Technical Air Compressor Water Problems

I plan on making up a coil drip system this week and will post pictures of my set up. The advise has been good and I think I will be in good shape after doing this Thanks!!

 

I understand that this method is efficient to cool & condense vapor in the air exiting the compressor head to dry the air. The air entering the tank would stall and any water droplets would fall out of the air so the water is out of the air in the tank. The condensate has to go somewhere so is it being collected in the air tank? The air in the tank would send almost no water down stream if the air temperature is warmer than the cooling coil. Blowing the condensate out of the tank at intervals protects the tank and keeps the water to a minimum. It is a simple arrangement. A long way of asking if the tank is used as the primary water trap? Thanks.

 

All I know is, As fast as the moisture is "made", It's removed at the other end of the copper line, weather hooked up to a tank, or your blowing up balloons, it took me a long time to believe it worked myself, I as mentioned drove out to buddy's shop that kept telling me it's this simple... I like everyone else bought all the trap's, separators etc. Incline/valve.. to which none of it ever really worked to my liking, At that time I took the drive out to see this mystery kooler... Cheer's

 

Jim, I did not read all the suggestions at all yet..hey if I can remember, I will take pics of my Big Truck Air-Brake dryer, that I manually trip with a air-toggle switch! These are Borg Warner devices, filled with tan colored beads that attach and condense, then each time the truck air compressor cycles, the valve at the bottom will trip, then "spits" the water out . You hear that on trucks often, a random spit.

the wire on the bottom is just for a heater in cold climates, to keep the valve from icing, which makes the compressor refuse to build full, or usually very little air pressure on a truck!....not needed in a shop.

so as our compressors are far away from where we get the air, I just trip it manually. You can buy new dessicany beads, or they were available, in the past, rather that buy the cartridge.

 

Works just like a still, same principal anyways.
You need a place for the moisture to go when it drops out of the air and get it out

 

I've seen guys that have taken a used small dorm room type refrigerator and drill a hole on each side toward the middle, run soft copper line through it, coil it up in the center of the frige and back out the other side. I guess it works good and could be a cheap air dryer. I have seen used dorm frige sell for between $20-$40.

 

Using the refrigerator is a good idea but you will need a way to drain the water fro, the coil.

 

I drain my tank at least once a month and I have a drier hooked up to keep moisture in check. HRP

 

If you haven't already done so, just try shutting the compressor off and draining the tank every day when you are done for the day for a week and see how it works out.
It takes a few minutes for it to fill the tank in the morning but that may solve the issue or cut it down so you can control it easier.

 

When I drain mine, it knocks like hell till the pressure comes up. With pressure it's smooth and quiet as can be. Building up from zero it's down right scary

 

I know summer Florida means your airline turns into a fire hose without a ton of water traps.

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It is an effective arrangement. Thanks.

 

Appreciate you guys posting up info on this.

Have my shop compressor sitting on 44 foot wall, I should be able to do a 35 foot run down and back. Angled down both ways, add a trap, before it goes to the compressor. Would that be a long enough run to cool the air between the compressor and tank?

I dont have water service at the shop so a cooling tank wont work, I only run the heat while im working.


Separate topic, I needed an air filter for my compressor at my home garage, 50 gallon craftsman deal. I actually ordered a motorcycle carb conical filter with the same size inlet. Hose clamp and a compressor housing modification and I have about 5 times the filtering surface, With a cloth cover that can be cleaned easily.

 

I have been using an automatic drain that I bought at Harbor Freight several years ago. It drains the compressor each time it shuts off. Cheap.

 

For 10 years since I’ve bought my compressor I’ve left the drain ever so slightly open.
I only turn the compressor on when I need it.
When on, you hear a slight hiss at the tank. I’ve never had Water issues.

 

Quite a few used membrane type air dryers on Ebay for not-to-much money. Would something like this work for someone who runs air tools but does no painting?


https://www.ebay.com/itm/SMC-IDG5H-...732259&hash=item5b3c4541ec:g:km8AAOSw6KVZf5ha

 

Gary,
Do you have a manufacturer or part number for your unit? The only ones I found that work as you describe are for HUGE compressors along with a HUGE price. I like the idea of drain on start up better than a timer.

Has anyone thought about running the air through an automotive AC evaporator submersed in a water tank? Seems like you could get several of those for the cost of large diameter copper tubing.

 

Here are some pictures of my automatic drain valve. It is electric and drains every time the compressor starts. It makes quite a bit of noise when it drains so I put a crude muffler on it. I recommend this system and hope the pictures help. Gary

 

I am gonna look into one of those ^^^^^^^ Good idier. Heres pics of my contraption. Only had a nut lose leak. Better grade copper.The tubing was warm after testing leaving me to believe that thats my problem. Hopefully the trap helps me out.

 

I like this idea, A134 runs at way higher system pressure than a normal shop air system. I think you mean using the condensing coil from the front of the system, not the evaporator coil, but if you had parts to pipe 3-4 condensing coils in series, properly oriented to allow drainage, with a box fan on a thermostat, and that fancy drain valve tied to the run circuit on the compressor you could really dry a lot of air for very little money. New copper is way more money than junk car parts, usually.

 

You can pic one of these up for around $60 bucks. Nice sizes available and 20x20 is perfect to Stick a box fan on it or mount it so the compressor fans hit it. The better the fan connection the better the cooling. Watch the pressure rating because they range from 150
Psi up to 350 psi.

 

I have the same compressor. Just have to drain tank on hot humid days. Drain is a little tuff to reach. Normally the separator takes care of the water. If your not getting H2O in the separator then there’s something wrong with the separator.


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I just now spotted this.
This is a perfect example of a well planned, well executed home made water trap.
The air with the cooled water vapor dropping out is flowing downward, then the moisture droplets cannot make the sharp 90° bend as easily as the air can, so the bottle-catcher is the only place the water can go - straight down.
That TEE CONNECTION makes the
best design for forcing the water out of the air stream in the sharp bend.
If you want to copy a system like this, pay close attention to how the TEE and the pathway is arranged.
This is the best layout for making your own water trap.

WHY BE ORDINARY ?

 

Maybe just a rebuild on the compressor head will fix it. Better than buying a whole new unit.
Andrew

 

I worked in a production plant with some rather large air compressors as in 175 MCFH ( 1750 HP ) and each had 8 ends of compression . If you change direction of compressed air flow a few times the water condensed that’s created from heat of compression then cooling in pressure drop will drop out to lowest point drains (as in 175 psi tank pressure 100 psi at your air tool or less for painting ) . We had 2 types of driers , one full of SilaGel and the second was a refrigeration unit . Mind you these were huge ( the size of a house ) because of the volumes of air we were using . The Silca Gel required regeneration every 24 HRs by hearing it to 400 degrees . You would be amazed at the amount of water that was contained in the drying tower . I’m talking an 1 1/2 drain running full flow for 12 hours amount of water . The more humid the air the more condensate you will collect in your air lines , drains need to be at every low point and blown out a couple times a day .


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I've got an automatic drain as well, it can be adjusted to drain at various times and durations. It works well and saves having to get under the tank and drain it. Check ebay for kits, they are reasonable and easy to install.

 

This is mine, first unit is empty to catch any water second is full of dessicant beads. Small, old Sears unit is just a visual
that all is well. I drain everything after each use. The dessicant can be dried in an oven it it gets too wet. View attachment 3773484 View attachment 3773484

 

I tested for leaks and have been at work ever since so I,ll see if it worked Sunday. The tubes were warm and I bet there is water in there now

 

I made sure the tee was positioned like that so the water would flow down the straight side.I put the blue unit on too as a 2nd catch thingy. The 1/2" after the large steel tubes runs back towards it from the compressor at an angle .Doesnt look like it in the picture but there is a slope

 

Fan Attic,
I meant evaporator but the condenser could work as well. A racer friend of mine used 3 GM evaporators plumbed in parallel as the radiator on an oval track car. I have them now and could make more.

I did a water to water cooler for an engine dyno several years ago. Just put a radiator in a tank of water. When the engine got hot enough cold water was added to the tank. The tank had a drain line and when the water level got that high it would just spill out into the floor drain. This kept the engine temp much more stable than trying to use a conventional radiator and blowing air across it. Also, that kept the air temp in the cell in check. Burn air was ducted from outside the cell.
This was was a combination of things recommended to me by my buddy Steve Christophersen and Jere Stahl.