2Loose
reliable source of info
Just read through Indycars 5 page thread that ran last year on compressor installation and piping, very interesting info and comments....
I have an older 220 v commercial air compressor, a V style two stage, that has given me superior performance, and keep intending to upgrade my distribution system. I have a 20 x 40 open shop, high pitched v open beam ceiling, and as 99% of my work is done near that compressor, I have always just used a hose directly off the tank. When I need dry air, I have a large container of silica gel pellets that does an excellent job of drying any moisture coming out of the tank. With extra bags of dry gel available, and with the ability to dry the gel overnite in the oven when it gets to the right point, it seems to fill the bill pretty well for what I am doing. For my air tools, I run air tool oil through them at the end of every day they get used, and I use them a lot. I really only need the gel with tig welding and painting, and I don't do that much painting.
I have a bunch of brass 3/4" pipe I salvaged on a teardown job a few years ago, and was thinking of just putting about 20 each 10' legs zig zagging across my ceiling, which has about a 45 deg pitch, with the air traveling cross ways from top to bottom, releasing moisture as it cooled, and with a air/water separator at the bottom. Then lay some more pipe with outlets at several key locations in the shop and outside.
After that I'd still use the gel when tig welding and painting, but I suspect that by that time the moisture would be pretty much gone, lightening up the load on the gel container.
Any comments on how well this might work?
One other thing, several of my friends have used pvc for their air distribution systems, and I know this is considered a "no-no", due to the explosive nature of plastic pipe and compressed air in a pipe rupture situation, and also the vulnerability of plastic pipe to fire. My buddies point to the pressure rating of schedule 80 1/2" pipe at 850 psi, with an ID of 0.526", and say that by keeping the tank outlet valve shut off at all times when not using, the fire problem is negligible to nothing. And none of them have ever ruptured or caused a problem in any way, so my arguments to them have fallen on deaf ears. When I managed a large shop in the mid 80's, we only used black iron for our air systems, and had to have OSHA approval ( or the Hawaii equivalent called HIOSH) when installing or modifying.
Any other points I can make as to why they should not use pvc for compressed air systems?
Aloha,
Willy
I have an older 220 v commercial air compressor, a V style two stage, that has given me superior performance, and keep intending to upgrade my distribution system. I have a 20 x 40 open shop, high pitched v open beam ceiling, and as 99% of my work is done near that compressor, I have always just used a hose directly off the tank. When I need dry air, I have a large container of silica gel pellets that does an excellent job of drying any moisture coming out of the tank. With extra bags of dry gel available, and with the ability to dry the gel overnite in the oven when it gets to the right point, it seems to fill the bill pretty well for what I am doing. For my air tools, I run air tool oil through them at the end of every day they get used, and I use them a lot. I really only need the gel with tig welding and painting, and I don't do that much painting.
I have a bunch of brass 3/4" pipe I salvaged on a teardown job a few years ago, and was thinking of just putting about 20 each 10' legs zig zagging across my ceiling, which has about a 45 deg pitch, with the air traveling cross ways from top to bottom, releasing moisture as it cooled, and with a air/water separator at the bottom. Then lay some more pipe with outlets at several key locations in the shop and outside.
After that I'd still use the gel when tig welding and painting, but I suspect that by that time the moisture would be pretty much gone, lightening up the load on the gel container.
Any comments on how well this might work?
One other thing, several of my friends have used pvc for their air distribution systems, and I know this is considered a "no-no", due to the explosive nature of plastic pipe and compressed air in a pipe rupture situation, and also the vulnerability of plastic pipe to fire. My buddies point to the pressure rating of schedule 80 1/2" pipe at 850 psi, with an ID of 0.526", and say that by keeping the tank outlet valve shut off at all times when not using, the fire problem is negligible to nothing. And none of them have ever ruptured or caused a problem in any way, so my arguments to them have fallen on deaf ears. When I managed a large shop in the mid 80's, we only used black iron for our air systems, and had to have OSHA approval ( or the Hawaii equivalent called HIOSH) when installing or modifying.
Any other points I can make as to why they should not use pvc for compressed air systems?
Aloha,
Willy