Air compressor lines - Whole garage distribution system -Ideas/Feedback wanted

[gsebast1]

Looking for feedback and ideas about what you used/recommend for plumbing a whole-shop air distribution system. (I did several searches on here)

I’ve looked at:

Black steel pipe
Galvanized steel pipe
Rapid Air system
Copper
Pex. **I don’t think Pex is truly up to the job but I sure wish it was.

My idea is to run the tubing in the ceiling trusses and behind drywall. Then place drops through the ceiling around the shop.

Any tips/ideas/feedback/photos appreciated....

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I like copper. That being said, I have the ultra easy but not pretty rubber air line. Updating to copper is on my future projects list.

Tommy

 

[The Cobbler]

I did 1/2" copper type L , 99% of it is silver soldered
ran it pitched down from the feed so moisture ends up at the end of the runs, has a drain at the end

 

[RAYJAY]

tp tools has a great setup plane i used black pipe

https://www.tptools.com/tech-metal-piping.dlp

https://cached.tptools.com/Images/airline-piping-diagram.pdf

 

[Barn5]

I went with a 1/2" kit from PneumaticPlus with a couple of added extras. Easy and it works.

 

[The Cobbler]

and the take offs are stubbed above the main lines so moisture doesn't run into them

 

[Notch1988]

I went with 1/2" seamed stainless tubing and swagelok fittings.

 

[TMcCay]

I went with the 3/4" RapidAir system. It was easy to bend and cut. If I want to add to it in the future it will be easy to do also. The fittings can be may take a time or two to get the leaks to stop. Copper was my next choice. The terminal blocks for the RapidAir system I really like though.

 

[matt_i]

I used 1/2 Cu. Some recommendations. Use Stay Brite #8 solder and Stay Clean flux. Use dripping wet sacrificial rag to protect framing, etc. Keep fire extinguisher very close by. Wipe joints after with a clean wet rag to remove "stuff" that turns it green. Pressure test before enclosing the walls.

 

[CraigStu]

I guess it depends on how large your shop is. I have two hose reels on the ceiling fed by PVC.

 

[Bretny]

I have 3/4 black pipe in my 24x24 with 60gal compressor. I have a air cooler between the pump and tank so my tank is prety dry. All the air going through the main line (3/4 black pipe) is oiled. I have a separate rubber line that gets no oil for things like painting and my plasma.

 

[sberry]

I agree about making an accurate assesment of the need here. What is a "whole shop" Lots of guys use very little and this aproach often leads to the use of hydrants where fixxed whips and hose reels are ideal.
As for the TP schematic. This is another idea that looks good on paper and is in a GM plant or industrial setting under engineering. For home simple is good,,, usually better.

 

[klassenl]

I used 1/2 pex. I even ran some of it under the floor. No problems yet.

 

[FTG-05]

3/4" Rapidair system here. Very easy to install.

 

[GrayFlattop]

I used 3/4 black pipe with 1/2" drops. If I had it to do over I would have used copper. But I've had no issues for well over 20 years.

 

[Firebrick43]

Pex, especially propex fitting/pex A tubing is up to the job especially in the walls/ceiling. It may have issues with uv light years/decades down the road in exposed areas. I would not batt an eye in using pex above the ceiling and using copper(prefered) or black iron for the drops.

Rapid air is a pex/aluminum/pex composite. The aluminum does not really impart any thing as far as holding the air pressure. It's there to keep the tubing from sagging and flopping about.

 

[Shiftless]

I guess it depends on how large your shop is. I have two hose reels on the ceiling fed by PVC.

Although quite a few guys have lived with PVC airlines without any trouble, there have been a few catastrophic failures. This is a topic hotly discussed here on GJ.

I used to run galvanized pipe up to a reel, but now with only a small 2 car garage, I just use a rubber air hose off of my portable compressor.

 

[Sticky Grips]

I used 1/2" OD Nylon tubing. No issues with rust, easy to run. It also helps that i work for a company that extrudes the tubing.

 

[pbon]

I think rapidair is pex al pex. Were I to do another one, I would probably use that. I just did my 23x28 garage with an outlet on each wall with 1/2” copper pipe (whichever is thicker L or M) and silver solder. Used about 140’ of pipe. I used 90s even though they are more restrictive than 45s. They cost much less. My needs are not heavy duty. I use mostly battery tools now. I am setting up a blast cabinet. My compressor is a single stage 60 gallon that does 11-12 cfm at 90 psi and a max of 155 psi.

 

[engineer2]

Do a perimeter loop if the building is big enough. This will minimize pressure drops during periods of heavy use. Not needed for regular sized garages.

 

[jeepxj]

I did rapid air. super easy and reliable.

 

[CJ7VFR]

I did rapid air. super easy and reliable.

And easily expandable or to tap into for a new drop anywhere as well.

Jim

 

[1slow62]

used PVC in my last shop. Never had an issue with it. The new shop will also get PVC

 

[rburke65]

Do we all know that PVC is not recommended...?

 

[1slow62]

Do we all know that PVC is not recommended...?

By who?

 

[bczygan]

by who?

............................

.........Everyone!!!

 

[PNWguy]

I love the PVC debate.
It might be even more fun than watching the Snap-On guys blow a gasket when somebody said "Harbor Freight tools are fine for some jobs".

 

[exranger06]

By who?

 

[1slow62]

A joint will fail before a pipe will burst. 3/4" pvc burst pressure is around 1,500 psi.
But yeah, i read all the debates on here so i digress.

 

[bczygan]

Looking for feedback and ideas about what you used/recommend for plumbing a whole-shop air distribution system. (I did several searches on here)

I’ve looked at:

Black steel pipe
Galvanized steel pipe
Rapid Air system
Copper
Pex. **I don’t think Pex is truly up to the job but I sure wish it was.

My idea is to run the tubing in the ceiling trusses and behind drywall. Then place drops through the ceiling around the shop.

Any tips/ideas/feedback/photos appreciated....

Black steel and galvanized steel seem like they are easy to install, but I would discount them on the basis of rusting. I haven't done the numbers, but they seem to be economical.

Rapidair seems expensive, but so does copper.

Everyone seems to design their systems by setting an arbitrary size for the main line and then adding a bunch of drops. As sberry has mentioned many times, this tends to be overdoing it.

I can see a main line needing to be used for a very large space, just to get to all needed locations. And I can also see how a large system could benefit from looping. But sberry's idea about simplifying has much merit. He uses a whip, mounted to a boom to cover a large area.

The OP give no information about his space or needs, so all we can offer, and all he asked for, is suggestions for materials.

My own setup is very specific. A small one car garage stuffed with machines and some outlying sheds and other locations that could use air. The way I will design it, is to locate machines, determine their needs, and work from them, back toward the compressor.

In a small space like my one car garage, a hose reel mounted on the ceiling could serve all locations in the garage, but instead of having to hook and unhook from each machine or location, it would help to have some fixed connections. So the next step is to specify these fixed locations and size the supply needed for them. So make a list of all the needs for air. For instance, these are mine.
Compressor
Blast Cabinet
Painting Location
Plasma Cutter
Bridgeport
Hose Reel
Outside Outlet Garage
Outside Outlet Side Sidewalk
Work Bench
Carpentry Shed
Air Dryer

Since some locations are distant, main lines are needed. Another solution is small compressors either fixed or portable.


Bill

 

[Notgrownup]

Rapid air here, easy and I had it up for a year before I used it ...no leaks at all.

 

[Tinkerman66]

............................

.........everyone!!!

100% not true!!!

 

[PT Doc]

I used the Prevost piping system for my garage. They make all of their own fittings that are dedicated to air distribution. There are so many fitting options that you can build anything you want. I would use is system again for ease of install, weight and ability to disassemble if needed.

 

[Bretny]

I have seen 1/2in horizontal black pipe after about 10yrs of air line service. It prob had less than a 3/8 hole in the center. This is why i did 3/4 black pipe and put a lubricator before the main line. The lubricator and 3/4 black pipe was cheaper than any packaged air aystem. Also i could customize it just by going down to home depot.

 

[Stuart in MN]

By who?

100% not true!!!

If you do the research, you'll find that while the PVC pipe manufacturers rate their products for use with liquid under pressure, they specifically state their product is not for use with compressed gases.

 

[Coloshaver]

If you do threaded pipe, be sure to use unions in strategic places so you don't have to disassemble the whole system to replace a bad part (e.g. regulator) close to the compressor.

See my signature

 

[LS6 Tommy]

A joint will fail before a pipe will burst. 3/4" pvc burst pressure is around 1,500 psi.
But yeah, i read all the debates on here so i digress.

In over 70% of PVC pressure failures the tubing fails before the joint.

Compressed liquid pressure ratings on PVC have absolutely zero relevance to compressed gas pressure ratings. It is not rated for use with compressed gases at all. Compressed liquids do not store energy, compressed gases do, which is why PVC explodes when used for compressed gases. PVC gets brittle with age, too, so the manufacturer's rating is pretty much worthless after about 10 years.

Using PVC for compressed gases is banned by OSHA, ASME/ANSI and ASTM except when buried, and even then some states don't even allow it when buried.

Tommy

 

[kazlx]

In over 70% of PVC pressure failures the tubing fails before the joint.

Compressed liquid pressure ratings on PVC have absolutely zero relevance to compressed gas pressure ratings. It is not rated for use with compressed gases at all. Compressed liquids do not store energy, compressed gases do, which is why PVC explodes when used for compressed gases. PVC gets brittle with age, too, so the manufacturer's rating is pretty much worthless after about 10 years.

Using PVC for compressed gases is banned by OSHA, ASME/ANSI and ASTM except when buried, and even then some states don't even allow it when buried.

Tommy

This is the problem. It's not that PVC can't handle the pressure, it's that the failure mode is catastrophic if it gets to that point. You basically have a pipe bomb with built in shrapnel. Personally, I don't care if someone uses it. Not my safety.

I personally use the Rapid-Air stuff. It's really not very expensive and the ease of install makes it worth it. Plus, even easier to cut in after the fact if needed down the road. I currently have the 1/2" setup and it was really easy. Planning on changing over to the 3/4" Rapid Pipe setup after I get done re-arranging some stuff. I don't think any system is significantly that much cheaper than anything else when you're talking a few hundred square feet to even 1-2000. There might be cost/benefit analysis for large manufacturing shops, but IMO any "garage/shop" setups are going to be splitting pennies. Just pick what you like and go with it. Except PVC, don't use PVC....

 

[Firebrick43]

PVC, should be banned worldwide as obviously it's chloride atoms cause corrosion to some brains and the affected bring great headaches and consternation to the faithful on the GJ.

It's almost as big of travesty as Canadians putting gravy on French fries

The biggest problem with pvc is that it work hardens. The extreme (both in amplitude and in frequency) pressure pulses in an air system accelerates the hardening to a very short time. Then as surmised above the failure mode is known to cause extreme pain physically.

 

[red94chev]

Another vote for 3/4 RapidAir but I wouldn't put it under the drywall. I only had one fitting pop off during my first pressurization but that would be a real PITA down the road.