Proper way to plumb an air compressor outside?

Adamjr · #1 (**permalink**) 11-03-2009, 07:29 PM

Hi All,

I have a basic air compressor that does what I need it to do. It is just a little 23 gallon Coleman I got from Menards around 5 years or so ago. I use it to run my impact to get lug nuts off as well as to use an air ratchet to save the wrists and knuckles and to inflate tires. It does what I need it to do with one exception. I don't want to have to drag the hose upstairs when I need to use it and run it out the door. I really love my wife but I fear I'll forget to tell her and she'll trip down the stairs over it.

I went to home depot to look at pipe to run a nipple and quick release through the wall so I can just get a hose reel with a whip that I can just mount quick release style to the side of the house. My thoughts were along the lines of plumbing water lines and I was thinking that since the output of the compressor is 1/4" that I should be plumbing 1/4" all the way to the nipple. All Home Depot had was 1/2" black pipe. Should I just be using half inch with reducers at the ends to attach the quick connects?

Thanks in advance.

Adam

Ford_Six · #2 (**permalink**) 11-03-2009, 10:15 PM

Yes, use the 1/2", or 3/8" galvanized. Make sure to put a drip leg on the inside, otherwise the moisture will either collect in the line and get blown out as you use it, or it will run back into the compressor, and potentially cause problems with the regulator and rust in the tank.

Adamjr · #3 (**permalink**) 11-03-2009, 11:28 PM

Thanks for the reply. Is galvanized better to use then black pipe?

As far as the drip leg you just put a short nipple at the south end of a tee and attach a valve to it, right? Just as long as it is below the level of the pipe?

Thanks again.

dstig1 · #4 (**permalink**) 11-04-2009, 12:08 AM

You got it. It helps to pitch the pipe to the drain leg so that moisture drains back to there. Another key point here is that if this is going outside, the moisture could freeze in the winter. You want to make sure to avoid that or your outdoor fitting would become pretty useless in the winter. You can buy a moisture separator/filter that helps take the moisture out too. They are cheap and easy to find at decent hardware/tool stores.

Galv won't rust as quickly, but either will work OK. Copper works too, if you want to solder and can deal with the extra cost. Just don't try to use PVC or other plastic pipes, as they are a huge safety issue with compressed air.

Adamjr · #5 (**permalink**) 11-04-2009, 08:43 AM

Dstig,

I figured as much about the PVC but I thought the same about copper too. I am surprised copper will stand up to sustained 120 psi.

The leg outside will be limited to the length of the nipple and quick disconnect.

Thanks for the info.

dstig1 · #6 (**permalink**) 11-04-2009, 07:58 PM

They use type L copper to plumb all the air lines at work (Fortune 500 industrial R&D complex). If it's good enough for the union fitters at work, it's good enough for residential.

Adamjr · #7 (**permalink**) 11-04-2009, 10:18 PM

Definitely good enough for me. Thanks again and again.

karljay · #8 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 11:51 PM

So if you use the copper do you solder it the same as a water line? Except that you don't care about lead content.

Is one type of solder stronger than another, I've heard silver based is stronger.

By the way, you could run a copper coil inline in order to cool off the air before it goes to the water drop.

fixnair · #9 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 12:34 AM

Silver solder is much stronger than lead solder.

dstig1 · #10 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 08:28 PM

Yeah but lead is sufficient unless you are running some super high pressure. It is hard to find these days as you are not allowed to use it in potable water lines in many places, so to avoid the potential for using lead solder in potable pipes, it is often just not stocked most places that the common man has access to. The regular Antimony based solder that is for water pipes works fine, but it is much higher melting than lead solder so it take more heat/bigger torch/more time to get it flowing.