Compressed Air System - Filter whole system or at tool?

[climb.on]

I still haven't completed my compressed air system in the shop. Just been spraying straight off the compressor with a HF refrigerated air dryer in line and small regulator on the gun. I now need a quality regulator, filter, and maybe a desiccant filter (maybe?) on the system. Any recommendations for a good quality regulator, filter and descant? Looking at maybe the Devilbiss QC3? But I'm not sure if I really need the desiccant. Eventually, do I set this filter, regulator & desiccant system up at the compressor or at the point of use? My thought would be to set it up in the compressor room, so the whole shop has good quality clean dry air, but I see many professional filter setups right at the spray booth.

My Equipment:
I have a 60gal 5hp compressor (11.5CFM @ 90psig), HF refrigerated air dryer, Devilbiss Finishline FLG4 hvlp spraygun, cheap in-line regulator on the gun. Home built spray booth, and I will eventually be running PEX from my compressor room, in a loop around the shop with 5 or 6 drops to different work areas.

What I am doing:
I'm finishing all the woodwork for my new house and that's my priority until the house is pretty well done. Thus not having taken the time to setup a proper system in the shop. I just sprayed 36 drawer boxes on a fairly humid day and everything went fine. I sprayed all my interior doors this past winter and everything went well, but we have very low humidity in the winter, so I wasn't as concerned. I'm on to my cabinet doors soon, and they are the most important woodwork in the house. I have over 50+ cabinet doors, 40+ drawer fronts, crown, etc, in black walnut & cherry, and these are far more critical than the drawer boxes. With the potential for humid weather, I want to make damn sure I'm shooting with clean, dry air.

 

[sberry]

Just for giggles what is the shop size? Instead of starting with a count or a guess,, 5 or 6,,, figure out the best spot for the least. I might run each way,,, make 2 circuits, go to a good place for a 50 ft reel and mount filter reg, add a t after if you figure you want to add a whip. You don't have to move/disconnect sections of charged hose.
Shouldn't really ever need to move a hose here. If there is more than one circuit I tend to put a ball valve for service just before the filter.
Last 2 go to a reel for paint, has a small final filter and a reg just for paint gun.

 

[climb.on]

Just for giggles what is the shop size? Instead of starting with a count or a guess,, 5 or 6,,, figure out the best spot for the least. I might run each way,,, make 2 circuits, go to a good place for a 50 ft reel and mount filter reg, add a t after if you figure you want to add a whip. You don't have to move/disconnect sections of charged hose.
Shouldn't really ever need to move a hose here. If there is more than one circuit I tend to put a ball valve for service just before the filter.

Shop is 36' x 48'.

So you suggest filter & reg at each drop. Why not just filter and reg right at the compressor and not worry about doing it at each individual drop? Too much loss? Or maybe filter at the compressor and regulate at each drop?

 

[climb.on]

Is the Sharp 880 your spray gun filter?

 

[MattT]

Eventually, do I set this filter, regulator & desiccant system up at the compressor or at the point of use? My thought would be to set it up in the compressor room, so the whole shop has good quality clean dry air, but I see many professional filter setups right at the spray booth.

Only use the dessicant for spraying if you really need it. Dessicant is too much trouble and expense to use for most general uses.

A dewpoint in the 30s, from the refrigerant dryer, should be good enough for everything else so long as you're heating the shop in winter.

Adding filters before and after the dryer is worthwhile. Auto drain before and manual after. Personally I'd also add a dry storage tank after the dryer to buffer intermittent uses that'll exceed the flow capacity of the dryer.

 

[MattT]

So you suggest filter & reg at each drop. Why not just filter and reg right at the compressor and not worry about doing it at each individual drop? Too much loss? Or maybe filter at the compressor and regulate at each drop?

With PEX piping, and a dryer, you can skip filtering at the general use drops. There shouldn't be any water or debris in the air for the filter to remove.

 

[sberry]

The Sharp is the regulator for that side of the shop. The blue hose was a whip my guy had plumbed on for a blow gun at one time but the Sharpe regulates for the hose reel there and back on a secondary line providing regulated at the whips at hoist and down to the paint bay for tools, then the little fil/reg is for the spray guns.
Pic 3 shows a fil/reg going to a hose reel, its all that is on that circuit. In my case don't have to shut the whole place off to service or shut off one thing.

 

[ItsNemo]

I have an oversized (e.g. higher flow than necessary) filter/regulator combo right after the flex line from my tank to the hard lines. It rarely picks anything up, a bit of moisture but not very much (my compressor is inside in a climate controlled space)...but mostly put it in so that I could regulate down from 175psi tank pressure to 120-150psi line pressure (a lot of pipe is only rated 150psi max).

 

[American Locomotive]

Filter the whole system, there's no reason not. Large, high flow compressed air filter dryers are not expensive.

Be careful with pex tubing as air line. As you get into the larger sizes (3/4"+), the pressure rating drops - especially with temperature. Most 3/4" pex has a lower working pressure than many 2-stage compressors.

 

[climb.on]

Thanks guys. I've combined several of your suggestions, I'm doing a large Sharpe 880 filter & reg at the compressor and I'll use that to drop the pressure to within acceptable range of the PEX, probably about 140 psi. Then I'll use a 3 stage filter & reg for spray gun area to regulate for spraying pressures, final water separation and fine filtering. I'll add other regs/filters at other drops as needed.