IR ARO Air Filter Regulator not working?

[Handyandy23]

About a year ago I installed an Ingersoll Rand ARO Filter Regulator Piggyback (P39344-600-VS) in my garage compressed air system, with the expectation that it was going to filter out any water or moisture in my system.

Using a die grinder yesterday it was obvious there was water in the system because it was spitting out the die grinder and running poorly. I opened the drain valve in the bottom of my 40 gallon compressor and a bunch of water drained out. However, the IR Filter Regulator is bone dry in the drain bowl, and I realized I've never had to drain it since I installed it (nor have I ever seen any water in it).

Any ideas on what's going on with it? I didn't think something that simple could be mis-installed, it just has air going in one side and out the other side. Am I missing something?

 

[The Cobbler]

where is this installed? if you're installed in the outlet of the tank you have done nothing to dry the air going into the tank and nothing to drain the tank

 

[Handyandy23]

where is this installed? if you're installed in the outlet of the tank you have done nothing to dry the air going into the tank and nothing to drain the tank

But at the very least shouldn't it be removing water from going into the hose and my tool? How come I'm getting water though my tool and none in the filter?

 

[The Cobbler]

lots of variable. depends on humidity, temperature, how much air you use . if you were using more air, and it was warnmer it won't have time to condense as much in the tank as it is now

 

[FMB4]

You still should always drain the tank after each use or a day of use.

 

[Activated]

Aye, drain that tank, or the tank is going to spank! Think about how you would feel if you could never burp or fart. It is best to give that tank a nice massage once a month with your hands, and it will help keep the metal stalwart.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Is it possible that it’s plumbed backward?

 

[FredWanaker]

if you don't give the vapor in the hose time to cool, there is no water to catch. Run some copper line in a bucket of cold water before it, or put the filter at the end of the first 50' to 100' of hose or so. That way the water coalesces out. I run that way and on humid days fill sometimes two of those filters. Add an elbow to the bottom of the tank, and a ball valve to a barb to a hose that you can dump the water out each day when you shut off. Best advice anyone here ever gave me.

 

[JOE.G]

I use this regulator as well and I am having the same issue with zero water in it, My Issue I believe is that I have it to close to the tank, But I don't have mositure issues with my tools so i just left it and used it for the regulator function.

 

[Handyandy23]

I think you guys are probably right that it might be too close to the tank. I have it mounted within 2-3 feet of the tank, and then after that it splits into a couple hose reels. So not sure there's an easy way to move it further downstream, but at least that explains it.

Also that's a good idea @FredWanaker about the barb fitting and hose from the tank drain, I'll have to put that on my to-do list. I'll definitely start draining it more often now.

The other part I forgot to mention (or didn't think about at the time) is the compressor is inside a heated garage, but when I was getting water out of the tool I had the hose pulled under my garage door outside and was using it in the cold (below freezing), since I was removing rust from an old vise and didn't want all the dust in the shop. So maybe the compressed air going from room temperature to the cold was causing some kind of condensation effect too?

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

[JOE.G]

I have a flexible line attached to my Drain with a Ball Valve I purchased it premade from Amazon or Ebay maybe. It works very well and 1 or 2 times a week I hit it for a second or so. I honestly never notice any water in my lines and use the air a lot.

 

[niget2002]

You're right in your last post. The water is condensing in the line after the filter. It's why I run a second filter at the end of the hose when I spray paint with my paint gun.

 

[FredWanaker]

Fog and Rain. On a humid 90F day the sky can be deep blue and the sun shinning brightly. If it gets down to 35F - 40F that night fog can form, or rain can fall. Trying to pull moisture out of the air during the day won't happen until you have a cold beer or iced tea, right? Same with the compressor. All that air and humidity is jammed together and the air heated. If it doesn't have time to cool there is no moisture to trap. I have about 200' of hose here. 100' of it is on a hose hanger before the coalescing filters, and 100' afterwards. Then I run a small trap at the places I need really dry air like the glass bead machine. There is always a little water in the filters, and I drain the tanks at night enough to blow out the moisture in the tank. Works well and dry air. The next step of drying gets more expensive with either a commercial drier that acts like an AC system, or coiled tubing in a bucket with ice etc.. There are some folks here who do that, they roll up a coil of copper tubing so it fits into a 5 gallon bucket, put fittings on the ends, and when they need super dry air, they add ice or cold water to the bucket, and run the air thru that before the filter. I've never needed that dry of air. Be sure to put a few drops of oil into your tools when done as that helps keep them working right. Oilers just destroy hoses, and contaminate them for other uses.