Another Compressor Plumbing Question

[nitroracer20]

Hello all

Sorry - another compressor plumbing question. Ill keep it brief.

Looking to add additional copper line to reduce moisture for a sandblast setup. I attached my Rudimentary sketch of the potential run in red - with a ball valve drop not shown on the far right to drain water.

Input? Trying to work around my current layout.

Has anyone pro-pressed 3/4” copper for air? This is actually something i havent seen here…?

Thanks as always and happy new year

 

[Nvrplzd]

I can’t speak on the copper question, but here’s my setup from the last time I put it together. This marks the third time I’ve moved with it and set it up again lol. Anywho, you can always route some of the drain legs behind your current items and throw an automatic drain on the leg so you don’t have to get behind heavy cabinets to operate a manual drain valve. Just an idea.

 

[mogandave]

If you’re adding copper tubing for cooling, why not just add a heat-exchanger/after-cooler?

If i had a bunch of copper tubing and was wanting to cool air on the cheap, I would coil it, and mount it off the wall such that the compressor flywheel blows over it, or put a fan on it.

 

[PoorUB]

Many here claim an after cooler between the compressor and the tank will get pretty much all the moisture.
There are threads here explaining it.

 

[mogandave]

Are the cooling-fins dusty? If so, cleaning them will help.

 

[Renegade1LI]

Hello all

Sorry - another compressor plumbing question. Ill keep it brief.

Looking to add additional copper line to reduce moisture for a sandblast setup. I attached my Rudimentary sketch of the potential run in red - with a ball valve drop not shown on the far right to drain water.

Input? Trying to work around my current layout.

Has anyone pro-pressed 3/4” copper for air? This is actually something i havent seen here…?

Thanks as always and happy new year

I'm actually getting ready to pipe out a new compressor, planning to use all press fittings. See attached viega spec sheet, it doesn't give a psi for comp air & I will be contacting my viega rep this week for clarification. Going to call tomorrow see what he has to say.

ProPress Downloads | viega.us

Viega - Viega ProPress is the trusted copper press joining solution. Since its introduction in 1999, it has reduced overall job costs, saved time, and increased reliability on jobsites across the globe. Viega is the only company with Smart Connect technology, which provides installers added...

www.viega.us

 

[Citation]

I would also suggest an after cooler with a water collection/drain. The water condenses when the air temps drop after they leave the heads. It's been too long since I took thermo and I don't have the tables to figure things out anymore (but I bet someone has them online). Basically, when the air is compressed the temp and pressure goes up. Great, no condensation. However, the air cools in the discharge tube and tank. Thanks to the higher pressure water that was happy being vapor in the room pressure/temp air now condenses. If you can let the air in the tank cool to room temp before using it then you get a lot of the water vapor out before it goes to your tools. However, when you are running the tools hard, the air doesn't get a chance to cool in the tank. Instead it does it's final cooling as it expands in your tools.

Putting something like a radiator aftercooler can really drop the air temp before it goes to the tank (or out to the tools). Thus more of the water is condensed before it gets to the tank. Less water to drain from the tank and drier discharge.

Adding long runs to the wall is an inefficient way to get some of the benefit. However, you would still need to trap that water before it goes to the tools, else you will still be discharging water.

 

[racecougar]

The Derale 15300 is commonly used as an aftercooler. If you run a Google search for "Derale 15300 aftercooler", you'll find a number of installations. It'll provide a much cleaner end result than a wall of copper tubing, IMO.

 

[The Tool Tyrant]

I'm actually getting ready to pipe out a new compressor, planning to use all press fittings. See attached viega spec sheet, it doesn't give a psi for comp air & I will be contacting my viega rep this week for clarification. Going to call tomorrow see what he has to say.

ProPress Downloads | viega.us

Viega - Viega ProPress is the trusted copper press joining solution. Since its introduction in 1999, it has reduced overall job costs, saved time, and increased reliability on jobsites across the globe. Viega is the only company with Smart Connect technology, which provides installers added...

www.viega.us

I used the Viega propress on my copper air lines. They have a download that states 200 PSI max for air.

 

[housewolf]

Hello all

Sorry - another compressor plumbing question. Ill keep it brief.

Looking to add additional copper line to reduce moisture for a sandblast setup. I attached my Rudimentary sketch of the potential run in red - with a ball valve drop not shown on the far right to drain water.

Input? Trying to work around my current layout.

Has anyone pro-pressed 3/4” copper for air? This is actually something i havent seen here…?

Thanks as always and happy new year

I’ve never pro pressed copper for air lines but we routinely test (150 psig) pro press copper with nitrogen, I can’t imagine it being a problem if the additional cost is of no concern. The only reason we use propress is; the additional cost is recouped with labor savings. With fewer than ~200 fittings, and free (me) labor, I’d just sweat it but if you already own the fittings and tools, I’m sure it will be fine.

 

[nitroracer20]

Tons of great food for thought here. Thank you all. Made me start thinking in a totally different direction.

I just anchored my compressor down with wedge anchors which was a feat in itself by my myself, id prefer to not move it again to get the aftercooler installed on the back of the belt cage.

The time value of money has me thinking about just doing the harbor freight air dryer. Got a 2 year old, two working partners and a million other projects going on. Moneys tight but TVM may prevail if it makes sense…

Compressed Air Dryer

Amazing deals on this Compressed Air Dryer at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

unfortunately its not the old price ive seen, but material, labor, time for an air cooler are making me think this is the simplest way to get online with dry air.

Any downfalls aside from not cooling the air before it gets into the tank like with an after cooler? Ill just drain the tank regularly like i would anyways…

 

[mogandave]

Tons of great food for thought here. Thank you all. Made me start thinking in a totally different direction.

I just anchored my compressor down with wedge anchors which was a feat in itself by my myself, id prefer to not move it again to get the aftercooler installed on the back of the belt cage.

The time value of money has me thinking about just doing the harbor freight air dryer. Got a 2 year old, two working partners and a million other projects going on. Moneys tight but TVM may prevail if it makes sense…

Compressed Air Dryer

Amazing deals on this Compressed Air Dryer at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

unfortunately its not the old price ive seen, but material, labor, time for an air cooler are making me think this is the simplest way to get online with dry air.

Any downfalls aside from not cooling the air before it gets into the tank like with an after cooler? Ill just drain the tank regularly like i would anyways…

Floorspace notwithstanding, no real downside to a refrigerated-drier as far as I know.

You (I think) should have less water in your tank with a drier (post-tank) than an after-cooler (pre-tank) unless the after cooler has its own drain.

In any event, keeping the tank drained is good practice.

 

[Dig Doug]

Try to slope everything to a drain drop leg Line T’s face up and then drop down

see attached drawing

 

[Dig Doug]

More pics

 

[mogandave]

I would slope everything back to the tank/receiver

 

[The Cobbler]

I would slope everything back to the tank/receiver

that was always my thought too , but how it was explained to me, and it made sense to me... with lines sloped back to the tank, the air flow when using air moves the water in the direction of the air, when no air flow the water runs back to the tank so you have a viscous circle
I imagine any pitch will work in the end

 

[TW Carbon]

Tons of great food for thought here. Thank you all. Made me start thinking in a totally different direction.

I just anchored my compressor down with wedge anchors which was a feat in itself by my myself, id prefer to not move it again to get the aftercooler installed on the back of the belt cage.

The time value of money has me thinking about just doing the harbor freight air dryer. Got a 2 year old, two working partners and a million other projects going on. Moneys tight but TVM may prevail if it makes sense…

Compressed Air Dryer

Amazing deals on this Compressed Air Dryer at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

unfortunately its not the old price ive seen, but material, labor, time for an air cooler are making me think this is the simplest way to get online with dry air.

Any downfalls aside from not cooling the air before it gets into the tank like with an after cooler? Ill just drain the tank regularly like i would anyways…

I have nothing but great things to say about that air dryer from harbor freight. I own a professional carbon repair and custom paint shop and I'm on year 3 of ours. Runs all day 5 days a week and as long as I keep it clean it does it's job perfectly.

 

[Bill T]

One thing I might change in your setup. Your filter/dryer is really close to your compressor. If possible, move it as far as possible from your compressor. The air exiting your compressor is hot. As the air cools, condensate will drop out of the air. Your filter/water trap will be more effective if it is working on cooler air. Sounds like you are asking the right questions. Good luck.

 

[nitroracer20]

Got the HF air dryer temped up with air hose extensions till i finalize a more formal layout. IT Works amazing in my test runs with air tools so far (drill, grinder). With no additional dryers etc…. I Have some other things going on so it will be a little bit till i get the sand blast cabinet set up and running in conjunction with the HF air dryer - but ill report back! So far im confident.