DIY Compressor After Cooler

[HAP]

Been wanting to put some sort of after cooler on my compressor. After selecting the parts (all re-purpossed) I finally finished the install today. I used an old hyd fluid cooler, a 230v, 500cfm cabinet cooling fan and a TP Tools water collector and SS flex line. The fittings were the biggest challenge finding the right adaptors and modifying the SS flex line to the proper length. I ran it for about 3 minutes and the bowl was already collecting water. Should significantly reduce the amount of water that makes it into the tank. Another fun project.
R,
HAP

 

[EW57]

Do you still have an unloader valve between the tank & the pump?

 

[HAP]

Do you still have an unloader valve between the tank & the pump?

Yep. I had to relocate the little copper tube comming from the check valve to the unloader. With all of the extra components it just takes a little longer to to bleed off off of the air.

 

[blk00ss]

I love your reel setup. Very slick.

 

[EW57]

I installed a water to air intercooler recently, the amount of additonal tubing required was a bit concerning, specifically the vibration of the comrpessor and tubing fatigue. I havent taken any pre/post intercooler temperatures, but its pretty dramatic.

I went with a CDI Control Load Genie from grainger.

 

[HAP]

I installed a water to air intercooler recently, the amount of additonal tubing required was a bit concerning, specifically the vibration of the comrpessor and tubing fatigue. I havent taken any pre/post intercooler temperatures, but its pretty dramatic.

I went with a CDI Control Load Genie from grainger.

Have you posted pics of your set-up here?

 

[EW57]

Have you posted pics of your set-up here?

Not yet, possibly next week. I used 5/8" Type L soft copper and didnt get the smooth continuous radiuses I was hoping for.

 

[930dreamer]

Very nice set up, any video of the compressor in operation?

 

[alan camby]

What do you think of the TP tools water seperator, Been looking at it. Does it have a brass filter element or is it a white fiber like element? What do you think of the quality of the unit? Is yours the 3404-00 1/2" unit?

I am getting a lot of water and need to do something. Need to aftercool, then thinking the TP water seperator. After the tank i was thinking TP Coalescing.

 

[HAP]

What do you think of the TP tools water seperator, Been looking at it. Does it have a brass filter element or is it a white fiber like element? What do you think of the quality of the unit? Is yours the 3404-00 1/2" unit?

I am getting a lot of water and need to do something. Need to aftercool, then thinking the TP water seperator. After the tank i was thinking TP Coalescing.

I got the 3403-34. All of my compressor piping is 3/4". I think the quality is pretty decent. It is a cast aluminum bowl with a white pourus coalessing element. It does trap the water though. Also, it was the cheapest one I could find.

 

[alan camby]

Thanks, looks like a nice setup. What is that Wilkerson thing.... refrigeration dryer? Do you really need that with the after cooler, water separators, and your galvanized desiccant dryer tube. Is your compressor 3 phase. looks like you have a starter box. Know those can also be used single phase. Who made that comp for Napa?

 

[HAP]

Thanks, looks like a nice setup. What is that Wilkerson thing.... refrigeration dryer? Do you really need that with the after cooler, water separators, and your galvanized desiccant dryer tube. Is your compressor 3 phase. looks like you have a starter box. Know those can also be used single phase. Who made that comp for Napa?

The wilkerson is used for my Darex end mill sharpener which has an air bearing. Highly recommended. Found one on CL a few years ago for right price. Probably dont really need it but... Compressor is single Ph made by Schrader/Bridgeport w 5Hp Balder, 80 gal. Would have gotten the 7.5 Hp if it was a horizontal model.

 

[bgarrett]

Hi Hap
you do quality work! Its been so long I dont remember much about your dads old cars. Did you learn quality from him?

 

[alberto]

Could you post a diagram of what you created? I'm having difficulty visualizing the flow on your cooler. Just trying to learn.

 

[brownbagg]

why, it looks like a waste of money, why you got wheels on the compressor, that just keep it walking around, why

 

[Sureshot]

why, it looks like a waste of money, why you got wheels on the compressor, that just keep it walking around, why

Why not keep Debbie Downer as the inside voice

Looks like a great setup. Nice clean shop. I like being able to move everything out and do a thorough job of cleaning up. To keep my compressor out of the way I mounted it high on the wall (16' wall) and ran the drain to a copper line with a valve on the bottom so it is handy and acts as a little reservoir rather than in the bottom of the tank.

I too would like a diagram as I have been kicking the idea of something similar around. Again nice looking setup.

 

[pipsters]

You need a bigger air filter

 

[HAP]

Sureshot thanks for the cover...

I dont have a diagram but I can describe the flow: out of the pump to SS flex line, to the after cooler inlet, after cooler outlet to the water collector inlet and then the water collector outlet to the air tank. At least that's the way I did mine. All of the other stuff is typical regulator/filter stuff from the tanks outlet to my hose reels (3/8" general use and 1/2" for blast cabinet).

R,
HAP

 

[HAP]

Here is a diferent angle to show the cooler piping a little better.

R HAP

 

[Sureshot]

I like the use of the joiner nuts on the U clamp.

That is a nice compact setup. I really need to get a plan for mine but too many ideas on here to get to them all. The more I look at it the more I like it. Why? WTF not. It's awesome. LMAO

 

[alberto]

Sureshot thanks for the cover...

I dont have a diagram but I can describe the flow: out of the pump to SS flex line, to the after cooler inlet, after cooler outlet to the water collector inlet and then the water collector outlet to the air tank. At least that's the way I did mine. All of the other stuff is typical regulator/filter stuff from the tanks outlet to my hose reels (3/8" general use and 1/2" for blast cabinet).

R,
HAP

Here is a diferent angle to show the cooler piping a little better.

R HAP

Cool, thanks, And then you have a fan on the back of your cooler (radiator).

 

[pcmeiners]

Hap, nice, well thoughtout, clean design !!!, I know the details took some time.
If you use it a lot, that cooler will save you big time pumping cooler air into the refrig unit. Good luck with it, may the Coalescense Gods be with you.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Very nice setup. Is that pump a Kellog American or Saylor Beall design? (I know it's got to be one of the two)...

Also, did the larger air-filter make any difference in noise level for you?

 

[HAP]

Very nice setup. Is that pump a Kellog American or Saylor Beall design? (I know it's got to be one of the two)...

Also, did the larger air-filter make any difference in noise level for you?

The large filter/silencer has reduced the noise down to mainly the motor. It was not that loud to begin with however... still made quite a diference.

 

[EW57]

Not yet, possibly next week. I used 5/8" Type L soft copper and didnt get the smooth continuous radiuses I was hoping for.

I still havent managed to take any pics of the water/air intercooler setup, but I did take some temperature meassurements. With a short run cycle (<1 minute) the highest recorded temperature coming out of the 2nd stage was 185 and the outlet of the intercooler was 90 (ambient).

I'm still getting more water in the tank than I had hoped, but I only have a automatic drip leg drain after the intercooler & havent included the inline fillter yet.

 

[PT Doc]

Do these coolers need to have a fan blowing against them to be as effective as possible? What type of inline water separator could be used after the pump but before the tank to get out even more water?

Could a air dryer like this be used prior to entering the tank?

http://www.harborfreight.com/compressed-air-dryer-40211.html

 

[EOC_Jason]

PD Doc - Some people use dedicated fans for maximum cooling, which cycles with the pump. Others place the coolers in front of the compressor flywheel on the belt-guard which moves a good amount of air (that is the same way most OEM setups do theirs).

A refrigerated dryer like that is really meant for placement after the tank and before your air-lines. What you don't see in the picture is inside there is a bowl that the water accumulates in, and a float will auto-drain as necessary (so you need a bucket or something so you don't make a mess on the floor). Likewise if the unit ices up (the float can and does get clogged), the air gets severely restricted going through the dryer. You wouldn't want to have that happen while your compressor pump is trying to push air through!

EW57 - Yeah, trying to bend larger diameter copper tubing into small a radius is extremely difficult without tubing benders. I've seen some people use pulleys to get consistent bends, and even other take a pulley and put on a lathe to get a proper groove for the copper to fit in.

 

[pipsters]

I still havent managed to take any pics of the water/air intercooler setup, but I did take some temperature meassurements. With a short run cycle (<1 minute) the highest recorded temperature coming out of the 2nd stage was 185 and the outlet of the intercooler was 90 (ambient).

I'm still getting more water in the tank than I had hoped, but I only have a automatic drip leg drain after the intercooler & havent included the inline fillter yet.

Here's a link to a guy who used a simple filter (5 micron) to remove the moisture going to the tank. This would be about the same amount of water removed using an iron pipe or copper pipe setup with a filter on the end.

http://www.rocketcityrockcrawlers.com/memberstuff/doc/el cheapo compressed air dryer.pdf

Instead of using a coil of copper you're just using some sort of transmission or oil cooler.

 

[PT Doc]

Here's a link to a guy who used a simple filter (5 micron) to remove the moisture going to the tank. This would be about the same amount of water removed using an iron pipe or copper pipe setup with a filter on the end.

http://www.rocketcityrockcrawlers.com/memberstuff/doc/el cheapo compressed air dryer.pdf

Instead of using a coil of copper you're just using some sort of transmission or oil cooler.

The setup seems reasonable. I wonder what the temp is just as in enters the ue filter. Most water filters are rated from 175 to maybe 225 degrees input temp. But that amount of water was impressive from a price point filter.

I wonder, with the increased friction over longer distance of line, if it would be better to use larger diameter tubing. That would also help by adding increased surface area for cooling. Does anyone if this type of flexible copper come in 1/2 or 3/4"? Thanks

 

[EOC_Jason]

You can probably get 1/2" from HD/Lowes. You can also contact local A/C supply houses as I'm sure they would sell direct to you if you pay cash. 3/4" will probably be harder to find and also pricey because of the size, but I'm sure A/C places will have it as I'm sure some monster commercial A/C unit might use it.

Really though, I wouldn't upsize too much. Smaller diamater would have more surface area of the copper pipe to the volume of air flowing through it. Larger pipe would allow for more air to flow through and with less restriction, but would decrease the efficiency of the heat exchanging process unless you make it longer, which starts to get counter-productive.

I think in the long run it would be best to get an actual radiator that can handle the PSI. People have posted links to "racing" radiators good up to 200 psi. I'm sure too you can browse ebay and find something surplus that would fit the bill.

 

[pipsters]

The setup seems reasonable. I wonder what the temp is just as in enters the ue filter. Most water filters are rated from 175 to maybe 225 degrees input temp. But that amount of water was impressive from a price point filter.

I wonder, with the increased friction over longer distance of line, if it would be better to use larger diameter tubing. That would also help by adding increased surface area for cooling. Does anyone if this type of flexible copper come in 1/2 or 3/4"? Thanks

The author wrote it was "cool to the touch". I have to assume that means ambient temp or thereabouts. Remember you are cooling the air before you filter it, not filtering first. The idea is to cool the air and condense the moisture out of the air into droplets that the filter then catches.

Run some calculations. I did some quick math and found that my 25 gal Craftsman delivered ~10 CFM of uncompressed air by taking piston size times bore times revolutions per minute (remember air isn't compressed until it gets into the tank). 3/8" ID line was what I had on my compressor. A compressor that delivered say 15 CFM @ 90 psi might deliver 30 CFM of uncompressed air.

Now this is beyond my level of knowledge. What PSI is flowing through the discharge tubing? I have no idea. Without that you have no idea what the CFM capability is. Suffice to say my guess would be use what size tube is currently on your compressor and you'd be fine.

Larger diameter pipe won't help it will hurt. You are trying to make contact with the air inside with ambient air. The larger the pipe the less surface area. This isn't a case where "bigger is better" but "correct size is better".

Also when that article was written 50' of 3/8" ID tubing was $50. What's it now, $100? Or more?

 

[HAP]

Just wanted to do an update on the after cooler. Developed a crack in a weld which I think was due to corrosion on the inside. I found that about 1" of water pooled in the lower cavity and weakened the weld in this area. Was never really happy with the aluminum cooler anyway. So, I searched about and setteled on the Hayden brazed copper cooler. This is by far a better design for the application. Thinner cross section and allows the fan to be much more effective. Overall, I would say this style of cooler is 10x better than the one I had before. Plus if it ever develops a leak I can re-braze the section much easier.
R,
HAP

 

[HAP]

Re:Update on DIY Compressor After Cooler

Someone asked to see my deseccant drier tube. Almost time to rejuvinate the the beads...

R,
HAP

 

[Trey T]

Fancy setup but too busy. Why aftercool and dryer?

 

[HAP]

The refrig drier is for my Darex end mill sharpener. An air bearing works best with it and it is recommended in the manual. Got it on CL a few years back. The deseccant is good for plasma cutter, powder coating and bead blasting. I know it is a little crowded, but that is a benefit of a horizontal...

 

[B-Well]

Very interested in your large air intake setup. Nice and quiet? Any info on it would be greatly appreciated.
-Alex

 

[Grounded Ken]

Nice set up! Just remember when it's time for parts on the compressor, NAPA= Atlas Copco= Industrial Air, only parts interchangable are the valves.
I've been to the plant in Rock Hill, NC where they package the machine. When I asked them what they were doing with Saylor Beall pumps, they had no idea what I was talking about.

 

[HAP]

Nice set up! Just remember when it's time for parts on the compressor, NAPA= Atlas Copco= Industrial Air, only parts interchangable are the valves.
I've been to the plant in Rock Hill, NC where they package the machine. When I asked them what they were doing with Saylor Beall pumps, they had no idea what I was talking about.

Not sure if I follow your last statement??

 

[fflintstone]

Thanks for the update. Is that cooler an off the shelf item or something you have repurposed?
I too picked up a Wilkerson air drier off CL. I have yet to use it.

 

[Grounded Ken]

I'm an Atlas Copco (AC) dealer as well as multiple other brands of air compressors including Saylor Beall. As part of the AC indoctrination they took me thru the AC plant in Rock, SC (I said NC in the previous) were they package AC, Bellaire, Napa and I believe other brands. These were the units I saw. They use the Industrial Air brand, not Saylor Beall. I even brought it up with one of the guys at Saylor today and he said it doesn't hurt them once the people realize what they have.

Having said that, and being in the business over 37 years, they may look very similar, the only things interchangeable are the valves. The unit you have is metric, SB are SAE.
I have no doubt with the setup you have that this machine will be well cared for and give you many, many years of service. I wish more had this kinda setup, but that would put me out of business.

A note to those who question HAP's setup, this is the procedure used with industrial applications. He will not have to worry about any water unless the whole system goes below 32 degrees, and he won't get much then.

Job well done HAP.