Alright, so I'm just going to replace the regulator, hoping I can find one that flows in the right direction without having to mount it upside down or use a trail of pipes and elbows!
Regulators have and in and out, and usually two ports for a gauge. There is no way you will get a regulator that you cannot fit to the compressor. A ball valve might be a little tricky, but I'd put one in. Take out the regulator and ****** back to the T. Install a close ******, a ball valve, another close ******, and the regulator. It might be longer, but not by much. Quite frankly, at 125 psi max, I would probably eliminate the regulator alltogether, unless you have some serious need to regulate such as painting. Then have a regulator with ****** and coupling you can plug in.
But there's one more thing I want to confirm... I sort of mentioned it in passing above but I've seen it contradicted
so many times, so please tell me if any of this is wrong... About the SCFM ratings. Just for discussion, we'll ignore the over-ratings of compressors and under-ratings of tools. I know that the ratings are based on what the *pump* is capable of. My pump is rated at 5.8SCFM @ 90psi.
This is how fast the pump can refill the tank, not strictly how much it can provide to my tool. So for light-duty cycle usage it's essentially meaningless. Now assuming that the tank is full and at its max pressure, if I use a tool at 90psi, until the pressure drops below that and pump cycles on, that rating means absolutely nothing to my tool. And then once it does turn on, that rating tells me whether it will be able to refill the tank to maintain pressure while the tool is simultaneously under constant use. So if I'm just breaking loose a single bolt with an impact at 90psi, it doesn't matter what the pump SCFM is because it's not part of the equation. Is this not correct? I should be getting a whole lot more than 5.8SCFM at the tool, so theoretically couldn't I just as easily use a tool that's rated for 10CFM, at least until the pressure in the tank drops below 90psi? And when it does, just wait for a minute until the tank is re-pressurized and start again.
Your thinking is correct, the flow is what the tank can supply, up to the point the tank runs out or low, then its up to the pump. I used an impact for years on a 12 gal/ 1 hp Craftsman 1970 vintage compressor. I mean from about '70 or '71 up to about '92 or so when I got a slightly larger compressor, and finally my 80 gal/2 stage/7½ hp. I still have that little Craftsman. When you start to use a sander, drill or grinder, they use air so fast, you get nothing done however. Impacts yes, air hammers yes, but stuff that spins fast and long no.
This is what I based the idea of upgrading the lines off of, obviously it won't increase my "SCFM" ratings, but I assumed it would remove restrictions between the tank and the tool and that's the only thing that matters in my light duty cycle scenarios. Add to that all of the threads I've seen when searching around on this forum about you guys installing lines through your garage, and always recommending larger pipes and larger fittings, etc...
Restrictions such as a ¼ pipe are not enough on a compressor to be an issue, given their short length. If that ¼ pipe was 50 ft long, you would have so much friction loss in the line to be a problem, but just a few inches really does not choke it down enough to be an issue. Look at the tiny holes in the sleeve inside an air coupling that you are pushing air thru to the tool, or the air tool ******, short distance is not a real issue so long as its not a tiny orifice in comparison to the flow of the tool.
I will eventually buy a whole new compressor, but I won't be buying a cheapy and therefore it will have to wait until I can afford a nice one or I find a good used one locally.
