Air Compressor help - water/moisture

Hi. I installed a new two stage air compressor a few weeks ago. It is a Craftsman Professional 60 Gallon, 3.1HP, vertical tank, 220V. When I use a high demand tool such as a cut-off wheel or die grinder I am getting water/moisture coming out of the tools and airlines. I have a small Campbell-Hausfeld water trap on it which has moisture in it. I have the water trap hooked directly to the output of the tank, which is on the side of the tank about 3/4 of the way up. Then I have my air hose coming directly out of the water trap. I have drained the tank, but not much comes out as far as water. I am guessing I need a better water trap, but what else might be wrong???


Thanks,
Scott

 

You need to have your water trap closer to the end of the hose. Water traps work better when they are further away from the compressor.
Tom

 

Ditto on toms comment. I've got mine plummed a couple feet from the tank with pipe gives the air a chance to cool in the pipes before entering the filter.

How long are your hoses? Is it a heated garage? The warm air from the tank produces condensation pretty quickly in the hoses if the air temperature is cool. Try a length of pipe before the filter. I also use an inline filter on the end of my hose if I am painting anything.

 

yep! have at least 10 feet away from the tank.

 

Thanks for the quick reply Terrible Tom.

Hmmmm.....Ok. I have a small garage so I only have the one 30" hose which reaches everywhere I need to go. I have tried the small filters you put in-line on the tool, but they don't last long.

So would I be better off running some hard lines to different spots in my garage with filters at the end of the hard lines? Then use a shorter hose? I'd rather not have to spend the time and money doing the hard lines.

 

It also helps to have a good size run of black pipe after the compressor, the air will cool
and the water will condense out. Add a drop with a drain (electrical timed auto drains
are good) before your water trap and you should see an improvement. I get very little water in the tank or the trap on the compressor; but lots of water in the final trap.

 

Ok....so many quick responses....I love the info one can quickly get on the HAMB!

I will try plumbing the filter farther away from the tank and ad the trap. Makes sense.

 

I would also recommend some hard pipe that is sloped towards a filter/drier/trap and always try to tap off the top side of the hard pipe.

 

What kind of hard pipe should I use? Sears sells those quick install kits with the flexible lines, has anyone every used them? Here's a link.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...o=2&blockType=G2&prdNo=2&i_cntr=1317656370843

 

I have this on my Compressor.

Compressed-Air-Activated Moisture Drain Valve

Never have to manually drain my compressor. also use a in line water separator.



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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Piston-powered valve automatically drains moisture each time your compressor cycles. It is activated by compressed air via a 1/8" NPT female pilot port (no electricity required).
Connect to your aftercooler, moisture separator, compressed air tank, dryer, or filter. Body has a rugged cast aluminum construction. Max. temperature is 150° F. Max. pressure is 200 psi. Inlet and outlet connections are NPT female.

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Cap., gpm
</TD><TD class="ItmTblBaseHdrBorderCell ItmTblColBaseHdrSpecInterior NoWrapCell">Pipe
Size
</TD><TD class="ItmTblBaseHdrBorderCell ItmTblColBaseHdrRelSpec NoWrapCell">Ht.</TD><TD class="ItmTblBaseHdrBorderCell ItmTblColBaseHdrRelSpec NoWrapCell">Wd.</TD><TD class="ItmTblBaseHdrBorderCell ItmTblColBaseHdrSpecEnd NoWrapCell">Dp.</TD><TD class="ItmTblBaseHdrBorderCell ItmTblColBaseHdr NoWrapCell"></TD><TD class="ItmTblBaseHdrBorderCell ItmTblColBaseHdrEndPrice NoWrapCell">Each</TD></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR id=RenderableRow_634532359621013258CADO><TD class="ItmTblCellIndentPivotNone ItmTblCellSpec ItmTblColSpaceSpec ItmTblContentCell ItmTblDigitAlign0 NoWrapCell" data-mcm-prodgrps="1">0.25</TD><TD class="ItmTblCellSpec ItmTblColSpaceSpec ItmTblContentCell ItmTblDigitAlignX0 NoWrapCell" data-mcm-prodgrps="1">1/4"</TD><TD class="ItmTblCellSpec ItmTblColSpaceRelSpec ItmTblContentCell ItmTblDigitAlign0 NoWrapCell" data-mcm-prodgrps="1">3 3/4"</TD><TD class="ItmTblCellSpec ItmTblColSpaceRelSpec ItmTblContentCell ItmTblDigitAlign0 NoWrapCell" data-mcm-prodgrps="1">2 1/8"</TD><TD class="ItmTblCellSpec ItmTblColSpaceRelSpecEndBefrPartNbr ItmTblContentCell ItmTblDigitAlign0 NoWrapCell" data-mcm-prodgrps="1">2 1/8"</TD><TD class="ItmTblCellPartNbr ItmTblColSpacePartNbr ItmTblContentCell NoWrapCell" data-mcm-prodgrps="1">4919K13</TD><TD class="ItmTblCellPrce ItmTblColSpacePrceAftrPartNbr ItmTblColSpacePrceTblEnd ItmTblContentCell NoWrapCell" data-mcm-prodgrps="1">$50.81</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


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As was stated above, you need to run some hardline, such as black pipe to let the water condense. Check out the diagram at the link below

http://www.tptools.com/StaticText/airline-piping-diagram.pdf

 

i like that link

 

good thread I'll be installing a compressor soon in my shop. thanks

 

I have used a similar kit from summit [cheaper I think] and extra fittings are availible also..McMaster carr has the fittings/tubing too....Works ok...

 

At the end of your run of pipe, install a down pipe toward the floor with a drain valve. This will catch what water is not caught via other means.

.

 

I use two traps about a foot apart and about five feet from the compressor.....Pretty good sized Devilbess (sp?)

 

Here is what I have for a moisture trap. Takes very little room and works great. Its made out of 1" blackpipe.

 

I saw a tech school teacher with this very same setup in a beer fridge in his garage. Sort of a poor mans refrigerated air dryer.

 

I used to live in a more humid climate where moisture was a problem...I had an A/C condensor off a Cadillac that I parted out and was going to use it as a air cooler in my compressed air system. Moved and never got around to using it but it may work for you and it would cost less and take up a lot less space than the black pipe solution.

 

damn 47chevycoupe,you trappin water or makin whiskey lolol!!!!

 

I have 50 feet of 1/2" copper pipe then a high quality trap.

 

I got a bunch of stuff from these guys, plumbed my 30'x50' shop with 5 different outlets, individual traps, toilet paper roll filters, etc. Used black iron pipe on all my runs. I've done this in every one of my shops; tools last longer, paint jobs come out great.

 

timely thread. I am moving at the end of the month and will need to plumb my shop. subscribed.

 

dont mean to hijack thread but what kind of water trap/seperator do you recomend on the cheap. The one I have hums like crazy when running my tools

 

Little bit of both

 

Google "Franzinator seperator".
It's easy to make and works really well.

 

60 feet of 3/4 copper pipe with a water trap at 30 feet and another at 60 feet where the out put hose attaches. Pipe can zig zag all on one wall if need be. I made it all slope down hill to the water traps. The copper gives it time to condense the water out of the air after being compressed. Works very good.

 

I agree... that's how mines installed , a slope of 1" per 15 foot of run