I recently splurged on a Saylor Beall 80-gallon with the factory aftercooler. The company states it reduces air temps to 10 degrees F above ambient. Curious if there's really any need or benefit to any additional cooling? Can I just connect the tank to a water separator and then to my (to be installed) rapidair system?
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Air compressor factory aftercooler -good enough?
- Thread starter carl_694
- Start date
There's always some benefit to additional cooling to at or near ambient. I wouldn't make it a national emergency but I'd see what I could do for the most bang for the buck (e.g 10'-20' of copper pipe or maybe an additional aux air tank off of CL.
My .02.
Good luck!
My .02.
Good luck!
stonesfan68
Well-known member
10F above the ambient temperature is more than adequate for adding a dryer. I wouldn't spend the money on any additional cooling.
pcmeiners
Well-known member
"Curious if there's really any need or benefit to any additional cooling?"
You have hit the >95% of cooling you can possibly get with air to air heat exchange, not worth anymore effort. Any additional cooling with a benefit would be a refrig dryer, or a desiccant unit but for most purposes they are not needed. With the aftercooler you will be removing 70% of the moisture.
You have hit the >95% of cooling you can possibly get with air to air heat exchange, not worth anymore effort. Any additional cooling with a benefit would be a refrig dryer, or a desiccant unit but for most purposes they are not needed. With the aftercooler you will be removing 70% of the moisture.
Trey T
Well-known member
OP: The purpose of an aftercooler (or heat exchanger) is to cool the compressed air (high temp) prior to entering the tank so that the condensed vapor can be separated quickly and fall down the bottom of tank. If you don't have the aftercooler, your tank will essentially be the heat exchanger and will condensed by the ambient temp. The aftercooler can be more effective in condensing the vapor if it has a fan because it can potentially push the air temp lower than ambient air temp.
Aftercooler don't remove moisture - that's incorrect; yeah, yeah - it's tomato vs tomAto. It sounds like there's some sort of magic.
Aftercooler don't remove moisture - that's incorrect; yeah, yeah - it's tomato vs tomAto. It sounds like there's some sort of magic.
pcmeiners
Well-known member
"your tank will essentially be the heat exchanger and will condensed by the ambient temp."
It will only go to ambient if the volume of air it contains is not used for any purpose, once the volume of the tank is used it is above ambient.
"The aftercooler can be more effective in condensing the vapor if it has a fan because it can potentially push the air temp lower than ambient air temp."
A fan can lower the temperature below ambient only if the fan produces high pressure, and then the air drops in pressure at the cooler fins.. there will not be enough of a drop in pressure as described with a normal fan which could produce lower then ambient temperature. With a normal fan or pulley fan you can come a few degrees above ambient but no lower with a large over sized cooler ( such as a Hayden DB 1290 on a 5hp compressor).
It will only go to ambient if the volume of air it contains is not used for any purpose, once the volume of the tank is used it is above ambient.
"The aftercooler can be more effective in condensing the vapor if it has a fan because it can potentially push the air temp lower than ambient air temp."
A fan can lower the temperature below ambient only if the fan produces high pressure, and then the air drops in pressure at the cooler fins.. there will not be enough of a drop in pressure as described with a normal fan which could produce lower then ambient temperature. With a normal fan or pulley fan you can come a few degrees above ambient but no lower with a large over sized cooler ( such as a Hayden DB 1290 on a 5hp compressor).