Silencing a compressor auto-drain?

[jkwilson]

I was pretty happy with my timed auto-drain, but there is one little problem. Our dogs come unglued when the thing discharges!

I used a 7-day timer to let it run an hour between 2:30 and 3:30am and between 2:30 and 3:30pm during the week, then every 3rd hour on Saturday and Sunday. It didn't take long to put an end to the middle of the night part of the cycle, but it's annoying even during the day. The dogs aren't usually noisy, but the sound just seems to set them off. We live way off the road, so things are usually quiet.


Relocating the compressor is an option, but the 30 ft option may not get the vent far enough away to keep from disturbing the dogs, and the next best option will require an 85ft power run from the panel.

So I've been thinking that the short burst of air at tank pressure is pretty small volume. If I let it expand in a bucket or other tank that either was rated for the pressure or protected with a pop-off type relief. I could put an exhaust muffler on the tank outlet and have a drain valve that I could open occasionally to drain the tank through the current pipe through the wall.

Any thoughts besides getting rid of the dogs?

 

[The Cobbler]

can you hook say a 1/2" hose to the outlet of the drain and run it a distance away ?

 

[nh_yota]

Why do you run the drain so often? I'd think once a day late at night would be more than enough.

 

[torqueman2002]

I routed the auto-drain discharge through an outside wall with small diffusers.

I don't know how loud it is outside because I set it to discharge at start-up and cycle OFF/ON/OFF when the compressor is running.

 

[1950mercury]

A friend of mine ran his into the lid of a 1 gallion bucket with a bunch of 1 inch holes drilled in it that is buried in the ground.

 

[AmickRacing]

The pneumatic temperature control compressors I work on are generally in schools, obviously a loud "psssssh" isn't always desired.

Most of them I just installed a ball valve on the line (preferably before, in case you need to work on the auto-drain, but after works too), and barely opened it. Especially since you're draining frequently, I don't think you'd need full flow.

 

[rsanter]

How about pipe it into a muffler?

Bob

 

[Lwel9226]

I have a small muffler made for air systems that works very well on my compressor. If that wasn't enough for your dogs you could try also using the home made gallon can "muffler". I think I would put some sort of packing in the can like steel wool or better yet something that wouldn't rust. A quart can or pound coffee can would probably be big enough.....

Lynn W

 

[MDK22]

ok you are going to think I am crazy but, use the cheapest large oil filter you can find. Drill a hole in the bottom about 3/8". If you search Oil Filter Suppressor on youtube you can see a guy using it to silence a rifle and it works better then a normal silencer.

Either that or get a exhaust muffler for a motorcycle and hook it up.

 

[bigredmf]

I have been planning on running mine through a pressure regulator set at a much lower pressure.

Extend the on time to compensate and experiment with it.

More than the dogs I jump when that thing goes off.

What kind do you have with all of the adjustments?

Red


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[sberry]

How often are you running this comp? Mine is used daily several times, on 24/7, we crack the ball valve on occasion. Usually do it when I see a thread about a problem with an auto drain.

 

[Milton Shaw]

Small engine mufflers work to quieten down air exhaust. I use on on my in ground lift and it has made a big difference. Long style Briggs muffler is what I used.

 

[jkwilson]

How often are you running this comp? Mine is used daily several times, on 24/7, we crack the ball valve on occasion. Usually do it when I see a thread about a problem with an auto drain.

During the week, rarely. On weekends it varies depending on my wife's plans but sometimes pretty heavy.

I have the adjustable drain valve with the 45 minute timer. I use the lamp timer to limit the drain cycles.

 

[sberry]

Most home hobby comps could be set for weeks vs days let alone hours.

 

[PhantomEB]

Sheesh my 80 gallon only gets drained monthly at best?

 

[Finky198]

I routed the auto-drain discharge through an outside wall with small diffusers.

I don't know how loud it is outside because I set it to discharge at start-up and cycle OFF/ON/OFF when the compressor is running.

Something just doesn't look right to me
How does that drain anything it's upside down
Doesn't the water just pool in the bottom 2x 90s ???

 

[Ainsley]

Torque, what is the idea behind the sintered brass filters? Do they provide a muffling effect?
I would think they would just be a maintenance headache as they would get plugged up from what ever is in the water you're draining off.

 

[torqueman2002]

See my comments in Blue.

Something just doesn't look right to me
How does that drain anything it's upside down
Doesn't the water just pool in the bottom 2x 90s ???
I had 1 90*elbow installed, with the discharge pointing down to keep out water, that blew the mulch around; thus the 2nd 90* elbow.

The air/water mixture is forced out between 90 and 150 psi. The pipe length is <14", the 'elbow - 2x90s' is below the tank. The velocity of the mixture expels it through the 'system' and outside. No pooling noted during inspection after 1st week of operation.

If it were to collect water, it is better to have it there and not in the tank, where it causes rust.

Also, if the system develops a blockage [brass filters/silencers plugged or frozen water in elbow] the output pipe from the auto-drain valve to the through-the-wall pipe is connected with a 4" length of vinyl tube, held on with small hose clamps. The vinyl tube and clamps act as a 'blow-off' valve, in the event of too much back-pressure.

Torque, what is the idea behind the sintered brass filters? Do they provide a muffling effect?
Yes - they do reduce the sound level, I forget where I got the idea; probably on one of the threads related to compressor draining.

I would think they would just be a maintenance headache as they would get plugged up from what ever is in the water you're draining off.
There really shouldn't be an accumulation with routine purging.

Hmmm, my 'safety/blow off' valve hasn't activated after re-calibrating the hose clamps [6+ years ago], I'll have to go check the filters/silencers to see if they need to be back-flushed.

After the auto-drain was piped to discharge outside, the area under and in front of the compressor has remained clean and dry.

 

[SEV22XS]

Why not use an air muffler that is what I have on the end of auto drain for my compressor it took the noise down from being unbearable to in garage with it to a quick pssh of air that will startle you but not send you running for cover.

 

[Loscaldazar]

See my comments in Blue.




After the auto-drain was piped to discharge outside, the area under and in front of the compressor has remained clean and dry.

That's actually incredibly well thought out....

 

[torqueman2002]

Why not use an air muffler that is what I have on the end of auto drain for my compressor it took the noise down from being unbearable to in garage with it to a quick pssh of air that will startle you but not send you running for cover.
My 1st priority, is to get the discharge off the floor.

I don't know what an air muffler is, but if it is weather proof I don't see why not.

That's actually incredibly well thought out....
Thanks, but I can't take credit for most of it, just punching through the wall and keeping the flower bed tidy.

Another upgrade I did, was add an aftermarket intake air filter/silencer. It is internally baffled and has a larger filter element.

This has reduced the noise level when the compressor is on.

I know some guys run the intake pipe through the ceiling and attach the filter/silencer out of the work area. I might do that some day, but I think a step up in intake pipe dia. would be prudent, to avoid the sucking through a straw syndrome.

 

[CGT80]

Another option is to run a line into a 5 gallon bucket of water, with the line below water level. You would get bubbles, but it would be a lower pitched sound, more like a rumble. You could have a lid on it and a hole near the top for excess water and air to run out.

 

[Finky198]

At that rate why not just dig a small hole fill it with gravel and put the pipe down in a foot or more it will probably be silent if you go deep enough