help with compressor setup.

[KarlJay]

I'm getting ready to do some heavy work that will really work my old compressor, so I'm doing some mods to it.

What I started out with is a 3HP 110V Sanborn Blackmax belt driven 22 gallon single stage. I swapped the motor for a 5HP 220V and a 33% larger pulley. I cut the copper feed from the pump to the tank and added a transmission cooler and two water filters then back to the tank. I then added an electric fan that blows on the pump and the cooler.

That line goes 25' out to two more tanks for an additional maybe 30 gallons.

I put a 2nd feed on the extra tanks so that I can feed two compressors into those two tanks.

The second compressor was a gas driven belt drive "wheel barrow" type and the engine is off of it. I've confirmed the pump works.

I have the 3HP 110V motor from the BlackMax and I want to put it on the 2nd compressor.

Here's the questions/concerns.

1. the filters after the cooler on the Blackmax don't seem to pull out nearly as much water as I thought they would. I'm actually gettin some water AFTER the Blackmax tank. The cooler is doing an AMAZING job pulling heat from the air, and I expected the air to be very, very dry going INTO the tank. It's only been a few days, so I'll have to test some more.

Q1. Did I put the water filter in the best spot? I wanted less water in the primary tank.

2. How can I setup a pressure switch on the 2nd compressor? When it was a gas engine, it just ran all the time. Now, being electric, I'll need an on/off pressure switch.

Q2: Where should the pressure switch go and what options do I have?

I'm pretty sure the 2nd compressor is an Ingersol Rand.

3. I'll need inline check valves to stop the compressors from working against each other. I can't seem to find an inline check valve. I was thinking of a quick disconnect type connection for a check valve but everywhere I look has in tank types.

Q3 where can I get an inline check valve?

 

[seber]

I suspect that Sanborn is going to have a very short life. Speeding up a compressor pump beyond design rpm will create heat and noise exponentially with rpm. I don't know why your water separator is not doing the job. What type did you use? The second pressure switch can go on a T with the first one and set to a lower pressure so the second pump only comes on when the primary can't keep up. Ball checks are very common. I don't know why you would have trouble sourcing one. https://www.masterpneumatic.com/tube-tubing-ball-check-valves.html

 

[KarlJay]

I suspect that Sanborn is going to have a very short life. Speeding up a compressor pump beyond design rpm will create heat and noise exponentially with rpm. I don't know why your water separator is not doing the job. What type did you use? The second pressure switch can go on a T with the first one and set to a lower pressure so the second pump only comes on when the primary can't keep up. Ball checks are very common. I don't know why you would have trouble sourcing one.

I've actually been running the Sanborn this way for over 20 years now and haven't had any problems yet. I'm just now adding the fans and coolers because of the new workload.

The water separators are campbell hausfeld with the drain at the bottom and filter at the top in a plastic cup. It's the pretty common type used. What I was asking about is where the water separator should be. If it's where the air is hot, then it's not as effective, if the air is cooled first, it can't hold as much water and air cools after expanding.

The check valve I was hoping to find would be like a quick disconnect, where it just bolts onto the end of a hose fitting. What I'm finding is just the in tank types.

 

[Bert_]

If it was 120v it wasn't really 3hp. More like 1.5hp 3hp on 120v would take almost 30a amps.

Check the specs on the pumps to see what they are rated for as far as speed and hp.

 

[metlmunchr]

Control Devices IC50 is an inline check for compressed air with 1/2" female pipe threads on both ends. Good for up to 20 cfm.

IC38 is 3/8" female pipe both ends and good for flow rates up to 12 cfm.

Your original motor is 15 amps @ 120 V, so, as Bert said, its 1.5 hp. The 3 hp rating is marketing BS, much like 6 hp shop vacs.