Just curious. I'm in the northeast and will be building a 10 X 14 lawn shed about 60 feet from the house. I may run electricity out there, and I wondered if made any sense to consider putting a 30-40 gallon oil-lubed compressor there and running an air line underground to my basement workshop?
I know many who have a larger, noisy compressor put it in their garages and run a copper pipe to the shop. But what about an airline underground, and what about having a compressor in an unheated out-building?
The air compressor is in the barn unheated (KS, 0F and lower on occasion) and not been a problem in 40 years or more--never even thought about it before now, in fact. As for running the air line underground, don't see any real problem other than being a water trap. Would you have any way to clear it other than simply letting the line exhaust? Of course a trap before the underground run would help some, but would have inevitable condensation in the line. How big a problem it would be would be related to how long the run is. Obviously you will want to use a line rated for the service whichever way you choose to go.
I have a 60-gal compressor in the corner of the garage with a 3/4" copper line running underground about 30 feet to my shop building. The climate here is very dry, so I only have to drain the tank a couple of times a year. Use the thicker grade of copper for the part of the line that is underground.
If you get very cold weather, it might be difficult to drain the water from the tank in the winter. You could put a "T" at the lowest part of the pipe. One leg of the "T" points down, going to a small copper tube, which bends up to end above ground with a valve there. Open the valve to drain water from the pipe. I used galvanized iron pipe on the line from my shop to the house.
Why not transition to sch 40 PVC pipe for the underground part of the line? Copper or galvanized down to the PVC one-threaded-one-glued ell at the bottom at each end and plastic pipe for the long run. Not an explosion hazard because it's buried. You could even use big stuff; maybe 1.25" PVC pipe so if moisture collects in the pipe and freezes it won't likely block the line. 1/2" copper or 1/2 or 3/4" galvanized for everything exposed, of course.
It's a great idea, except you should plan on keeping a 60W bulb under the tank so you can drain it. Otherwise the water that collects in it will freeze.
PVC is not rated for air and has been know to cause serious accidents when it shatters. It is not allowed by OSHA, it is NOT recommended by the makers of PVC.
I've heard the argument that "we've had it for years" but that does not mean it is a safe idea. Please, don't take my word for it, go a Google search and educate yourself.
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employee in a Texas plant was injured recently by a rupture in a PVC compressed air line. Plastic projectiles from the point of rupture caused lacerations of the employee's hand. This is noteworthy because the Plastic Pipe Institute, in its Recommendation B dated January 19, 1972, recommends against the use of thermoplastic pipe to transport compressed air or other compressed gases in exposed plant piping. (See attachment.)
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problem with PVC piping is that low
temperatures and stress can cause an explosive failure which sends shards or
shrapnel flying. Thermoplastic pipe manufacturers and the Plastic Pipe Institute
recommend against use of PVC pipe in exposed conditions. (Refer to Plastics Pipe
Institute recommendation B revised October 1989)
There are flexible lines that are rated for air use.
I live in a climate that gets very cold in winter. My compressor does nothing except pop the breaker. It just cant start when the oil is like molasses. The few times it did start (warmer days), I had a copper line leading out of the compressor head blow up several times. I suspect there was ice plugging the lines.
Makes more sense to me to do what he suggested, pull an air line through a pipe. If your pipe busts you have to dig to fix it. If his air line busts you just pull it out and pull in a new one.
i have that cheap airline here that dates back to 1984 or 85. never had a problem except at a connector. could probably bury that inside the plastic line.
for easier digging schedule 40 FLEXIBLE is available for snaking around tree riits and such..
Not so dumb, really. The problem here is the 60 feet. You will have frequent pressure drops. That can be an issue depending on what you are doing. A larger diameter pipe will help here, although that would increase the cost. I'm sure there is a recommended operating temperature range in your manual. Sound baffles around noisy equipment helps, enclosures reduce noise but also decrease needed ventilation.
Put a tank in the shop, then run any size hose youlike, since the tank will abosrb the pressure drops.
Water is also not a big freezing probelm, cause there is little moisture in the air in the winter. I suspect those who use their compressor only intermittently[or never drain it] have freezing issues
As another poster has commented, put a medium-sized holding tank in your workshop. This will eventually fill with air up to the operating pressure of your shed-based compressor. For a 60' run, I'd use standard flexible airhose inside of a modest diameter pvc conduit. For very large runs, I'd use extremely inexpensive, high pressure, smaller diameter flexible tubing. It works fine for very long runs.
I'd also suggest installing a T-connector with quick connects at the workshop holding tank. Everybody eventually winds up with more than one compressor. I've got four of them. You will someday own a second, small portable compressor useful for a brad nailer and such.
With the quick connect and the T-fitting, you can tie in that second compressor to speed up the recovery time for your holding tank. I use such an arrangement with a 3-way splitter to combine capacities of 3 of my compressors when I need quick recovery time and/or high airflow capacity. Works fine.
It is a very smart idea. I would do that if I had an outbuilding with acceptable power subpanel.
You get great noise reduction from having a compressor away from home.
The only issue with compressor in an unheated outbuilding is that removing moisture from it can become complicated in winter. There are many obvious ways of dealing with it. Otherwise, there is no problem.
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