drip leg

[Sumboodie]

Right off the compressor tank, does it make sense to put a drip leg?

Setup is 80 gallon compressor, feeding into a 60 gallon compressor, then feeding to an air dryer, and for now just a hose off the dryer for air. Eventually it'll be 3/4" line going underground to another building.

Should I put a drip leg off each compressor? Like in my drawering?

 

[larry4406]

No drawering attached.

 

[Sumboodie]

And yes, I'm a hell of a drawererer.

Dunno if it matters to feed compressor #2 from top or side of the 4 way. Or do 2 Tees instead?. Ideally it'd have 2 3/4" ports on the tank, but it only has the 1. Just a bottom shelf homejobber Husky unit, so built to a low price point. Was $499 in 2006... tag is still on it

The one for the pressure gauge is only 1/4", as is the drain.

 

[larry4406]

My gut feel says yes to drip legs.

 

[willf650]

I always did it with a 1/4" petcock on every instillation I did. It was mainly instrumentation air compressors I installed.

The drip legs were always full when I stopped in the mech rooms and cracked them open.

 

[Sumboodie]

I always did it with a 1/4" petcock on every instillation I did. It was mainly instrumentation air compressors I installed.

The drip legs were always full when I stopped in the mech rooms and cracked them open.

Wasn't sure if it made sense to have one right after the compressor as the air in the tank vs air a foot into the pipe is pretty much same temp, so wouldn't figure that much water dropping out. But that's why I'm asking.

With the air dryer in place, probably doesn't matter a whole lot, but it's only rated to 22cfm, and if both compressors would be running, it's more around 30cfm. Plus removing water before it gets that far is better.

I'm fairly stocked up on 3/4" pipe, valves and fittings. Some of it is from a setup I helped tear apart years ago, so finally able to use it after tripping over it for 10+ years.
Probably could do 1/2" even, but I'd have to buy everything.

For the drip legs, was just going to use a 3/4" valve with a hose barb on the end attached to a clear hose. Will probably feed all the drains to a pail, since if I put it to outside, it'll probably freeze. And rather not have it dumping gross oily water on the floor

 

[Sumboodie]

When I tie it into the shop, I may add a buffer tank. I've got 2 or 3 smaller compressors I can use.

 

[Twisted Sid]

The title of this thread with that sticker figure drawing is a good match

 

[Sumboodie]

The title of this thread with that sticker figure drawing is a good match

I ran out of paper when making the stick man me.

 

[Beerhippie]

I'd use a coalescing filter after the main compressor tank instead of the drip leg. Depending on what kind of compressor you have, there could be significant oil in the air. Air dryers generally don't play well with oil.

 

[no704]

Yes and please put drain ***** on them! In an industrial building i had to plug in an air hose to a never used air drop. Got a nice shower of delicious smelling “water “!

 

[Sumboodie]

I'd use a coalescing filter after the main compressor tank instead of the drip leg. Depending on what kind of compressor you have, there could be significant oil in the air. Air dryers generally don't play well with oil.

commercial grade Campbell Hausfeld from the early 80s. Similar to an R15 pump.

Got 2 on order, a 5 micron and regulator for 1st and a 0.01 micron for 2nd. (I have to regulate down, 2nd tank is only a 150 psi max)

 

[The Cobbler]

the farther down the pipe run the better in my opinion.
it's probably going to be more effective right at the inlet of the drier, and only one would be needed

 

[danielbuck]

me personally, I would put the drier and water traps inbetween the compressor and the 1st tank. might as well try to keep the water out of the tanks to begin with. A drip leg before the dryer probably won't do all that much, it will really only work well if the air has been cooled and the water condenses out of the air. a water trap after the cooler (however you cool it) would probably work alot better, but not as cheap as a simple drop.

I use a transmission cooler and electric fan inbetween the compressor and my 60 gallon tank, it works very well. Main water trap right after the cooler, it gets a ton of water out of the system. My water traps down stream of the tank never have any water in them anymore. And the tank purge valve itself never blasts out water unless I've been running it while it's raining and super humid outside, more than can condense out of it with the cooler and trap.

 

[Steve_P]

If you are going to put in drip legs, filters, separators..... they need to be as far from the compressor as possible for maximum benefit to give the air chance to cool so the moisture can turn to liquid and separate out. You'll catch 50X more water 50 feet away than you will 1 foot away.

 

[Sumboodie]

me personally, I would put the drier and water traps inbetween the compressor and the 1st tank. might as well try to keep the water out of the tanks to begin with. A drip leg before the dryer probably won't do all that much, it will really only work well if the air has been cooled and the water condenses out of the air. a water trap after the cooler (however you cool it) would probably work alot better, but not as cheap as a simple drop.

I use a transmission cooler and electric fan inbetween the compressor and my 60 gallon tank, it works very well. Main water trap right after the cooler, it gets a ton of water out of the system. My water traps down stream of the tank never have any water in them anymore. And the tank purge valve itself never blasts out water unless I've been running it while it's raining and super humid outside, more than can condense out of it with the cooler and trap.

The dryer isn't designed to handle air that is hot like that. Need a high temp dryer, which is several grand.

 

[danielbuck]

The dryer isn't designed to handle air that is hot like that. Need a high temp dryer, which is several grand.

What about just a radiator and fan to cool and condense? it's pretty cheap to do. I doubt I put $150 into my radiator and fan setup if you were to buy the parts new. Could run the dryer after that if you wanted it even more dry. The air coming out of the radiator in my setup is basically ambient temperature, maybe just a bit warmer. the air going into the radiator is so hot I can't even touch the lines.

I just think air systems are better when you do some measures to keep water out of the tanks themselves.

 

[Sumboodie]

What about just a radiator and fan to cool and condense? it's pretty cheap to do. I doubt I put $150 into my radiator and fan setup if you were to buy the parts new. Could run the dryer after that if you wanted it even more dry. The air coming out of the radiator in my setup is basically ambient temperature, maybe just a bit warmer. the air going into the radiator is so hot I can't even touch the lines.

I just think air systems are better when you do some measures to keep water out of the tanks themselves.

Compressor already has a cooler on it.

 

[Firebrick43]

Compressor already has a cooler on it.

Isn't that an intercooler between the low pressure 1st stage piston/s and the 2nd stage high pressure pistons?

 

[Sumboodie]

Isn't that an intercooler between the low pressure 1st stage piston/s and the 2nd stage high pressure pistons?

Between pump and tank as well.