Compressor drain catch bucket

[Boomer343]

Doing an install of a 60 gallon compressor for a good friend who is in a wheel chair and paralyzed from mid chest down. We want to put in an accessible drain line for the tank so will put in a pipe loop with a ball valve but we then need to catch the water into a catch bucket without it blowing all over him, the floor or the walls. Running the drain line onto the floor or outside isn't an option in any way shape or form.

Any ideas? I've searched the web but haven't found any direct solutions.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

What about drilling a hole through the floor and driving a larger pipe (1 1/2"-2") down a couple feet, basically making a small french drain?

 

[txbonds]

Here is how I did my 30 gal drain line. I pull relief valve till 30 psi and then open valve. Deep bottle with small opening and hose stays put.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Mine blows down into a 1 gallon plastic washer fluid jug. The drain line goes through a hole drilled in the center of the cap. There are smaller holes around the center hole with a piece of cloth in between the cap & the cap seal to allow air flow, but the water doesn't spray out.

Tommy

 

[Beemer533]

If i were doing something like this I would add a flexible whip after the ball valve and connect it to some sort of bucket with a lid. Just use a quick disconnect to connect into the bucket itself for easy removal.

You would just need to add some vent holes into the bucket to keep from pressurizing it. Several of them about a 1/4" diameter should allow good venting and keep stuff from splashing everywhere...

Edit: I guess we were all typing at the same time

 

[nmpontiac]

Don't know if this will help, but NAPA has an air valve used for big truck air tanks that has a 4' lanyard attached - it does blow straight down though.

 

[Clik]

Is there a bathroom?

 

[Boomer343]

No bathroom and while the lanyard would work it would still end up on the floor.
Heated floor so I'm not going to chance drilling into it for a french drain.

My concern with a bottle/small pail is that it will take off under air flow. Could find a way to hold it in a bracket.

Going to look into a pond pump filter box.

Keep the ideas coming.

 

[nmpontiac]

Boomer, I have since mounted the compressor (a 60 gal upright) on 55 Chevy motor mount biscuits and it leaves enough room under the drain valve with the lanyard for a round pan I picked up at the local bargain resale store. If you drain it with 15 PSI or so in it, it works better than trying it at 120 PSI.

 

[73surffisher]

I like what txbonds did, i used a 5gal bucket with a check valve in the side near the bottom of the bucket , , the check valve keeps the air from blowing the bucket across the room and the water from running back into the line , , , , ,

 

[Beemer533]

No bathroom and while the lanyard would work it would still end up on the floor.
Heated floor so I'm not going to chance drilling into it for a french drain.

My concern with a bottle/small pail is that it will take off under air flow. Could find a way to hold it in a bracket.

Going to look into a pond pump filter box.

Keep the ideas coming.

You could also just toss some scrap steel, or even a brick (if you use a larger pail/bucket) inside to keep it from moving..

 

[sparknmike]

I haven't tried this, but what about plumbing it through a water separator and letting the tank drain off the air through a petcock valve on the outlet of the water separator? When the air pressure is gone just open the valve on the bottom of the water separator and let it drain into a bucket under gravity. It seems like this would work for draining the air slowly while catching the water so it can be collected in a bucket without being driven by the air.

 

[Fixnair]

Purchase a muffler, (go online & search for Atom Muffler). That will disperse the air & reduce it's velocity so it won't blow back. Then you could put it in a bucket on the end of a hose.

 

[Boomer343]

Sparknmike welcome to the forums and yes we did consider using an inline water separator. The issue there was him being able to access and service it. Sounds simple but for him to open the drain with a bucket under it isn't possible so his sequence would have to be open drain to let the water out, Pull back and grab a catch tray or bucket then reverse the procedure so the chances of not making a mess aren't good. There is also limited maneuvering room for his wheelchair and him.

Fixnair those mufflers are certainly a nice piece of work. I may have another application to use them in but we have picked up a $30 pond filter box from Home Depot that we will plumb in. I'll post some pictures later.

Thanks for the help guys. It certainly is a challenge to design a set up for people who have disabilities, takes a whole new way of thinking and problem solving.

 

[930dreamer]

X2 on a gallon water jug for a discharge container.

 

[Lapham]

I need to do this also on my 60 gal vertical air compressor. I figured out a way I'm going to try.
have a string tie fabric bag, about 7 inches by 2 inches, but just about any size should work. Put a small old rag inside it to absorb oil and water. Tied it to the end of my drain hose. Will take a video of it in action after I get my new drain hose installed in a couple days.

 

[nadogail]

My compressor has a vertical tank, the manufacturer installed the cheapest possible drain in the most inconvenient location.

I replaced the drain with a Street Ell and added a ****** to a ball valve that I can operate with the toe of my shoe. The couple of table spoons of condensate don’t make a mess on the shop floor.

 

[545_days]

you could also look at fabricating a cyclone type separator similar to a 5 gallon bucket chip collector that guys build for their dust collection system. That will allow the air to vent out the top and the water will settle in the bucket.

simply fasten the small inlet tube so that flow swirls around the inner wall of the bucket, and the large (I would use 4" or even 6") vent centered on the top of the lid with about 6" protruding down inside the bucket a few inches below the entrance point. Centrifugal force will hold the dense water droplets against the wall, swirling down under the force of gravity while the less dense air is able to make the sharp turn into the outlet vent and exit the top.

If he can't manage the bucket, add a bulkhead fitting and a drain **** on the bucket so that water can be removed at atmospheric pressure after the compressor tank has been drained to the bucket. The bucket could even be located on a counter above the compressor tank for ease of access.

 

[exranger06]

See pics below. I installed an automatic drain valve, since I quickly realized I didn't have the self-discipline to drain it manually as often as I should. It turns on only when I turn the compressor on, and runs for a few seconds once every 20 minutes or so. I connected a hose barb and a 3/8" rubber hose to it (transmission oil cooler line, good for 400 psi). I got a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and connected the other end of the hose to it. I drilled a bunch of holes in the lid to relieve the pressure. I used a bulkhead fitting to go through the lid and another hose barb to connect the hose. I attached about 6" of 1/2" copper pipe to the other side of the bulkhead fitting and soldered an elbow on the end, so it sprays about halfway down, and towards the side of the bucket to minimize blow-back. It works fantastic. I get no blow-back or mess, and I never even have to empty the bucket at all because it evaporates before it has a chance to accumulate. Although I'm sure the auto-drain running every 20 minutes helps; I'm not sure how well it would do draining a larger amount of water less frequently.

 

[Lapham]

Got it done - pictures and video?

 

[kbs2244]

most compressors are against an outside wall
I just drill a 3/4 inch hoke in the wall for a 1/2 inch hose
and let it blow

 

[Kpaige]

I have an auto bleed valve and it drains into a cookie sheet. It evaporates from there

 

[Shadowdog500]

I have a 90° elbow at the bottom of my vertical compressor facing towards the front of the compressor. A ball valve is screwed into the elbow followed by another 90° elbow that soots into a large cake pan, where the water evaporates. I attached a spring from tractor supply between the back leg of the compressor and the end of the ball vale handle. I also attached a long string from the ball valve handle and tied it off by the compressor head so I could pull it without bending over.

After I shut the compressor off for the day I pull the string to open the valve for a few seconds. The spring automatically closes the valve.

Before that I used a Semi Trucks Air Compressor Drain Valve with cable which screws into the bottom of the compressor and shoots straight down when you pull the string. It worked great for a year until it got clogged with **** at the bottom of the tank and wouldn’t reseal after pulling the string. The opening on the ball valve is big enough to blow the **** out so it always reseals.

 

[SpiderDave]

kbs2244 beat me to it. That's how I did mine too. Goes outside, no container just giving it back to nature and not having any more moisture inside than I have to. I also put an inline disconnect, incase I want to take the compressor for a stroll.

 

[Lapham]

This is the hose with ball valve I bought for $6.50

 

[NUTTSGT]

This is the hose with ball valve I bought for $6.50

Looks like a clean piece for the price.

Like a couple of others, I have mine plumbed to the outside.

 

[Steve W.]

most compressors are against an outside wall
I just drill a 3/4 inch hoke in the wall for a 1/2 inch hose
and let it blow

That would work ... if there is nothing on the other side of the wall.

In my case, the other side of the wall has a sidewalk that is used to get to the garden.
I'm not going to stain the sidewalk with drain water, and I'm not going to extend a trip hazzard across the sidewalk, either.

.