[AT] Air lines for shop

Stuart Harner stuart at harnerfarm.net
Mon Sep 13 13:55:26 PDT 2021


I just had to buy a new compressor because my 15 year old tank rusted 
out. I thought I was pretty good about draining it but apparently not 
good enough. Got a whole new compressor for the price of a replacement 
tank. New compressor got an hour meter and an auto drain valve installed 
before it was even set in place. Fingers crossed that I won't ever have 
to buy a new one.

Here is a neat home made idea for a cooler/condenser: 
https://www.fordtruckzone.com/threads/air-compressor-water-trap.668275/

Stuart



On 9/13/21 2:00 PM, Stephen Offiler wrote:
> I get that, and it sounds reasonable, but let me ask the next 
> question:  have you ever seen a tank fail due to rust?
>
> SO
>
> On Mon, Sep 13, 2021 at 2:53 PM Henry Miller <hank at millerfarm.com 
> <mailto:hank at millerfarm.com>> wrote:
>
>     I don't drain my tanks as religiously as I should.  Too often it
>     is turn the compressor on, fill a tire, turn it off, leave it for
>     a month before I have the next tire to fill.  Thus I really want
>     water to not get into my tanks in the first place.  I want it to
>     collect someplace cheap and easy to replace: not the tank.
>
>     -- 
>       Henry Miller
>     hank at millerfarm.com <mailto:hank at millerfarm.com>
>
>     On Mon, Sep 13, 2021, at 13:22, Stephen Offiler wrote:
>     > I am not arguing your point, but just observing that a cooler
>     installed
>     > between the pump and the tank is not something you see every day
>     unless
>     > it's a factory-built unit in the form of a fan-cooled radiator. 
>      These
>     > don't have water drains, either.  Why try to keep water out of
>     the tank?
>     > Reduced tank corrosion comes to mind; anything else?  One
>     problem with this
>     > idea is that the air coming out of the pump is HOT. Whatever
>     cooler you
>     > install has to be rated for high temperature.  I know I ran into
>     this when
>     > I was spec'ing the chiller I recently installed on my 5HP
>     compressor at
>     > work.  The ones I looked at all generally had low input air temp
>     rating;
>     > around 140F was max, and some were 120F.  I vaguely recall one
>     rated for
>     > 250F and the cost on that unit was easily double.  Just curious.
>     >
>     > SO
>     >
>     > On Mon, Sep 13, 2021 at 12:48 PM Henry Miller
>     <hank at millerfarm.com <mailto:hank at millerfarm.com>> wrote:
>     >
>     > > If you are worried about water (and you are right to worry)
>     put your
>     > > compressor as far from where air will be used as possible, and
>     use a big
>     > > pipe close to the compressor.  You want the air to move very
>     slow near the
>     > > compressor so as much water as possible drops out there.  Make
>     sure you
>     > > properly take all the air off the top of your overhead pipe,
>     and slope that
>     > > pipe to a drain.
>     > >
>     > > If possible put a air cooler with a drain between your tank
>     and the pump:
>     > > keep the water out of the tank if possible.
>     > >
>     > > --
>     > >   Henry Miller
>     > > hank at millerfarm.com <mailto:hank at millerfarm.com>
>     > >
>     > > On Mon, Sep 13, 2021, at 10:19, Spencer Yost wrote:
>     > > > One of the reasons I have been thinking copper is because
>     here in the
>     > > > humid south, water in air lines is a problem. You can not
>     paint without
>     > > > a desiccant filter for example. Nothing worse than seeing
>     water droplets
>     > > > coming out with your paint (been there done that).  One
>     benefit I
>     > > > thought copper would have would be  to condense water
>     quickly and
>     > > > earlier in the run; therefore water vapor would be less of
>     an issue at
>     > > > the tool end(assuming I slant the lines to run back towards the
>     > > > compressor) and my tool-end water filters wouldn't fill up
>     so fast.
>     > > >
>     > > > Anyone with experience with copper find this to be true?
>     > > >
>     > > > Also, copper is less than $1 per foot more expensive(3.46/ft
>     vs 2.69/ft)
>     > > > so for a run that will be less than 100' worth of pipe so I
>     decided to
>     > > > not sweat (excuse the pun) the cost factor between black
>     pipe and copper
>     > > > and just go on the merits.
>     > > >
>     > > > While continuing to look around at various options and along
>     the way I
>     > > > saw 1-1/2" black pipe at Lowes with an oddly specific PSI
>     rating:
>     > > > 231PSI    I'm beginning to think Brice might be right and
>     they are using
>     > > > steam rating....
>     > > >
>     > > >
>     > > > Spencer
>     > > >
>     > > >
>     > > >
>     > > > On 9/13/21 9:55 AM, Stephen Offiler wrote:
>     > > > > Brice reminded me of something.  Now, it's been a while
>     since I've put
>     > > > > much thought into Schedule rating of pipe. Reviewing, the
>     basic
>     > > > > definition is:  Schedule = Pressure/Stress.  Example: 
>     Schedule 40
>     > > > > pipe at 1200 psi would have stress of 30 ksi developed in
>     the walls.
>     > > > > That's why wall thickness increases with pipe diameter -
>     larger
>     > > > > diameter means larger internal surface area means higher
>     force for a
>     > > > > given pressure, so wall thickness is increased to fight
>     the higher
>     > > > > forces and keep stress in the wall constant.    I pick the
>     example
>     > > > > above because Schedule 40 Class A pipe has a yield stress
>     rating of 30
>     > > > > ksi.  (There is also a Class B which is somewhat
>     stronger).   At 175
>     > > > > psi  your factor of safety is almost 7, which is quite
>     large.  I'd
>     > > > > sleep well with this number as small as 4 - in other
>     words, 300psi.
>     > > > > Of course there's additional considerations for the
>     fittings and
>     > > > > whatnot, but as long as it's Schedule 40, there's really
>     nothing to
>     > > > > worry about.
>     > > > >
>     > > > > That stuff at Lowe's claiming 150 psi.... I don't believe
>     it.  The
>     > > > > people writing up the specs on their website are probably
>     minimum-wage
>     > > > > drones.  I would get ahold of a chart showing wall
>     thickness vs pipe
>     > > > > diameter and measure the wall thickness right there in the
>     store (yeah
>     > > > > I do tend to travel with a caliper in my bag most of the
>     time).
>     > > > > Dimensions alone would confirm if this "150 psi" stuff is
>     actually
>     > > > > Schedule 40.
>     > > > >
>     > > > >  I know you don't really want to use black iron pipe but I
>     like I said
>     > > > > Brice sort of reminded me of how all this pressure rating
>     stuff
>     > > > > works.  Of all the options, black pipe is certainly the most
>     > > > > old-school, antique-tractor appropriate. I'm not against
>     the modern
>     > > > > materials and I would also seriously consider Pex, but not
>     PVC.  I can
>     > > > > solder copper way faster than I can screw together black
>     pipe but
>     > > > > copper is pretty darn pricey these days. In my own shop,
>     the answer
>     > > > > is:  rubber hose.  I've never graduated past the portable
>     compressor
>     > > > > to something big and stationary that lends itself to permanent
>     > > plumbing.
>     > > > >
>     > > > > SO
>     > > > >
>     > > > >
>     > > > >
>     > > > >
>     > > > >
>     > > > >
>     > > > > On Sat, Sep 11, 2021 at 11:43 AM Brice Adams
>     <brice.adams at gmail.com <mailto:brice.adams at gmail.com>>
>     > > > > wrote:
>     > > > >
>     > > > >     Spencer,
>     > > > >     Something tweaked my memory from plumbing the Huber about
>     > > > >     different pressure ratings for steam, air, and fluids with
>     > > > >     schedule 40 and 80 pipe.  The 150 psi may be the steam
>     rating and
>     > > > >     the air rating is 34 to 6 times higher.
>     > > > >     Brice
>     > > > >
>     > > > >     On Sat, Sep 11, 2021 at 8:21 AM Ken Knierim
>     > > > >     <ken.knierim at gmail.com <mailto:ken.knierim at gmail.com>>
>     wrote:
>     > > > >
>     > > > >         Go copper if you're comfortable with sweating it
>     together. I
>     > > > >         did that after trying PVC for awhile. Got some AZ
>     sun on the
>     > > > >         PVC and it blew out a couple times with sharp
>     little shards
>     > > > >         flying around (doesn't survive impact damage
>     well). I like the
>     > > > >         sound of PEX but again, sunlight is abundant here.
>     > > > >         My $0.02
>     > > > >         Ken in AZ
>     > > > >
>     > > > >         On Fri, Sep 10, 2021 at 6:43 PM Spencer Yost
>     > > > >         <spencer at rdfarms.com <mailto:spencer at rdfarms.com>>
>     wrote:
>     > > > >
>     > > > >             So I’m going to be making three new pipe runs
>     from my air
>     > > > >             compressor. Previously I’ve just relied on
>     hoses since the
>     > > > >             50 foot hose will reach everywhere in my shop.
>     > > > >
>     > > > >             It will consist of one long “trunk” run that
>     will be
>     > > > >             nearly 40 feet, and then a few stub runs of
>     anywhere from
>     > > > >             5’ to 15’
>     > > > >
>     > > > >             I was thinking about black pipe as that’s what
>     I have used
>     > > > >             before. But I had no idea the common,
>     affordable black
>     > > > >             pipe you find in hardware stores is only good
>     to 150 psi.
>     > > > >             My compressor is two stage and is 175 psi:
>     > > > >
>     > > > >             3/4-in x 3-ft 150-PSI Black Iron Pipe
>     > > > >
>     > >
>     https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southland-Pipe-3-4-in-x-3-ft-150-PSI-Black-Iron-Pipe/3371442
>     <https://www.lowes.com/pd/Southland-Pipe-3-4-in-x-3-ft-150-PSI-Black-Iron-Pipe/3371442>
>     > > > >
>     > > > >             I guess I’m thinking about biting the bullet
>     and going
>     > > > >             copper. I’d like to go with some of those
>     really neat new
>     > > > >             aluminum systems but I could never afford that.
>     > > > >
>     > > > >             What are y’all think about copper? I know 3/4”
>     copper is
>     > > > >             good to about 1000 psi.   It eliminates  the
>     rust problem
>     > > > >             that eventually befalls all black steel pipe
>     systems;
>     > > > >             which is kind of a plus.  As far as
>     installation, I solder
>     > > > >             better than I cut threads :-)
>     > > > >
>     > > > >
>     > > > >
>     > > > >             Spencer
>     > > > >
>     > > > >
>     > > > >             Sent from my iPhone
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>     > > > --
>     > > > Spencer Yost
>     > > >
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