

[sberry]

Leave the factory petcock in it, drain it in the spring or when it thaws. Don't add fittings to create a sump, they are designed to tolerate freezing. It can fill with quite a bit of water before it's a problem. Horizontals are a bit better but lots of verts are used in freezing garages.

 

[crewchief888]

mine been in an unheated garage for the 20 years that ive lived "up north"

gas engine compressors in my service trucks for 14 years. the only problems ive encountered in the trucks, is when it gets down below 15F or so, the recoil start honda engine wont spin over fast enough to start....

 

[isr2kba]

I have a compressor in an unheated space in Northern NH all winter long. The mercury routinely hits -20F. I use it once a week every week to blow out water lines. Never been a problem (3 years). When it thaws, I drain it. Very little water ever comes out of it in the winter.

 

[BillK]

Slack,
The compressor i have at my business is about 35 years old. For at least the first ten years it was outside with only a little roof to keep it dry. Never did anything special and it is still running to this day.

I am also in Maryland

 

[slackdaddy1]

Thanks for all the reply's,
I am taking it that everyone who has had a compressor out in the freezing with no problems, had a stock compressor with the stock petcock screwed directly into the tank like it came from the factory?

In my situation I have a 1/4" ell screwed into the bottom of the tank, then a 12" long ****** then the petcock valve (60 gal vert)
I also have an after cooler and water separator between the pump and tank AND
a drain where the pipe comes from the shop and up into the compressor shed (this is the low point of the whole system.

I am thinking about mounting a 10-15 compressor tank on the wall and having my after cooler dump into that, then that small tank dump into my vert 60 gal.
I would hope that if I got any water in the winter it would end up in the small tank that could have a petcock drain screwed directly into it.

 

[slackdaddy1]

I'll have to look you up, my son is getting ready to rebuild his jeep 4.0,, I have not had a shop since Coleman Bros closed

Slack,
The compressor i have at my business is about 35 years old. For at least the first ten years it was outside with only a little roof to keep it dry. Never did anything special and it is still running to this day.

I am also in Maryland