air line question...

[Ryan]

So, I got a wild hair up my *** yesterday and started installing my copper air lines... I ran flex from the compressor to the wall, obviously... but after I did it, I started staring at it and wondering how I was gonna drain moisture from the flex. Here's a pic:

This is wrong, isn't it?

 

[58Yeoman]

Flip it over so the loop is on top?

 

[gungatim]

ummm, turn the elbows around?

 

[Ryan]

That's what I did... just making sure I'm not missing anything... I've never done this before and literally started doing it to take my mind off of work for a bit yesterday. Seat of my pants!

 

[PAToyota]

On mine, I put the regulator after the flex (mounted to the wall) and ran the flex higher so that it would drain back into the tank as I have an automatic drain on the tank.

 

[GN4WHLN]

Run a copper drip leg down from the existing copper line. Run the flex downhill to the drip leg leaving enough below the flex to hold some water. You're close enough to the compressor you may condense a bit of water in there if you are cycling it under heavy use. I have a similar setup going to my copper distribution system.

 

[Ryan]

Run a copper drip leg down from the existing copper line. Run the flex downhill to the drip leg leaving enough below the flex to hold some water. You're close enough to the compressor you may condense a bit of water in there if you are cycling it under heavy use. I have a similar setup going to my copper distribution system.

I've already got the drip leg, you just can't see it in the picture... And it's slightly downhill from the first attachment point that you can see. I think flipping the elbows should do the trick.

 

[The Cobbler]

could turn the 90's 90 degrees so the flex line is sort of horizontal, behind the tank

 

[ratdoggy]

If that's a drier and it looks to be, it's too close to the compressor to actually catch much moisture, it should be just before your air hose connection quick coupler
https://www.tptools.com/tech-metal-piping.dlp

 

[Zrexxer]

Yep, just flip your line over. That's how I did mine:

 

[MoonRise]

Yeah, that arrangement isn't quite right. As you realized, you made a water trap.

Rotating those 90 deg galvanized elbows so that the flex hose is at least horizontal would mostly work.

Turning the elbows 180 deg so that the flex hose loop is bowed 'up' would work a bit better.

Running a bit more hard pipe so that the flex hose come out from the filter/regulator and goes 'down' to a T, and then the T has a vertical lower drip leg (with a valve to blow out water and crud) and a vertical upper leg that connects into your horizontal copper line would be 'best' IMHO.

 

[Ryan]

If that's a drier and it looks to be, it's too close to the compressor to actually catch much moisture, it should be just before your air hose connection quick coupler
https://www.tptools.com/tech-metal-piping.dlp

It's not... It's just a filter and a regulator... I have multiples of these in the system.

Yeah, that arrangement isn't quite right. As you realized, you made a water trap.

Rotating those 90 deg galvanized elbows so that the flex hose is at least horizontal would mostly work.

Turning the elbows 180 deg so that the flex hose loop is bowed 'up' would work a bit better.

Running a bit more hard pipe so that the flex hose come out from the filter/regulator and goes 'down' to a T, and then the T has a vertical lower drip leg (with a valve to blow out water and crud) and a vertical upper leg that connects into your horizontal copper line would be 'best' IMHO.

I see what you are saying. Cuz I'm lazy, I just rotated the elbows to the flex bend is air born for now.

 

[mathil]

Is that a hydraulic flex line, or a regular water flex line?

 

[Ryan]

Is that a hydraulic flex line, or a regular water flex line?

It's hydraulic... That's cool, right?

 

[sberry]

I doubt it will be a real water trap but Why not mount the filter reg down the line on the other end of the copper tubing.

 

[Caman]

Be careful with the Galvanized fittings, especially with the copper pipe. Galvanic corrosion could create a dangerous situation.

I would remove all the galvanized and replace it with brass.

 

[Rogue1987]

Be careful with the Galvanized fittings, especially with the copper pipe. Galvanic corrosion could create a dangerous situation.

I would remove all the galvanized and replace it with brass.

Could always put in a dielectric union there too.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Rossco]

Yeah flip the hose.

IDE take the regulator out and place it 'Point of use'. Depends on the integrity of the copper.

 

[Rickster55]

Hmmmm...now I have to go look at mine!!

 

[Fixnair]

Flex lines on an air compressor should always run parallel to the crankshaft. This way it will dampen the oscillilations of the shaft which generate the vibration forces.
Compressed air will not generate galvanic actions in piping. No need for dielectric unions. Liquids on the other hand will.

 

[rmmiller]

Yep, just flip your line over. That's how I did mine:

That's serious overkill, shouldn't ever have a failure with that one!

Flex lines on an air compressor should always run parallel to the crankshaft. This way it will dampen the oscillilations of the shaft which generate the vibration forces.

Never heard of this before.