Air compressor drainer kits????

[1Garageman]

Hello, I just got me a bigger newer and better air compressor. I would like to make so that it is easier to drain the water out of the bottom of it. I was looking around and I am found several drainage kits. I was wondering if these where any good? I want to keep my air compressor in good shape or many decades down the road. Thanks for your advice in advance.
Here is a sample of what I am talking about.
CLICK HERE for an ebay item I might buy. Give me your opinion please! Thanks

 

[cortez]

Hello, I just got me a bigger newer and better air compressor. I would like to make so that it is easier to drain the water out of the bottom of it. I was looking around and I am found several drainage kits. I was wondering if these where any good? I want to keep my air compressor in good shape or many decades down the road. Thanks for your advice in advance.
Here is a sample of what I am talking about.
CLICK HERE for an ebay item I might buy. Give me your opinion please! Thanks

Regardless if you have a dryer or a purging kit always blow out your tank as often as you need too (painting more often ect.). Install a blow out valve as close to the bottom of the tank as possible if it does not have one at the lowest location.

Water builds up quickly and if not taken care of you will need to weld shut pin holes within the decade if not sooner (depending on make/model ).

I get water build up weekly and purge often.

 

[drabe]

All those look more complicated than they need to be.
All I did was plumb from the bottom of the tank (mine's an 80 gal.vertical) a 90-degree elbow and 10" or so length of pipe (to make it easy to reach) to a shut-off (ball valve) for my drain. Has worked flawlessly for years.
Thanks for the reminder, I probably need to drain mine!

 

[applescotty]

First off, don't buy the one on eBay. Buy the same thing from Harbor Freight for less:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=46960

I've installed this on my 20 gallon compressor, seems to work fine. I had to get some extra fittings to plumb it into my compressor.

The only thing I'd maybe be worried about is if you keep your compressor powered all the time, the valve could jam or the plastic tubing could come off or split and your compressor could end up running continuously. I don't leave my compressor on all the time, so it's not a concern for me.

Scott

 

[94yj]

anyone know the psi rating on these as my truck compressor is set at 175 psi and yes i need this psi for the large air tools i use daily

 

[1Garageman]

All those look more complicated than they need to be.
All I did was plumb from the bottom of the tank (mine's an 80 gal.vertical) a 90-degree elbow and 10" or so length of pipe (to make it easy to reach) to a shut-off (ball valve) for my drain. Has worked flawlessly for years.
Thanks for the reminder, I probably need to drain mine!

I like the idea of doing this. Do I need to get a special type of "ball valve" to with hold the pressure it will be taking on? I have never done the piping stuff before. And what with or gage of metal pip should I use for this? I am a "rookie" sorry for the inconvience, and thanks a lot for the help!

 

[drabe]

If I remember right, I used 1/2" (i.d.) galvanized pipe, commonly found at Home Depot or anywhere plumbing supplies are sold. Your size may be different, I'm sure all tanks are not plumbed the same (could be wrong though).
The 'ball valve' is brass, probably designed for natural gas. I figured if it'll control gas flow, it should easily do the same for air.

 

[Packard V8]

Most ASME tanks come with a simple screw-in drain valve in the bottom.

IMHO, those plastic line plumbing kits are just an accident waiting for a place to happen. Yes, it is a pain to get down on the prayer bones every time to drain the tank, but it is the right way to do it. A car painter I knew built a bench of 4"x4" lumber and mounted his new $2500 compressor up on it. The previous one had tank rust issues and low lube oil issues. He wanted this one to last, so he put it up at eye level where he could easily check the oil every morning and drain the tank every night.

thnx, jack vines

 

[72chevy]

Here's a "How to..." on the subject.

http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/workshop/compressor/drain/ball_valve.htm

 

[Packard V8]

Good solution if the tank is back in a corner and not being moved around. The downside to the extension solution is it places the valve out where it is easily damaged and catches the foot of anyone walking by. Trades a headache for a stomachache on a portable compressor.

thnx, jack vines

 

[drabe]

Finally took a pic of my setup.
Like I said, I've never had a problem with it leaking (unless I open the valve).

 

[Jeepguy]

if you want something easy get and electric automatic tank drain, they are 115V and can be set to automatically drain off every minute, hour, day, week, etc.... usually around $100.00 any pnuematics store will have them, real pnuematics stores, not HD, lowes, HF.

 

[Scotto]

Finally took a pic of my setup.
Like I said, I've never had a problem with it leaking (unless I open the valve).

That's actually a really good idea. I installed a ball valve on my compressor at the bottom of the tank, but I'm going to put an extension on there like you did. It'll be easier to reach, plus any water will accumulate in the pipe instead of the compressor tank. That way the tank won't rust.

 

[Art From De Leon]

I have both, the Snap-On automatic drain, and a 1/4" ball valve. Every now and then I will open the ball valve and get a very few (< 6) drops of water.
The first few times after I installed the auto drain, it would dump a couple of teaspoons of water, but I have not noticed any discharge for a long time, so that is why I installed the manual drain on the other side of a "T" fitting.
I get most of the water when I drain the filter/regulator bowls.

 

[Jeepguy]

I have both, the Snap-On automatic drain, and a 1/4" ball valve. Every now and then I will open the ball valve and get a very few (< 6) drops of water.
The first few times after I installed the auto drain, it would dump a couple of teaspoons of water, but I have not noticed any discharge for a long time, so that is why I installed the manual drain on the other side of a "T" fitting.
I get most of the water when I drain the filter/regulator bowls.

you will always get more moisture out of point of use or inline filters. moisture in the tank, while not uncommon, usually isnt major unless there is something wrong with the pump itself. If you are a responsible compressor user that drains the tank everytime you are finished using it, or atleast drains the system. there shouldnt be any moisture in the tank. moisture needs to condense by radiant cooling, just sitting static in the tank for a few hours, overnight, all week, etc... thats when the tank gets a lot of moisture.

 

[1Garageman]

I am going to buile on off of those two pictures you guys put up there. Thanks a ton for everyones ideas. I am going to do that simple elbow out of it with a 6 inch niple, then a valve then a 2 inch ****** and an elbow. This will make it a lot easier!
Thanks a lot everyone!

 

[1Garageman]

Hey quick question, when making the drainage kit, do I need to use piping tape or liquid stuff to seel the joints of the pipes together?

 

[drabe]

I've never had a problem with tape, but i know a lot of guys that prefer the liquid.
It's six of one and half dozen of the other, could probably start a thread on that by itself if there isn't one already!

 

[1Garageman]

ok, i'll try tape first and see how that goes. Thanks Drabe

 

[Scotto]

You shouldn't have a problem with tape. I just did all my fitting for my compression and get no leaks with the tape. It's a lot less messy then the liquid stuff too.

 

[14binders]

Hi- First time poster and disenchanted auto drain user.

My big-boy-toy Ingersoll Rand T-30 came with a Hankinson auto drain. I was always leary of it and I hadn't heard it pop in a few months. I finally remembered to pull it apart when the tank was already low in air. Turns out the first owner (who never even fired it up) mounted the unit too high, and used 1/4" galvanized pipe to connect it. The water stagnated, and along with the gunk, scale and corrosion, plugged the end of the 1/4" pipe. I pulled the auto drain and even with a 2-3 pounds of air in the tank, nothing came out. Poked it with a stick, and goosh! out comes 2 quarts of water! I know it's my fault for not checking it even though I knew better, but still *****.

I read the fine print on the $200 auto drain, and the compressor manual, which both have a CYA note instructing the user to still manually drain the system via the thumbscrew on the Hankinson. So, why bother? just use a ball valve. I did.

Maybe a guy could plumb the drain in 1"+ pipe to act as a reservoir in case they forget to drain it regularly with heavy use.

 

[Vinko]

if you want something easy get and electric automatic tank drain, they are 115V and can be set to automatically drain off every minute, hour, day, week, etc.... usually around $100.00 any pnuematics store will have them, real pnuematics stores, not HD, lowes, HF.

Who manufacturers really high-end auto drains? I've got a Saylor-Beall, that was neglected (maintenance) for a while, but I've sorted that out, and have drops for moisture (have pics of the system somewhere here).... I'm running 4 lines. Using power tools all day -- 1 impact wrench, 2 grinders, and usually something else.

 

[dlwilson]

I'm reviving this thread so I can give a review of the Harbor Freight automatic drain shown in the first post. Here's my review: it *****. I installed one a week ago, which involved tee'ing into the plastic line that runs between the tank and the pressure switch. The kit includes some really cheap plastic line that runs from the tee down to the drain valve. This plastic line lasted maybe three cycles before it blew off where it meets the tee. The line gets really hot, and soft, which contributed to the blow out. I replaced the line twice, but it kept blowing out.

So I attempted to simply remove the tee, and replace the pressure switch line with more of the line that came with the kit. The line is so cheap that it just gets hot and melts where it joins to the fitting coming out of the tank.

At this point I just want my compressor to work, so I plan to use 1/4" copper to replace the pressure switch line. I spent some time looking through the small plumbing fittings at Home Depot while I was working with the plastic line, and I'm pretty sure I see how to plumb in the copper.

My whole reason for doing this was that I plan to put the compressor in the attic. If and when I do that I will just remember to empty the drain manually.

 

[Tlag]

I put the HF auto drain on my Home Depot branded Campbell Hausfeld 60 gallon tank. I cut the plastic line that originally went between the pressure switch and tank and inserted the HF "T" at the cut. I haven't had any problem with melting, the OEM plastic is much harder and must be more heat resistant that the stuff that comes with the kit. (I did have to heat up the OEM plastic tube to get it on the HF "T").

Everything work fine for several months.

But now drain does not close. I'm not shocked by this, it was $9, but I'd still like to understand where it failed and how these things work.

Can someone explain when, where and why there should be positive or negative pressure in the plastic control tube, etc? Or point me to an explanation?

How does the drain know to only open for a second when the compressor cycles? I'm guessing it must be responding to pressure change rather than absolute pressure, but how?

I'm thinking the HF units might rely on magic, which appears to have worn off in my case, but how are real ones suppose to work?

Thanks,

 

[1Garageman]

I'm reviving this thread so I can give a review of the Harbor Freight automatic drain shown in the first post. Here's my review: it *****. I installed one a week ago, which involved tee'ing into the plastic line that runs between the tank and the pressure switch. The kit includes some really cheap plastic line that runs from the tee down to the drain valve. This plastic line lasted maybe three cycles before it blew off where it meets the tee. The line gets really hot, and soft, which contributed to the blow out. I replaced the line twice, but it kept blowing out.

So I attempted to simply remove the tee, and replace the pressure switch line with more of the line that came with the kit. The line is so cheap that it just gets hot and melts where it joins to the fitting coming out of the tank.

At this point I just want my compressor to work, so I plan to use 1/4" copper to replace the pressure switch line. I spent some time looking through the small plumbing fittings at Home Depot while I was working with the plastic line, and I'm pretty sure I see how to plumb in the copper.

My whole reason for doing this was that I plan to put the compressor in the attic. If and when I do that I will just remember to empty the drain manually.

I personally think that about %75 of the stuff you can buy at Harbor Freight is JUNK!!!! I think I have wasted enough money buying **** there. I'll get some clamps and maybe some valves, but that's about it from now on.
Junk, junk, and more junk! Made in China ****!

 

[Thedroid]

Sullair makes some real nice units, we've had them in operation for years. I can't seem to find any info on their website.

I'm a believer in an auto drain also. If you leave the compressor on full time, then it will keep your tank dry. If you like to leave it off, wire the solenoid valve through the power switch, then you can have it drain once an hour or so for 2-5 seconds while your using it. Then you don't have to worry about opening the valve.

 

[bmwpower]

Get one of these....

 

[Atlascycle]

you could try one of these....Just installed one this week

Jason

 

[bmwpower]

you could try one of these....Just installed one this week

Jason

Can you post a link? That pict is tiny.

 

[ZRX61]

Finally took a pic of my setup.
Like I said, I've never had a problem with it leaking (unless I open the valve).

That looks just like mine, It's worked fine for at least 10 years...

 

[Atlascycle]

Can you post a link? That pict is tiny.

http://www.ingersollrandproducts.com/IS/Product.aspx-am_en-33026

FYI: I was being a bit of a smart *** on this, I installed this at work on to an air dryer that is after a 75hp and two 30 hp compressors to replace a regular ball valve that is always cracked open to drain the condensate off of the dryer, we had an intern at our plant for the summer doing a pollution prevention study and he claimed that the open valve was costing us $4000/yr. The Price for the valve that i installed was $677.

If you install any type of automatic drain valve be sure to install a strainer before the valve to prevent it from clogging or sticking open.

my application used to have a valve similar to the one that BMWpower posted and it would get plugged and not allow the water to drain off after the air dryer. I also tried one of these:Condensate Drain after the dryer and i had problems with scale buildup keeping the float assembly from working properly, I think because the water off of the dryer was so cold, i did have a strainer before that valve also. I have used this drain other places and have had good luck with it....

Jason