compressor lines let see them
 

Looking for ideas on redo my hard line compressor lines in my garage and wanna see what you guys have used and how you run them. Please list pipe size and dryer etc your using in piping. Right now I have some leaks in my 3/4 black pipe ( I threaded it all by hand 3 yrs ago) and was never that happy with the install but on budget that is tight as s%*t. So any advice on doe's and do not. Also best ways to keep water out besides drain tank and drips. Thanks in advance guys. Brandon

Re: compressor lines let see them
 

There’s a good all around thread HERE on plumbing (see post #5 especially).

Another good thread with a routing picture is HERE. Check post #15.
There’s a lot of good info on water control on that thread as well.


For water control, I like theastronaut’s fridge cooler on this thread (post #18).

I'm sure the guys will pipe in soon (pun intended :)) with their own favorite setups.

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Re: compressor lines let see them
 

I've been working on mine lately as well, hopefully I can finish it up tomorrow. I used black pipe but only 1/2". I will have a T at that last unfinished pipe with one side going through another ball valve, then to my motorgard filter and then a QC3 drier. I will shut that valve and only use that line for painting.

Re: compressor lines let see them
 

A couple I have saved.Attachment 1028049

Attachment 1028050

Re: compressor lines let see them
 

Can I assume that the elaborate pipe runs are meant to aid condensation?

Re: compressor lines let see them
 

You can.

Re: compressor lines let see them
 

1/2'' copper thru out

Re: compressor lines let see them
 

Nice setups ! I was planning on using some 1/2" SCH40 PVC ... anyone using PVC ?

Re: compressor lines let see them
 

you guys with the back and forth pipe runs may want to have the air run through there before it gets to the compressor tank. I just built an aftercooler for my compressor that does this. It cools the air right as it exits the compressor. This removes moisture before it gets to the tank and at the same time, allows more air to be stored in the tank. At the inlet of my cooler, its too hot to hold your hand on and on the outlet its comfortable to touch or lukewarm.

Re: compressor lines let see them
 

DO NOT use PVC!! PVC is NOT safe for air. PVC gets brittle with time, and especially with exposure to light. One day it will blow up and kill somebody. PVC manufacturers tell you not to use it with air and it's even against OSHA rules.

Re: compressor lines let see them
 

PVC is a waiting grenade. It will rupture at a glue joint, then resulting movement in the tube will cause it to splinter into flying shards of plastic. A machine shop I used to business with experienced this, after 3 years of me warning them. Within a couple of months they were all switched to Legris transair, which is now a Parker product. My suggestion is find a local contractor installing transair or IR simplair, and see if you can buy any excess. Sometimes when I used to bid a big job, we would sell off the extra fittings and tube, at cost or less. Nobody wants to inventory fittings. That's my experience anyways.

Re: compressor lines let see them
 

Ouch !!! Thanks for the input guys, I had no idea !

Re: compressor lines let see them
 

Here is the compressor I just redid. Added an aftercooler before the air enters the tank. To the lower right of it is a filter with clear bowl. This serves as a water trap. I can let this drip and not let the tank bleed down since there is a check valve after this. The cooling is improved by mounting where the motor fan draws air through.

Re: compressor lines let see them
 

Most of the ideas you will hear about are more complex than they need to be.

Not the first time I have posted this on this site:

every body shop I worked at had a large diameter standpipe (like 4") right off the compressor that went to the ceiling. A smaller diameter pipe tee'd off the top and ran downhill at least 20 feet with about a 4" per foot drop (angled downhill), which tee'd into near the bottom of another 4" standpipe. The final airline takeoff was well above that tee.

The reason? Lower velocity in the large diameter standpipes, high velocity in the smaller downhill run. Finally the moisture crashing into the second standpipe (again low velocity so the droplets tend to fall out of the airstream.

This was all done with black steel/iron pipe for cooling. Petcocks at the botton of the standpipes and a simple water trap where you hooked up your air hose.

I always installed a mini trap on my guns... very rarely had a problem.