Compressed Air Oil Separator

[bing98]

I have a 2-stage compressor with a refrigerated air dryer. They are connected with 1/2" pipe and hoses to a regulator/water separator. This feeds my 3/8" hose reel.

Just to be safe for painting I want to add a desiccant dryer.

Few questions.

1. Should I also include an oil separator? My understanding is that a filter capable of capturing particles as small as 0.01 micron will capture oil. Any recommendations?

2. As I have a refrigerated air drier I don't feel I need a high end desiccant dryer. Any recommendations?

Thanks

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I don't paint, so I can only comment on what I know from working with production equipment and pneumatics. I'd still use an auto drain water separator, followed by a good coalescing filter. This should get you pretty clean air. Combined with the refrigerated drier you'll remove about 80% of the moisture, the rest will condense in the receiver. You can still use a dessicant drier for peace of mind if you really want to.

Tommy

 

[stonesfan68]

You can use a coalescing filter with a drain valve in front of the refrigerated dryer like LS6Tommy described. There’s really no point in adding a desiccant dryer to the system.

 

[engineer2]

The air driyer will condense out most of the oil vapor. if the drainage looks like liquid baby poop, there is oil in it.
Some painters use a disposable desicant dryer in their air line as a final "just in case" filter.

 

[redmondjp]

Go to your auto body supply store and buy a few inline disposable air line filters that screw right onto your paint gun inlet. That will trap any residual oil/dirt/moisture that may be in your airlines. It's cheap insurance, when you look at the cost of the materials that you are applying just by itself.

 

[fluid power]

desiccant is for water vapor and coalescing filters are for oil vapor. Since you have a refridge dryer, use a particulate filter, than a coalescing filter then plumb into the dryer.

Desiccant should have an after filter to prevent desiccant particulate from being sprayed.

Good info here:
http://www.wilkersoncorp.com/brochure/Catalog603_DryerProducts.pdf

And here:

http://www.wilkersoncorp.com/catalog/FRL-SIF-618_CompressedAirDrying.pdf

great layout here and the entire catalog:

http://www.wilkersoncorp.com/9EM-TK-190/9EM-TK-190-5_Complete.pdf

 

[sberry]

See how it works before speculating on every possibility. I paint all the time, nothing but fil/reg.

 

[sberry]

There is a tiny fil/reg as a final on the paint reel. The extra hydrant could be removed, it was for some big job we added extra hose around the backside for a second gun. That is from a filter regulated tool line and the extra little reg gives it local adjustment just for paint guns.
Got a local valve on the hard line to shut that whole clip off when not used.

 

[bing98]

Thanks for the feedback

I bought a Motor Guard 0.01 micron filter. I have read it's important to run a larger micron filter prior to it to grab the larger items and prevent it from clogging quickly. My Speedaire regulator filter has an element with the number 40 on it. My understanding is this means it traps particles larger than 40 microns? It's an older unit, model 6ZC29A, and I can't find any specs on it. It's mint and appears to work great. The element is almost pure white so I suspect it's serviceable. Not even sure how to find a replacement and none of my searches produced any results for this model.

That all said, the speed air should come first followed by the Motor Guard and then the refer dryer. at my gun I plan on using a small filter/desiccant device. This will protect my dryer and provide clean dry air for painting. Make good sense?

 

[fluid power]

40 micron is pretty large and are usually sold with cheap filters. Wilkerson stuff, links above, come standard with 5 micron and can get down to .1 micron. Probably no need to run a desiccant at the point of use. You run the risk of the compressed air picking up the desiccant and combining the particles with the paint being sprayed. If the air is clean and dry at the gun, no need for more. Did you review the links above? It is all explained in detail. Speedaire is a Grainger branded item. It most be really old as it does not appear on Grainger.com