Airline Routing Opinons

[bfr57]

So I've done a bunch of research here on setting up my airlines in my shop. I
I have a 80 gallon CH compressor and just bought a used air dryer. Here's my idea of setting it all up. The compressor is setting outside enclosed in sheet metal with the top and bottom screened for ventilation (I'm in Tucson). I plan on taking the line coming off the heads and running it through an automotive type aftercooler attached to shroud behind flywheel and 50' of 1/2" copper line to cool the air before it goes into the electric air dryer. I think I'll put an automatic drain water separator in right before the dryer. Coming out of compressor will be a 3\4" main with 1\2" legs to reels and sandblaster cabinet. So my questions are:
1. Do I run the 50' of copper inside or outside the garage? It's somtimes hotter in the garage than outside!
2. What about the compressor unloaded valve? Does it need to be relocated? Won't it have to bleed off the entire 50' of copper if I don't? Where would be best location?
I sometimes run this compressor hard when running sandblaster and 2 DA's.

 

[larry_g]

Where is the receiver (storage tank) in this system? If you do this then the unloader valve goes in the discharge line with a check valve following it to prevent backflow from the rest of the system.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[CNGsaves]

Except for "monsoon" season in Tucson, you won't have much moisture in your compressed air anyway. You know . . it's a dry heat !!

Your plan sounds fine, except airline system goes INSIDE garage. See the TPTools design diagram as you'll want upper area of shop wall for airline system and each drop first goes UP from the mainline, then back down where you'll use the air. Regulators go at drops where you want to reduce pressure for particular tool. Keep airline pressure at same high level as tank.

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

 

[sberry]

I don't care for the TP system. This is designed for an industrial plant system and different than a guy with a n outlet and a hose reel or 2. I just put one in with no drip, the filter is it. 2 of them actually.

 

[bfr57]

The tank is outside on a concrete pad. Didn't think of a check valve. I could install one at the outlet of unloader valve. Got a good source for them?

Where is the receiver (storage tank) in this system? If you do this then the unloader valve goes in the discharge line with a check valve following it to prevent backflow from the rest of the system.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[bfr57]

Yeah but 115 is just plain hot!
I had seen that setup and will incorporate some of those ideas. That was my initial thought of keeping all the lines inside for protection.

Except for "monsoon" season in Tucson, you won't have much moisture in your compressed air anyway. You know . . it's a dry heat !!

Your plan sounds fine, except airline system goes INSIDE garage. See the TPTools design diagram as you'll want upper area of shop wall for airline system and each drop first goes UP from the mainline, then back down where you'll use the air. Regulators go at drops where you want to reduce pressure for particular tool. Keep airline pressure at same high level as tank.

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

 

[engineer2]

The water drain bowls on air dryers tend to be troublesome after a while. I took the drain valve out of mine and use a timed solenoid drain instead. You could pipe the tank, after-cooler drain, and air dryer drain to the same timed drain and use check valves to prevent backflow.
As mentioned, I doubt your compressed air will be close to saturation for much of the year. You'll be able to tell by how much water comes out of the tank, after-cooler and dryer drains.

 

[bfr57]

I do get a some water in my lines cause I run it hard sometimes with the blasting pot, but I have no cooling besides the tank. I have 2 separators in series that catch most of the water, but the air is still hot and condensing. I use point of use dessicant for my powder coating and plasma. My line currently comes right off the tank. I picked up the dryer pretty cheap and it'll definitely handle my cfm. It has an adjustable timing circuit for draining that works great.

The water drain bowls on air dryers tend to be troublesome after a while. I took the drain valve out of mine and use a timed solenoid drain instead. You could pipe the tank, after-cooler drain, and air dryer drain to the same timed drain and use check valves to prevent backflow.
As mentioned, I doubt your compressed air will be close to saturation for much of the year. You'll be able to tell by how much water comes out of the tank, after-cooler and dryer drains.

 

[larry_g]

So I've done a bunch of research here on setting up my airlines in my shop. I
I have a 80 gallon CH compressor and just bought a used air dryer. Here's my idea of setting it all up. The compressor is setting outside enclosed in sheet metal with the top and bottom screened for ventilation (I'm in Tucson). I plan on taking the line coming off the heads and running it through an automotive type aftercooler attached to shroud behind flywheel and 50' of 1/2" copper line to cool the air before it goes into the electric air dryer. I think I'll put an automatic drain water separator in right before the dryer. Coming out of compressor will be a 3\4" main with 1\2" legs to reels and sandblaster cabinet. So my questions are:
1. Do I run the 50' of copper inside or outside the garage? It's somtimes hotter in the garage than outside!
2. What about the compressor unloaded valve? Does it need to be relocated? Won't it have to bleed off the entire 50' of copper if I don't? Where would be best location?
I sometimes run this compressor hard when running sandblaster and 2 DA's.

The tank is outside on a concrete pad. Didn't think of a check valve. I could install one at the outlet of unloader valve. Got a good source for them?

In the OP quoted in red above you outline your piping system. nowhere in that system do you show a connection to the tank. I assume that

"I plan on taking the line coming off the heads"

means your removing the line from the head to the tank and replacing it with new piping... Your old piping has a check valve in it.

So the question remains, where in the piping system will the receiver be?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[bfr57]

The air will go into the tank after the dryer and yes I'll be removing the original line from heads to tank. So is the check valve in the unloader valve?

 

[sberry]

Why all the fuss? millions of these in use without fukkin with it.

 

[bfr57]

Huh? What are you referring to?

Why all the fuss? millions of these in use without fukkin with it.

 

[Ehcrain]

I did something very similar with a 33 gallon oil lube husky. From my heads I have a 1/2 check valve and unloader feeding into a brass cross with a 200psi blow off valve, a 1/2 copper line with shutoff to my tank and a 1/2 hydraulic to a wall mounted run of 1/2 copper. The copper runs vertically up and down 3 times with tees and ball valves at each bottom corner. At the top of my final run it splits between a 1/2 rubber line to my compressor tank and a pressure regulator which feeds my hose reel. My 1/2 flex lines are both connected by Milton type G quick connects to allow my compressor to be portable if needed. I'll try to grab some pics tomorrow evening.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[engineer2]

I use point of use dessicant for my powder coating and plasma. My line currently comes right off the tank. I picked up the dryer pretty cheap and it'll definitely handle my cfm. It has an adjustable timing circuit for draining that works great.

Sounds like a good setup. Most refrigerated air dryers will get you a 35°F dewpoint. For spray painting and what you are doing a desiccant is good insurance.

If your humidity is much above 40% RH and you have a fantastic aftercooler it won't get your compressed air below 100% RH. As soon as you open an air line and drop the pressure, water will condense out. You usually won't see it because it is a fog, but it will ruin paint jobs. That's why an air dryer is so important.

 

[sberry]

The whole story helps some, the fact you got it cheap and have been working this system all adds to it. You are not a first time user figures he needs every gadget ever invented, this can come from research on occasion. Unless I absolutely had to would try to keep a comp as much of a stand alone unit as I could.
Here both comps go to a receiver and valved so any piece can be isolated. Old 3/8 copper water line not hood for anything else is great for tied together drain out the wall. I had enough scrap I only had to make 1 flare to do it.
The cardboard is a baffle for a 3 hp champ which is what I use, the tanks are all connected and the breaker off to the backup/demand unit on the big blue one. I am done before lack of air is an issue and I like the smaller motor for longer/less cycles. I can refinish a car or pickup with the 3.