Airline setup for tire filling outside...

[Notch1988]

I'd like to install a hose outside the front of my shop so that I can pull my cars up and fill tires as needed. I'd also like it to be known that neighbors are welcome to use it too. It would be cool to have a Eco airmeter setup or something like that but I can't afford anything like that.
Anyone have a setup like this? How did you plumb it? Pics?

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Notch,

I hate to rain on your parade but I tried the same thing after the storms last year when we had a lot of equipment in the area. I set up a quick diconnect air hose the first time and came home to find the hose gone. Thought I would get smart and eliminate the fitting and screw the airline straight to the hose. Came home to find the compressor running and no hose, just the fitting leaking air.

I put the disconnect back on and kept the airhose inside after that for my use only.

 

[Alchymist]

Notch,

I hate to rain on your parade but I tried the same thing after the storms last year when we had a lot of equipment in the area. I set up a quick diconnect air hose the first time and came home to find the hose gone. Thought I would get smart and eliminate the fitting and screw the airline straight to the hose. Came home to find the compressor running and no hose, just the fitting leaking air.

I put the disconnect back on and kept the airhose inside after that for my use only.

Glad I live where I do! Just down the road a couple miles is a garage with an airline outside, with a sign "FREE AIR". Even has a tire gauge clipped to the sign. Hasn't disappeared yet.

 

[madosta]

I've had this same idea. I wouldn't advertise it or put a sign up. Maybe telling your neighbors personally is a neat idea. Maybe having a spare tank just for this and only filling it when you're home to prevent leaks or your compressor running as mentioned.

Idiots steal. They should be punished. I would rather not live in fear because of idiots, but that's what you get when you get walked on.

I would try and make it weatherproof if it's a quick connect fitting, those things outside corrode quickly. Maybe a retractable hose reel inside and the filler gauge outside.

Do it! Let me know what you do cause I want to eventually do the same thing.

 

[oilslick]

Me too, just wondering what hose holds up the best to sun hot cold and is still easy enough to use that I want to use it.

 

[danfromsyr]

I was going to mount a retractable hose reel with a pass thru portal to outdoors. set the hose stop to allow a little dangle and it's not exposed to the elements, and is inside secured from people who would steal a $20hose from someone.. which is just ghastly

I need to install a 110v cord reel in the same fashion for when I pull my camper in to plug in between trips. I hate a cord drug out laying inthe driveway in rain/snow/mud and 50ft of air or 110v is handy more than you'd think.

 

[Kevin54]

You can find an ECO Airmeter but plan on spending around $800-$1200 for one in decent shape. For one that is pretty well worn, pay around $500.

If you're home you could hang a hose out, or if you're not home, take the hose in or just let them use the gas station. Most people don't use air to pump a tire up on a regular basis anyways. If they do, then they need to get a tire fixed.

 

[Coloshaver]

I'd like to install a hose outside the front of my shop so that I can pull my cars up and fill tires as needed. I'd also like it to be known that neighbors are welcome to use it too. It would be cool to have a Eco airmeter setup or something like that but I can't afford anything like that.
Anyone have a setup like this? How did you plumb it? Pics?

I saw these at a huge antique fair west of Boston last summer. The guy wanted $1500 each. Probably negotiable, but still way out of my league.

 

[Notch1988]

Notch,

I hate to rain on your parade but I tried the same thing after the storms last year when we had a lot of equipment in the area. I set up a quick diconnect air hose the first time and came home to find the hose gone. Thought I would get smart and eliminate the fitting and screw the airline straight to the hose. Came home to find the compressor running and no hose, just the fitting leaking air.

I put the disconnect back on and kept the airhose inside after that for my use only.

This is definitely a concern. I don't think I live in that type of hood but you never know, it only takes one idiot to ruin it. I'm wondering if I could regulate the flow so that even with a hose cut my compressor could keep up with out running full out.

 

[KPSquared]

Can't even get air in town anymore because people keep stealing/wrecking the air hoses and attachments.

If you've got the neighborhood for it then i think it's a great idea. Just put a hole in the wall, coil the hose up outside on a rim or other reel and don't use any quick connects.

 

[madosta]

This is definitely a concern. I don't think I live in that type of hood but you never know, it only takes one idiot to ruin it. I'm wondering if I could regulate the flow so that even with a hose cut my compressor could keep up with out running full out.

You could just make it a habit to turn the compressor off when you're not in the shop, that way if it runs down, oh well. I do this now.

 

[wedge40]

Can't even get air in town anymore because people keep stealing/wrecking the air hoses and attachments.

If you've got the neighborhood for it then i think it's a great idea. Just put a hole in the wall, coil the hose up outside on a rim or other reel and don't use any quick connects.

We have one place in town that still has "free" air. This fall on the first day that it got cold, it happened to be a Sunday, there was line of cars waiting to use the air hose. Use to be if they sold gas they had air available.

I've got a tire with a very very slow leak and needs air every 6 weeks or so. Had tire shop look at it and they couldn't find anything. Now I just keep the portable air compressor in the car.

Wedge

 

[RCStocker]

I would put a regulator on the line that people can not adjust. That way some dumb *** can't blow up his tire and take you to court.

I would run a recoiling line through the garage wall and put one of those hard rubber balls that bolt onto it so it does not go back in all the way. I would put a fitting on it that read the pressure when it puts the air in. That way there is no guessing and people don't need to have a pressure guage.

You might want to check with your home owners insurance company. They might not honor a claim if someone gets hurt or destroys your property. My bet is that they will not cover you unless you carry a seperat policy to cover your give away. Even then they might not give you a policy.

People are dumb asses and soethig always goes wrong. What happens to the little kid that does not know how do to it and blows his bicycle tire apart. A sign use at your own risk will not hold up in court. If you have fee air that will be a sign you have a shop and tools which will lead to break inns.

I am like you and have a hose real outside my shops and even have one coming out of my garage in California. I always have the driveway full of cars, trucks and trailers. No one can get to it. I don't want people coming around.

There you go. That is my 3 cents worth. An extra penny for Oboma inflation.
It is a very nice thing to do but it will bite you in the bum sooner or later.
Some lawyer will have a field day. Then what if someone unsrews the inflator and it is haing by a thread. Someone else comes along and grabes it. It flys off hitting them in the head and then you really have problems. It has all happend before.

 

[Falcon67]

I put the 50' hose reel on a wall inside, 9' from the big door. I can get to pretty much what I need with that. I would not put anything outside unless it was for the neighborhood kids, and then it would be regulated to like 35 psi.

 

[kbs2244]

You have to know the possibility any theft of hose.
That would have some effect on how widespread you spread the availability.
A comprise might be a quick disconnect sticking out the wall and your visitor needing to bring their own hose.
One of those coiling hoses and a chuck wouldn’t be too much to carry.

When I was growing up the gas stations all had a hose hanging on an outside wall.
As I remember no quick disconnects.
The hose went through the wall and you couldn’t get to that end.
The air chuck was screwed on the end of the hose.
I used them for my bicycle all the time.

I do know that at one station there would sometimes be no air when they were closed on Sundays.
madosta’s idea of turning off the compressor so the tank was all that could be used must have been their way of doing it.

 

[machine_punk]

If you just want it available for you, you can mount a reel on the inside, pass through a hole to the outside, then build a hinged compartment to cover the end of the hose (either a small box built on the outside of the house with a door, or the whole 'compartment' can be the door). You can store any fittings or tire gauges inside the compartment. If you put a hasp and padlock on the compartment, you could get a simple number combination lock (like the ones for your suitcase or gym locker, not the tumbler combo locks) and make the combo easy, like your house number.

Kev

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

This is definitely a concern. I don't think I live in that type of hood but you never know, it only takes one idiot to ruin it. I'm wondering if I could regulate the flow so that even with a hose cut my compressor could keep up with out running full out.

I don't live in that sort of hood either but we had people from 15 different states helping out in this area doing cleanup work and once the word got out that I would weld up busted equipment, sharpen chain saws and help with repairs as long as they were helping us, it didn't take long for the hose to go missing.

I don't think it was the neighbors but it came down to outside people being here when I wasn't. Not a good thing even with the neighbors watching closely.

 

[miner]

I don't get it. Why would you want extra people and cars showing up in your driveway unannounced every time your neighbors want to pump up a tire or basketball? Is it really that hard for them to keep their own tires inflated?

 

[darkk]

I occasionally get change stolen from my center console. I leave the doors unlocked so they don't break the windows. I sure as **** ain't putting anything worth more outside for the little bastards to steal or damage... Let them push their bikes/motorcycles 3 miles down the road and pay .50 cents for their air at the qwikie mart!

 

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

Oh, that kind of air line...I thought your local airport was having a fire sale or something.

 

[koditten]

Whatever you do, tap into the tank off the bottom to feed this line. Let the neighbors drain the water out for you.

KO

 

[trainer]

How about a coin-operated air dispenser?
Quarters for the beeer fund!

 

[LSU]

When I was a kid a dad in the neighborhood had an air compressor. It was a CM 110 with a horizontal tank. It was that awkward Sears gold/brown color.

He kept it in the back of his garage and it was a treat to be able to use it on our bike tires. The gas stations were full sevicd and they had air hoses but sometimes we were not welcome there on our bikes.

I wonder how much PSI it takes to inflate an Xbox?

I like your idea very much and it might get some use but I think being "on call" might be better for everybody.

With the exception of members on this board, I wonder how many folks under 25 years old know how to use an air chuck?

I remember with fondness Mr. Glynn who had the air compressor. I always swore I'd get one for myself.

When I get invited to a "couples shower" for the bride and groom, I insist we give a small pancake sir compressor. Years and years later I always hear - "we still use that air compressor you gave us. We thought it was a strange gift at the time but boy is that thing handy. We use it all the time."

 

[Lippyp]

Can't remember the last time I saw Free air at a petrol (gas) station over here. They all have coin op pumps now.

 

[malodin]

you can get one of the small jobsite air compressors, and a launderymat coin op for a washer/dryer and mount the coinop on the outside garage wall then just put it at 25c or so and a hose reel on the inside of the wall with a hole leading out of the shop(like others have posted) then just wire the coinop to the little air compressor(some coin opps have timers on them as well) then just set it up to what ever you want. i think the way some of the coin opps work as well is to power the device until it shuts off automatically then not allow it to start until another quarter is in, this would give you a full tank per 25c

 

[Old Moparz]

What about a wall cabinet that matches the siding? The biggest issue will be how to keep the hose stored. You can hope that anyone who uses it will coil it back up, but not every person worries about it & may not get it back into the cabinet. A retractable one makes sense, but it'll be larger than you might want to look at.

Remember though, no good deed goes unpunished. I'm not being cynical, but based on what I see with my neighbors sometimes I'd be afraid to have them pulling up to my garage for air. (I'd still let them though) I live on a dead end & the school bus stops at the entry to it. One woman on my street parks diagonally blocking half of the road while waiting for the school bus. I was leaving one morning with my trailer & couldn't pull out. I had to ask her not to park like that. She seemed oblivious to the problem, but hasn't parked that way since. Another person on my street cut down a 60 foot tree that was 30 feet from the power lines. We were all without power that day....lol One more person NEVER closes their garage door & had a generator sitting in the doorway & wonders why they don't have a generator anymore.

Hand out hoses to your neighbors for Christmas this year & just have the coupling stubbed out of the wall. If they forget or lose their hose, that's their problem.

 

[madosta]

I have to constantly fill tires, mainly because I'm cheap and am trying to get the most money out my tires. I just patched one two nights ago outside (since I don't have an awesome garage/barn/shop yet) in the friggin cold!

Tires ****. Errrr.

Oh, I also used one of these new fangled air compressors. It was $1.00 and took credit cards. You set the PSI with a couple buttons <+> <-> until you dialed in your PSI then it would fill the tire to that with a simple chuck on the end. I thought that was neat since you see the ones beat to hell at all the gas stations or broken and who knows how accurate those are.

BTW, does anyone recommend a good filler chuck with a gauge?

 

[Jay_mc1]

Ive thought of mounting a airhose reel on the inside of my garage and have it exit through the wall and through an outdoor outlet cover. The hose would be out of site from most eyes, and only people who know it was there would realize that it was more than just an outlet. The cover would also keep it out of most of the weather. I couldnt get a picture to paste here, but here is a good example of an outdoor outlet that I would use.

Ive thought

 

[trainer]

you can get one of the small jobsite air compressors, and a launderymat coin op for a washer/dryer and mount the coinop on the outside garage wall then just put it at 25c or so and a hose reel on the inside of the wall with a hole leading out of the shop(like others have posted) then just wire the coinop to the little air compressor(some coin opps have timers on them as well) then just set it up to what ever you want. i think the way some of the coin opps work as well is to power the device until it shuts off automatically then not allow it to start until another quarter is in, this would give you a full tank per 25c

Another way would be to have the coin-mech hooked to a timer and an electriclly operated valve. Something like 5-10 minutes per coin would do the trick, and of course you could have a by-pass switch.
I think that i've seen cheap coin operated timers on ebay

But if you have problems with the hose disappearing, then a box of coins wont last long.

 

[RECox286]

IBTW, does anyone recommend a good filler chuck with a gauge?

I got a Milton Stand Off model. It must be 30 y.o. now and I

wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Uncle Bob