Educate Me On This Air Line Lubricator/Separator/Regulator Setup Please

[jonshonda]

Found this on FB marketplace, and it was too cool to pass up for $25. With that being said, I don't know much about it. Parker Watts/Watco brand. Curious what does what, what I need to do and look out for, and how to add lube and whatnot. Also curious what the Left and Right outputs are on the regulator, and why they bypass the lubrication. Also curious why there is no pressure gauge on this setup.

This would just be used on a typical small compressed air setup w/ 3/8" line. Your help is greatly appreciated.

20210104_153834 by Jon S, on Flickr

20210104_153954 by Jon S, on Flickr

 

[C lectric]

First on left: Coarse Air filter and water trap. Big nut with ribs around circumference is how you remove the bowl and clean the element inside. Also clean out bowl as needed. The piece hanging below the bowl is, I am quite sure, an automatic drain for water buildup draining. It too may need cleaning periodically. Personally I would install a hose and lead that to a good size jar or it may spray water all over the place.


Middle Regulator - outputs. By pass lubricator so no oil is added to line and tool. Also where a pressure guage would be mounted. Why no guage only the original owner would know. I THINK the pressure adjustment is the handle hanging at the bottom although usually on the ones I've seen/had/have the adjustment handle is on top.
Lots of applications where you do NOT want oil added such as blow off or painting although painting may not be ideal with a lubricator any where in this line.



Last on Right: Lubricator for air tools. If an air tool is used a lot they need a small quantity of oil added to the air stream. The bowl is removed for cleaning by the big nut same way as the water filter. Oil is added by unscrewing the caps on top by use of a large screwdriver or small drag link adjuster [fancy socket screwdriver}. I often found they fed too much oil though so I usually used a squeeze bottle filled with my air tool oil and added a few drops every few hours when I was really going at it. Also just before each use.

 

[larry_g]

Unless you have a tool or machine that needs lube and the lubricator can be attached to the input of the tool then you'd be well advised to get rid of the lubricator. You cannot follow a lubricator with a length of pipe or hose because the oil will collese on the inside of the pipe and pool up. Then at the most opportune time the pool of oil will come out and mess up something.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[jonshonda]

Thanks for the help guys! I was curious too why there is no gauge on the regulator. I would imagine leaving the lubricator empty wouldn't have a negative effect on it?

 

[DeeKay]

CLectric is correct, the regulator is adjusted with the T-handle on the bottom, you just have to break loose the little jamb nut first.

You add oil to the oiler through those two slotted plugs and the amount of oil introduced to the system is adjusted with the red knob on top(you can watch the oil drop through the little site glass underneath). In manufacturing we count Drops per minute while the machine is running full speed and adjust that according to the machine manufacturer or how maintenance trends dictate.

For a small setup like yours an oiler like that isn't necessary at all and you would be fine to leave it empty or eliminate it all together.

 

[larry_g]

Thanks for the help guys! I was curious too why there is no gauge on the regulator. I would imagine leaving the lubricator empty wouldn't have a negative effect on it?

The connector on the gauge port could have lead to a remote gauge. If this FRL was buried in a machine then this is most likely. As for running the oiler empty that is fine but it is another restriction to flow. As you plan to put this on a compressor just get rid of it.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[pancho400cid]

Lubricators are very useful in some situations (air impacts in constant use, industrial set-ups with air actuators, etc.) but they can do more harm than good if you're not careful.

You don't need oil in your tires, air hoses, paint guns, etc.

It's a lot easier to put a small drop of oil in the inlet of tools that DO need oil every now and then by hand (impact wrenches, sanders, etc.) than keep it out of tools, etc. that DON'T need oil.


...

 

[mikegt4]

A place that I worked at in another life had dual set-ups at most pneumatic outlets. One side had a lubricator for powering air tools, the other side just a water trap for painting, blast cabinet and general blow gun use. Each side used a different style of quick connects so that hoses and equipment that didn't need oil could not be connected to the lubricator. Of course there were some employees that found ways of doing that regardless.

 

[toyotadriver]

I agree with some posters here about oilers being unnecessary for most uses. Once an air hose gets used with an auto oiler, you can’t/shouldn’t use it for painting or blowing things off. For a shop that only uses air for air motor type tools....then probably a good thing. For most of us doing homeowner and light commercial work, we would do far better to just put a few drops of oil in the tools from time to time/daily if we use the tool that much.

 

[redmondjp]

Yes, definitely skip the oiler! 85% of the time my compressor gets used for blowing off/drying parts (prior to painting in some cases) and the last thing that I want is oil contamination on what I am about to paint.

For home use, just keep your air tool oil bottle on your tool cart and add a couple of drops of oil right at the tool inlet every now and then. For industrial use where you are on an assembly line and only have one tool connected which is in constant use, that's where the oiler really is necessary.

 

[jonshonda]

Thanks for the tips guys! It sounds like I will not be using the oiler!