I am aout to install my new to me compressor and plumb in some iron pipe for delivery in different areas of the shop. I dont have to specs right of the compressor on hand, but will certainly post them later. Anyways, I have an "A" coil from an old residential AC unit I want to send the air through so I can put a dryer on before the pipe I plan on plumbing. The line inside of the "A" coil looks to be a bit small so I am a little apprehensive about how this is going to affect the CFM delivery. I dont want ti to choke my supply down or reduce the amount of PSI I get to the tools. I will find out what the line size is and post that as well. Also, I have a 50 gallon or so tank that came off of an old Craftsman compressor that the pump went out on. I would like to plumb it in to use for additional capacity.

One of the questions I have is if I use the "A" coil should I put the additional reservoir before or after the "A" coil?

 

Brandon and I talked about this yesterday afternoon, so he has my thoughts already. But, I'll post them here for the rest of you. And, I'll revise what I told him as I've thought about it a bit more.

When I planned the air system for my shop I found that the tables and processes used to calculate the size of pipe were very complex. In the end I gave up and over-sized my piping from what it looked like I would need. And, I've been very happy with that decision. So, go big on the piping.

As for the question on the A-coil, how about setting up your piping so that you can try it out and then take it out of the system if it creates too much loss? Use a union before and after and you'll be able to replace it. But, you may well like it, so give it a try.

On the extra tank, if you had it after the A-coil you would buffer the flow through the A-coil since you would be essentially pulling from the 2nd tank when you worked. Let me say that a different way: If your usage is intermittent then the 2nd tank will take the load and the size of the A-coil won't be as much of a hindrance. Granted, if the load is large and consistent then it won't matter, but an intermittent load will be supported better with the 2nd tank after the A-coil.

But, in that configuration the 2nd tank will be where the most condensation happens, so you will need a way to drain it. That's because the cooled air from the A-coil will allow moisture to drop out of suspension on the walls of the 2nd tank. Given that, you need to put a drain that's easy to get to on that tank.

Hope that helps.

 

I am on my phone so hope it works
http://cars.grantskingdom.com/index....mpressor-Drier

First few pictures are base board find tubing I used as a dryer in CT I had to have box fans blowing across it and worked well.

Now in NC I still have that dryer in stalled out of the tank but now I have alum piping made just for air systems in a loop around the top of my garage.
It is the blue piping in pictures. I have 5 drops for air hose hook ups and each of them has a drain leg to trap water.
The home made dryer is mounted to the wall with room for air to movement I can also put the box fans if need be blowing on it.
I have not given it a good work out here in NC but don't see why it won't work.

Oh I can also coil hose in a bucket of ice water then water separatetor filter then use.
Dave - - - -

 

You don't want to use steel pipe because of rust.
Copper is good just $$$
When I get home on my laptop I can link the kits I bought for my garage.
Between compressor, dryer and piping I could have a 5 bay garage going so should work good for just me and my 2 large bay w/work shop garage
Dave - - - -

 

Agreed with Fuzz. Iron will do nothing but rust.

Also a dryer would best be suited at the FURTHEST from the compressor, that way it can dry the compressed air in the lines as well

Look into "rapid air" for lines

 

I used 3/4" copper to plumb my shop.
Lighter weight, no threading yourself into a corner.

Pitched the whole line in addition to drip legs with ball valves at each foot.

Drop ear ells provide a solid mount for the various air chucks around the shop.
Sweat right onto a 3/4-1/2-3/4 street tee.
Pointed up, condensation runs past.

You probably want to plumb the radiator close to the compressor.
Greater temp differential will get the most out of an unrefrigerated coil.

The undersized coil is a restriction, so I would agree with Gary since you can't get the coil between the pump head and primary tank.

What's the pressure rating of the pump?
175 psi?
I'm not sure what an evap coil is rated for but I wonder if it can handle it.

Another thing.
If the coil is aluminum you probably want to install a flexwhip/snubber before it to isolate the coil from vibration.
Aluminum likes to crack.

 

On my shop I went with copper and soldered all of the joints. It is so tight that I essentially have no leaks unless a tool or hose is plugged in. And, the line runs in the wall near the ceiling, with the high point being nearest the compressor. That way any moisture that gets by the dryers will run downhill to the far end and collect in the drop-leg there, which has a drain on it. And, each drop to an outlet goes up 6" before turning down so any water that might be running down the main feed won't come into the drop.

As for drying the air, I went with an automatic drain on the tank that triggers for a couple of seconds every 10 minutes of the power being on to the compressor. Then the line goes into the top of a radiator of copper piping on the wall that is about 30' long, and the compressor's fan pull air across this radiator. Out of the bottom of the radiator there's a drip leg where water that condenses in the radiator drops, and it has a drain valve on it. But the outlet of the main line then goes to an oil filter, coalescing filter, and then a desiccant drier.

And, it works. However, I've had problems with the desiccant drier as the pellets get damp and have to be dried in an oven at 300 degrees for 2 or more hours. And if you don't the moisture causes corrosion in the drier. So, I've spent probably $200 on the drier originally and replacement parts. But, for $400 or so HF sells a refrigerated dryer that gets great reviews. Given that, I'm probably going to convert to that as I, once again, need parts for the drier.

 

Refrigerated dryer is the wtg if you are spraying or blasting.

 

And, I have a lot of blasting ahead of me on Dad's truck. The whole suspension system will come off and be blasted and powder-coated.

 

I do ALOT od spraying and a simple auto tank drain and a desicant dryer is all that is needed.

For blasting, you are only kidding yourself using an electric compressor. My 34cfm electric compressor had all it could do to keep up with a Small eastwood 10cf@90psi. Took ALL WEEKEND to do a small item and took a ton of sand.

Rent a gas/diesel compressor, you will be FAR ahead of the game

 

This, an Eagle MaxAir rated at 30 CFM @ 100 PSI



Runs about 1/3 of the time when running this blast cabinet from Eastwood




EDIT: Brandon, Rogue_Wulff, and several other FTE'ers have used that combo and can attest to the compressor keeping up. I also have Eastwood's Master Blaster and the compressor keeps up with it fine as well:

 

Gary I like your copper dryer would work better if it was fin tube
My Snap On compressor is rated 27CFM @ 175 PSI with 80 gal tank so should also work good for a blast cabinet when I get one.
The fin tube I made for that compressor at my first house to fit in the only place it would fit. When I moved dryer came with me along with the compressor.



Someone said Rapid Air for the plumbing lines thru out the shop that is what I went with in 3/4" it is the blue piping in the pictures.


Now if you could cool the air as it came out of the pump before it goes into a tank that is where you will get the most water out of the air. I could not do this with out a lot of work but my compressor does not run that much either when I use it so the tank is gets most of the water out. I drain it each time I use it. I also drain the fin tube drip legs but have yet to get water to it here in NC.
Also the Rapid Air piping is a heat sink and why the drip legs at each drop.


When I start doing body work and find I get water at the air hose drops before I start painting I will have to make a change so it does not get that far.


I have seen on line guys running pipe down the wall back & forth 10'+ long by maybe 3"+ high using 45* elbows to cool the air. I did not have the room in the CT garage to do this and why I used the fin tube.
Dave ----

 

That's ingenious running baseboard as a line cooler.
I have trashed miles of that stuff over the years.

Many good ideas in this thread..
Thank you all for sharing.

I plumbed a street elbow, nipple and ball valve to the bottom of my vertical tank.
It makes it easy for me to tap the drain open with my foot.

 

Yes, I like that finned tubing, aka baseboard heater, idea. Wish I had known about that when I made the radiator. The extra surface area of those fins would have made a big difference.

 

I havent got the specs yet. However, I am using iron pipe for the plumbing. I have a slew of pipe and fitting I have collected over the years . This is going to be my budget build. Maybe later i will go copper or aluminum. Right now I am leasing from a buddy of mine for my shop. I dont know if I will or wont stay there for awhile. Should I decide to get my own place ,\maybe I will just leave the pipe and take all the valves and such with me. I was curious about using a couple of tees pointed downward and in a low area to use for a drain for the piping?