[AT] Air lines for shop

[John Hall]

I haven't followed this thread closely but I will add how our tank 
configuration is setup at the machine shop I work at. Rotary compressor 
goes into big tank, at least 120 gal. It has an automatic drain on that 
tank. From that tank it goes into a smaller backup compressor that we 
use the tank for a reservoir. Water ALWAYS condensates in it. From that 
tank it goes into the shop where it goes to an air dryer to get 
remaining water. We never get water anywhere else downline unless there 
is a failure somewhere. We do have some down spouts left over from the 
old days before we had a dryer, never seem to get 2 drops out of them 
now, doubt we open them over twice a year.

All that said, its an expensive setup, the new automatic drain I put on 
last year was over $600. We are on our third air dryer in 20 years. The 
primary/initial air tank rusted and gunked up inside so the boss said 
replace it after 20 years--but it never rusted through. You CAN buy 
tanks that are coated on the inside but you are really gonna pay for them.

By the way, once we get inside the building and vibration is not an 
issue, we run extremely heavy wall PVC pipe, some of it has been in 
place since 1995. There have been some blowouts over the years. Easy to 
fix and tap into to add new lines. Not sure thats the route we would go 
if we had to put it in new today.

As for the farm shop, I'm doing good if I can remember to drain the tank 
once a year. The pipe is black iron, 40 years old.

John Hall