Water separators and regulators...Mainline or at drops?

[psu927]

Just installed 3/4 copper air lines in my shop. It comes out of my compressor, (2 stage, 175psi) and runs about 40' before the first drop. My mainline is sloped, and my drops come off of the top of the mainline pipe.

My main tool usages are blast cabinet, plasma cutter, and air tools, and I want to be able to paint occasionally eventually.

First, should I regulate the mainline, or just the individual drops? This could end up being costly, since I have about 4-5 drop locations I will use on a regular basis, with varying CFM requirements.

Second, should i install a water separator in the main, say about 30' from the compressor, or, use lower cfm models for the drops? Or do I need to do both?

Pros/cons of separators vs coalescing filters?

Lastly, what products do you guys recommend? I especially want my blast cabinet and plasma to be dry, but not sure how good is "good enough". When I get in to paint, I plan on using disposable point of use filters to really get the air clean and dry. Hopefully it won't be needed, just in case type thing.

 

[kd3pc]

pick up a line attached "dryer" for the mainline/system and then have the drops regulated to that use.

water, even just moisture is problematic for most air tools and systems, especially plasma cutters

 

[sberry]

There are a lot of ways to do it. You can add some plumbing after a drop to be able to use the same fil/reg. My main 2 have a couple things, a reel and a plasma on 1 and several things on the other.
I "collect" this type of stuff, add some as I go. I had a reg go south a while back and was going to buy one, even created a work around till I realized I had scored one from another small comp I had demo. Same configuration and ports already, took it apart and cleaned it, had it all back working in an hour.

I put a little filter I found on the plas as a final and the same for the paint hose reel along with reg. The pic is a valve on the hard pipe ahead of the paint body station, I shut it off local just cause I don't use it daily. That section of line is regulated as I don't need primary there. its fed from another fil/reg that has a hose reel on it and a couple whips to the hoist.

 

[psu927]

bump....trying to avoid spending money on a dryer. I feel that with my long sloped run of copper tubing, it will eliminate most of the water. Just want best options for getting rid of the rest.

 

[matt_i]

I would run full tank pressure on the hard piped lines and regulate at the individual drops.

You can use "low point drains" which are simply a valve where you know your liquid is going to go based on gravity, just like the drain at the bottom of the air tank itself. There could be legs which get more water than others based on flow or total accumulated time. And in those you can always add a drip leg later on prior to your filters.

There's no foul with running two filters in series or running different "micron" separators. In SMC I believe 40micron is standard and there is either a 10 or a 4, I forget right now. Where I work its common to see the two in series for process equipment.

Dessicant dryer is good for ultimate assurance on dry air.

 

[Kaizen]

bump....trying to avoid spending money on a dryer. I feel that with my long sloped run of copper tubing, it will eliminate most of the water. Just want best options for getting rid of the rest.

I had a serious water issue with my cheap husky 60 gallon. So I did something similar to your slope. I used black pipe and ran back and forth for 60 feet. i'd recommend a couple more lengths of copper added before your existing run. make sure it all slopes down and the back and forth allows the water vapor to hit something and condense so it can drain back as opposed to a single run where it will be carried. At the beginning of this whole setup have a drop straight down with a drain. I did a few feet as it can fill up under heavy use. the water flows back and into this drop. make sure the feed into this setup is like your existing drops out the top of the pipe to minimize any water getting back into the compressor. get an auto drain on the compressor as well.
My setup has the 60 feet with no drops. at the end before going to the outlet i have a filter and pressure controller. able to sand blast with this setup and no desiccant filter.

 

[Bretny]

Dry the air before it goes in the tank. Makes tank last way longer. Basicly you want to cool the air before the tank. This will allow the moisture to drop out. I hardly ever get water in my 60gal tank. Cheap 60gal kobalt compressor.

I run two main lines. One oiled 3/4in black pipe and one non oiled 3/8 rubber hose. The 3/8 i only use for painting and plasma cutting.

 

[psu927]

Thanks guys. What brand water separators/regulators/filters do you guys use/recommend?

 

[sberry]

I use anything that works. I got a couple pieced at HD that were good. I have some hi dollar Sharpes too, doesn't make me any difference.

 

[Lucky13driver]

It depends on the climate were you are.

 

[sberry]

Just stuff, note the service valve on hard pipe ahead of unions and equipment. Pic 1 and 2 are same equipment, 1 is its current configuration, a remodel of the jackleg hookup when we moved in. I don't even have a hydrant on it now, its screwed to the hose reel.
Pic 4 is the piece I scrounged up to repair the blown up reg in 3. 5 is a reg that feeds 4 apps, 6 is one we used when working remote for paint.

 

[thirdgoat]

When it comes to painting I have a DeVilbiss filter/separator/dryer, then I use a Binks Desiccant Dryer Snake, and finally a disposable filter at the gun, moisture has never been an issue!

 

[tarmy]

I have mine just before my reel that would feed tools. The location is after a cooler at the compressor, with a drop. Also just after a second drop drain about 30’ from the origin.

The plasma cutter gets a separate dedicated dryer right at the tool.