I'm getting ready to set up some metal piping in my garage for my new air compressor. I've heard that you must make a series of "Drops" to remove moisture from the lines. I can't find any information regarding this information...how do I setup air lines like this? Does anyone have pics of their setup? I'm going to be painting/priming my car in my garage, so moisture removal from the air is crucial. I need some explanations and diagrams guys!

 

i think you need to slope the line towards the tank and put a filter there and possible where you will connect the paint line to the hard line....if you have verticals, i think you need a catch on the elbow if you dont slope it

b

 

In my old garage I had 50' of PVC (not recommended). I came out of the compressor with a short rubber hose into a pipe that went to the ceiling. Over the 50' the line dropped about 2 feet. I had 1 drop in the middle and one at the other end. Each drop had a Tee with about a foot of pipe below the female air chuck. At the bottom of the extra pipe I had a valve to drain the line. Worked well for me. I usually had some water in the center drop, but very little in the far end one.

 

That's the best way

You can add as many drops as you want, but the one you will use for your paint gun should have a good filter/separator on it to plug into.

Adding another big tank helps if possible.

Using a refrigerated dryer such as this one
http://cgi.ebay.com/SPEEDAIRE-BY-DAY...QQcmdZViewItem
is the best way and garantees you have absolutely no moisture.

I got one there for 120 bucks and works great. They are big bucks new.

BTW Not many people like it, but my present system is sch 40 pvc and has been is use daily at 115 psi for over 10 years without 1 problem or leak. I have 8 drops and runs of over 100 ft.

 

Here is a schematic from TP tools that will give you a idea of what you need to do. My setup is basically like this except I put a tee right at the end of the flex line coming out of the compressor since this is where you will get most of your moisture. I have a two foot pipe dropping down from the tee with a drain valve on the bottom end just like they show to the left of the impact wrench. They also correctly show the regulator and filter away from the compressor. The reason for this is that as long as the air is warm or hot as it would be when the compressor is running, it will go right through the filter and not get trapped. I do not agree with their setup of the rgulator being before the filter. Why would you want to run moist air thru your regulator?

My setup is made out of PVC pipe, 25 years old and runs 3/4 of the way around a 24' X 24' garage before I filter and regulate. I might add that on the first 24 foot run that I have two pipes running side by side to slow down the air speed to allow additional condensation. I understand that a steel pipe setup would be better but I have not had the first drop of moisture even get to my filter. I do have 4 moisture drops before the filter. As stated in the schematic, always have a slight slope in the main feed line sloping toward a drain drop and always pipe your air drops off the top of the main feed. It doesn't do any good to condense moisture in a line if you do not get rid of it. My setup is in Melbourne Fla. which is half way down the east coast of Florida and humid as hell. I should add that my compressor is a 80 gallon tank. The larger the tank, the less moisture that gets out into the pipes since the large volumn tends to cool the air from each compressor "on" cycle more than a smaller tank would.

I see that while I was typing this that markdtn and noonie described some of the same things I mentioned.

Hope my comments provide some help. Do not claim to have all the answers but my system does work very well so I must be doing something right.

http://www.tptools.com/statictext/piping_diagram.pdf

 

I think Grainger sells all the stuff to do this. I've heard metal lines are bad, something about static.

 

Best answer yet. I use black pipe myself.

 

TP Tools recommends 75+ feet of pipe. I don't have that kind of room for pipe in my garage! I probably have enough for 30-40 feet...any thoughts?

 

Most important thing is to put your moisture seperator far enough away from the compressor so that the air has cooled and let the moisture condense into liquid.
Whether you run a long distance through piping or use a condenser (which could easily be a 25' or preferably longer coil of hose laying on the floor under the bench), the important thing to remember is that the air immediately out of the compressor is hot and contains moisture. As it moves through the lines, it cools and the moisture condenses to liquid. Drip legs with seperators as far from the compressor and as close as possible your "point of utilization" (your spray gun) will work best. Try to avoid 'traps' or low spots in your piping before the seperator, because moisture will collect there and be re-introduced into the air stream.
Take a look here, do some searching, you'll find good info...

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/garage-tools/

John

edit:
(hahaha, every time I go to Hotrodders.com, I spend a long time there--and of course, by the time I got back here, you have several very good replies already! See ya, I'm going back there for a while.)

 

http://www.garage-pak.com/compressed...g-package.html

This site has some good ideas.

 

This site as well
I used copper pipe for my system (sch L). Not as cheap as PVC, way easier to install than iron/black/galv pipe, and I won't have to worry about ripping it out should it fail a home inspection if I sell the house.

 

TP Tools' website has a good diagram.

 

It's the opposite.
Metal lines are good:

1) They conduct, and do not allow a static charge to build up.
PVC will allow static to build up.

This is more of an issue when you are using PCV in a dust collection system found in a wordworking shop.
Woodworking dust can be ignitable.

2) I have heard that the oil in some compressors can degrade the PVC pipe.
Everything's fine until the day you drop a tool on the pipe, or bump it with a ladder -
then BOOM. Plastic shrapnel.

Type L copper tubing is recommended.

Check This Article

 

Great forum...you beat me to it