On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 01:34:56 GMT, "Mike Marlow" calmly ranted:
You could always leave the water draincock a tee tiny bit open so water self-drains as it builds up IF you don't have an auto-draincock.
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RE: Subject
Lots of storage capacity can solve a lot of problems, especially if you have a small compressor.
A 60-80 gal ASME code vessel is a great friend of an air compressor.
Lew
I have a 60 gal Ingersol Rand
Rich
The big problem with the design of small air compressors systems is that they don't have a way to properly cool the compressed air that is exhausting from the compressor so that the moisture will condense out of it. If it was allowed to cool before you tried to use it the moisture would condense out and the air would be dry. The water could then be separated and you would have the dry air that you want. Unfortunately the air compressor manufacturers have never addressed this problem in their designs. They must all live in Arizona or some other desert climate. This is a problem for the rest of us who must live and spray paint in the more humid parts of the world.
As a compressor runs and raises the pressure of the air, it also increases the temperature of it. The moisture that is in this air will only remain a vapor if the air remains at this high temperature. As it cools in the tank and your air lines this moisture condenses out of it and becomes a problem. Also, since warm air rises above cooler air, this warm humid air stratifies and floats above the cooler air in the tank. In most cases the compressor design puts the air outlet from the tank right next to the air inlet from the compressor so any air that you draw out of the tank is still hot (and full of moisture) when it leaves the tank, but cools as it flows through your lines. As it cools the water condenses out of it causing the problem that you are experiencing. It would be more desirable if the air outlet from the tank could be located toward (but not at) the bottom of the tank. This would give the hot air that is entering the tank time to give up it's heat through the tank walls and the moisture time to condense out of it and fall to the bottom of the tank before it reached the outlet point and your air lines.
If the design of your air compressor had included a means of cooling the compressed air before it reached the tank, then all of the moisture vapor would be condensed out of it and would fall to the bottom of the tank where it could accumulate to be drained at your convenience. Then all of the air in the tank would be cool and would have given up it's moisture long before it left the tank and entered your air lines no matter where the tank exit was located.
I modified my air compressor several years ago to correct this and have had no water problems since. I had to do this because I now live in North Carolina where the humidity is frequently so high that we get thunder showers almost every day in the summer months. I couldn't use my air compressor to do much of anything but use it as a great water pistol. I can now do sand blasting and painting and I never have any water problems any more.
Here is the fix:
I connected an old air conditioning condenser coil that I got out of an old import car (don't remember the make or model) in the hot air line that ran between the compressor outlet and the tank. The trick is to find a coil that is about the right size with flare fitting connections and an adequate tubing size to handle the air flow out of your compressor (mine was 3/8). Since the running pressure of this part of automotive air conditioners is typically in the 3-400 pound range these coils are more than strong enough to handle the working pressures of home air compressors, so safety shouldn't be a concern. I mounted this coil so that the fan in the compressor pulley pulls air through it, cooling down the hot air that is coming out of the compressor before it reaches the tank. You should connect the compressor outlet to the top connection of the coil and the tank inlet to the bottom connection. Once the air has been cooled, the moisture condenses out of it and it falls to the bottom of the air tank. The entire tank will now stay at ambient temperature and it won't matter where the outlet connection is located, so long as it is above where the condensate collects. You will still need to drain the tank frequently, in fact, a little more frequently than you used to. The dry air in the tank will never again have enough moisture in it to condense in your air lines.
I still use one of those "orange ball" filters at my spray gun, but I do it more as a safeguard for dirt and debris since it never sees water any more.
You have enough compressor there Rich, so gaining a little span between the comp and your discharge line (with proper trap/drain) and using the orange filters, you should be all set. I'm in Central NY and we suffer with pretty high humidity levels here and like I said, I don't have any water problems anymore (besides what builds up in my tank).
I think that I am just going to break down and buy some steel pipe. I will run a line straight up to the ceiling then over to the middle of the shop drop it down to the hose reel. But I will attach the water trap to the hose reel. I will also put in drain tubes at the up and down sections with a drain c*ck. I did find a place local to me to buy the orange bulbs, I called to find out about them and the guy told me that the bulbs contain activated charcoal. They only cost 7 bucks ea..Very small price to pay for no water.I think that after all this I should have a mist free finishing booth.
Thanks for all your suggestions, I am glad this group exists for without it I would simply drive my wife crazy!
FWIW, was at sears today and just for hohos looked to see if they have the orange balls--turns out they don't, but they have a black ball that looks like the same molding and is sold for the same purpose, for 7 bucks. Wouldn't guarantee that it's the same part but looks very likely.
Likely, it is the same thing - or at least functionally the same. I've used red, blue and black in the past but over the past couple or few years it seems the orange ones are the only ones I see, so that's what I use. Not sure if the different colors are different manufacturers or what the deal is.
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