I am opening a new shop and money is getting pretty tight. The new shop currently has galvanized pipe running throughout that was used for compressed air. Thing is it has been there unused for a long time and may have spiders and God knows what else living in there. My question is can I attach my compressor and blow all the gunk out, or should I bite the bullet and install new piping$$$$. I know new piping i whats best, but is there anyway I can salvage the old piping system without ruining my tools. Piping is not rusted, just concerned with everything that could be inside pipe. Pipe is thick. Looks like 2 inch.
Air compressor piping
- Thread starter mlg567
- Start date
sure, blow it out . also install filters at the outlets in case anything in there that didn't move with the blowout decides to at a later time.
JCQuick
Well-known member
Heck yeah that's what I would do
turbowoodworker
Well-known member
I was in a similar situation. Take parts of it loose and use an electrician's fish tape with an oiled rag remnant. Drag it through like a bore snake. You'll get the big chunks and tarantulas!
AffableCurmudgeon
Well-known member
PVC is pretty cheap.... 
matt_i
Well-known member
2 inch pipe is pretty serious...do you need all of that air? Its going to take a pile of fittings to get down to sizes that are more common for smaller stuff.
fastbike02
Well-known member
I would do as others have said and run a oiled rag through the lines and rock on! I'd try hooking a shop vac up to one end and feeding a small road in the other instead of taking it apart and breaking very old seals
Moose97
Well-known member
lakeroadster
Well-known member
It's probably just fine as is.
How bad the internal rust is will depend on if the piping was installed correctly, being sloped for drainage, and how the original system was maintained.
Where are you located?
Relative humidity makes a difference..... Florida vs Arizona
How bad the internal rust is will depend on if the piping was installed correctly, being sloped for drainage, and how the original system was maintained.
Where are you located?
Relative humidity makes a difference..... Florida vs Arizona
DeltaWye
Well-known member
You could flush it with water and then run air through it to dry it out.
73RR
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The problem with galv pipe is that the galv coating on the inside will degrade and flakes will wind up in your tools and, worst of all, in your face when you have your blow-gun working....Galv pipe is simply not a recommended material for air lines.
sberry
Banned
Take a few pieces apart and see how it looks.