PEX for plumbing compressor air?

[dpljmurphy]

Hey guys, i've searched the forum for anything on using PEX to plum in an air manifold for my shop and don't see anything...

I've spoken to several plumbers and asked what they would use to plumb in air and some say PEX but some say not to use it for various reasons including leaks, lack of volume, and potential rupture.

right now i have bare walls and would like to plumb in two manifolds, one with oil and one without and run them with red and blue PEX.

Northern Tools sells the Rapidair systems, and they use nylon lines in the cheaper line and PEX with aluminum for the better stuff, but it can be pricy!

Anyone tried PEX off the Home Depot shelf or have any experience you can share?

Thanks in advance, David

 

[TLCObsession]

Pex is great for air.You can find Sioux Chief manifolds from many online sellers, or sweat up whatever you need out of copper. Pex to copper drops is great! I would recommend using the 10' sticks you can buy at home improvement centers because the rolls don't straighten out enough for my taste.

 

[guy48065]

Sounds good to me. PEX alleviates the major concern with using PVC--shrapnel if it bursts. I don't think there any other injury/insurance concerns but hey--I live on the edge and have a PVC dust collector system
Leaks? Air is thinner than water but I'll bet leaks won't be a problem. If it is, one could dab RTV on the fittings before clamping. Since it's not for potable water you're free to do what you want.

Only real issue I can see is the sag between mounts would collect water & oil. That would be a deal breaker for me.

 

[G_P]

Its fine for air. But as guy said above, it can sag creating low spots that will collect water. Make sure it is supported well so it stays straight.
PEX will stretch and expand quite a bit even to the point that freezing water will not rupture the pipe. The weak link is the fittings. Some are made very cheaply and may not be up to the task of holding 125+ PSI. Buy good quality fittings, not the cheapo bulk pack stuff.

For the crimper, you can either rent them from HD for like $5/day or just buy one if you want to have it around for later additions.

The main thing to remember is that with PEX, the fittings go inside the pipe not over the outside like copper or PVC. So a 1/2" ID pipe will be necked down to about 3/8" inside the fittings depending on which fittings you go with. It would be best to run 3/4" lines.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Hey guys, i've searched the forum for anything on using PEX to plum in an air manifold for my shop and don't see anything...

It's actually been discussed here about a zillion times, but for some reason the search function doesn't work on terms that are three letters or less like pex. You'll have better luck entering the following text into Google:

pex airline site:www.garagejournal.com

 

[Dusty61]

LOL i JUST did a few upgrades with PEX to my shop, i got SICK of that loud *** compressor inside all the time, so i poured a 4x6' concrete pad behind the shop, hooked the compressor to the skidder and wheeled it out and around back, i put in the same pace it WAS, just outside. i built a little shed over the pad, nothing fancy, cut a few holes and ran the electric lines through the wall. while i was at it i ran a few air lines too, one right inside the shop to where the compressor used to sit, a 3/8 and a 1/4 hookup, both fed off 1/2 PEX pipe, and a long one that ran up the inside wall to the ceiling then to to a fitting halfway down the shop and one just inside the overhead door. all total it took a half a day, i insulated the little shed and rigged up an electric controlled drain to the bottom of the tank that i hooked to a timer to cycle on once every 24hrs at 7pm (which will give me a clue its time to go have dinner lol)

 

[dpljmurphy]

It's actually been discussed here about a zillion times, but for some reason the search function doesn't work on terms that are three letters or less like pex. You'll have better luck entering the following text into Google:

pex airline site:www.garagejournal.com

Ah, thanks! That explains why i come across some PEX discussion when looking at Frazinators...

 

[creativecars]

LOL i JUST did a few upgrades with PEX to my shop, i got SICK of that loud *** compressor inside all the time, so i poured a 4x6' concrete pad behind the shop, hooked the compressor to the skidder and wheeled it out and around back, i put in the same pace it WAS, just outside. i built a little shed over the pad, nothing fancy, cut a few holes and ran the electric lines through the wall. while i was at it i ran a few air lines too, one right inside the shop to where the compressor used to sit, a 3/8 and a 1/4 hookup, both fed off 1/2 PEX pipe, and a long one that ran up the inside wall to the ceiling then to to a fitting halfway down the shop and one just inside the overhead door. all total it took a half a day, i insulated the little shed and rigged up an electric controlled drain to the bottom of the tank that i hooked to a timer to cycle on once every 24hrs at 7pm (which will give me a clue its time to go have dinner lol)

That is a good idea, except on some high use days I would have to drain more often.
I think I may put a block heater on my compressor for those cold days ahead.
Having 120v power in the compressor room is good for lights, heater and your timer for the drain.

 

[sberry]

I am not sure why one would need to drain more than once a day, I do mine when I think about it and can go as long as a month.
But to the OP,,, who has been doing "research". Forget about all of this junk. Put a valve on the tank a hose to a piece of pipe that runs to a filter regulator and to a hose reel.
Forget about oil and oil line and auto drains. Plumb a piece of tubing out thru a wall and install a ball valve you can kick open on occasion and a can of air tool oil you can put a few drops in when you are done with a tool.

 

[creativecars]

I am not sure why one would need to drain more than once a day, I do mine when I think about it and can go as long as a month.
But to the OP,,, who has been doing "research". Forget about all of this junk. Put a valve on the tank a hose to a piece of pipe that runs to a filter regulator and to a hose reel.
Forget about oil and oil line and auto drains. Plumb a piece of tubing out thru a wall and install a ball valve you can kick open on occasion and a can of air tool oil you can put a few drops in when you are done with a tool.

I was sand blasting the other day with a fair amount of humidity.. I needed to drain about every 20 minutes, compressor and filter/regulator.

Agreed, no automatic oiler.

 

[sberry]

What is it you are trying to do and what comp? The restriction in air lines is a minor issue but most any of it can be overcome with simplicity. Minimal use of hydrants, all screwed connections but for the business end of a hose. Air doesn't have the parasitic demands oof electric and 1 well placed hose reel is worth a hundred hydrants you got to move a hose to.
Some of the ideas that are wonderful for industry are not needed and not so good in a small garage. A fixed whip drop at a work station and a hose on a reel, maybe 2.
I can add as many as I want but use 4 and could do it in 3 and maybe even 2 in 4K sq ft and still reach out the door for a car.
Manifold could be as simple as a piece of pipe or 2 and mu choice is 1/2 black. Its really closer to 5/8 than 1/2 and makes all the fitting so simple and add T after to use 1 regulator for whole project if feasible.

 

[sberry]

Hang a pipe or 2 till you move in, fit after till you get it right. I done this about every way, some pre engineer is good but I also use about only 1/2 of the "what if".

 

[sberry]

As I get older I look to what some of the real old timers did and do. One of the best has the same 1/2 pipe he did when he started, probably brought materials home as an apprentice.
In a small garage might use a hybrid scheme and run pipe behind benches and even run a second drop regulated from one location.
The one below would be plenty for most garages. T after the reg allows it to be jumped back on a couple pipe manifolds and a hose reel all at the same pressure. A couple pieces could be abandoned. I still have some remnants as we went thru construction, most have been deleted and plumbed on.
The connector seen in the front is the only one an operator uses. Its connected, used ad disconnected at end of job or work session. Hose wound up.

 

[thebeekeeper1]

I don't understand why you would consult professionals, not get the answer you wanted, then plunge ahead blindly. Why ask for advice?

 

[creativecars]

I don't understand why you would consult professionals, not get the answer you wanted, then plunge ahead blindly. Why ask for advice?

He didn't. He indicated he received some conflicting information... and asked for our advice. I do the same thing all the time. There are many ways to do things, with some applications, some work out better than others.
More information is better than less.

 

[thebeekeeper1]

He didn't. He indicated he received some conflicting information... and asked for our advice. I do the same thing all the time. There are many ways to do things, with some applications, some work out better than others.
More information is better than less.

True.

 

[sberry]

It is if it isn't research overload. Here a first timer is looking and doing a setup which starts to gain special features and un needed equipment before it ever gets off the ground.
I have an advanced shop and don't have dual air lines. We saw a drawing the other day with 6 drops and 6 regulators in a 24x24 shop and a wheelborrow full of fittings. All the work in the place could have been done with a simple circuit of about 100$.
I have been there, bought the extra features, done the extra work and in the end wouldn't do some of it again. I have went back and removed air fittings I didn't need, repurpose some.
I have been doing some design of my own and just eliminated a whole drop I don't even need anymore. It wont cost me to leave a couple extra features but as use evolved they have changed a bit.
But as one can see in the pic above, one fil/reg serves 3 secondary branch circuits.

 

[dpljmurphy]

thank you all for your feedback, keeping ot simple for now makes lots of sense, will post when configured.

creativecars, thanks for having my back, many happy projects and no broken fasteners!

David

 

[guy48065]

I don't understand why you would consult professionals, not get the answer you wanted, then plunge ahead blindly. Why ask for advice?

Exactly who are you directing this at?

 

[sberry]

As I mentioned I have a couple drops that if I was to do it again with the experience and put a super sharp pencil could eliminate if needed. Its all ok and not worth fooling with but I have leaving the impression that until a guy can use his air comp he has to toss another small fortune and lotso work at it when the end result isn't much gain.
A 50 ft hose is something that can be hung on a peg but if a guy uses it much it becomes a discipline problem and a reel really helps with that. A manual is fine, a retractor shines if you have it installed overhead.
I have a couple fixed whips, in the right place they replace a reel for simple and low cost.

 

[sberry]

I bet used bot a pint of air tool I in 25 yrs,,,ha I remember I was going to try an oiler scheme to work off of one dedicated line on my bench and whizzed thru some **** and it was really a problem to keep it straight, dint want another hose plugged on etc. It was a short lived concept.
A good idea in some specific industrial application but not for the general shop.