Air Compressor Question

[eckertc1]

Hey all,

my old air compressor finally took a nose dive on me this weekend and i took the opportunity to run out and grab a new one instead of repairing my old one AGAIN.

anyway, after getting this new compressor home with the help of a few friends, i got the wiring all done and just plumed it into my garage the same way the old one was but i noticed a few differences right off the bat.

Pros.....

1.) this compressor is a WHOLE lot quicker to recover.
2.) this compressor compressor never drops below 100psi even with the DA going full out.

Cons.....

1.) this compressor runs alot hotter then the previous one
2.) this compressor puts out ALOT of moisture to the lines.

so my questions are these.......

1.) is it suggested to run a fan on the compressor of some sort to try to keep it cool during heavy usage?
2.) would it be beneficial to incorporate my old compressor tank (60gal) into the shop lines somewhere for the extra storage?
3.) i do have a water trap (not a dryer) in the line, what is the best way to plumb an air compressor to reduce moisture?

any suggestions would be great. who knows, maybe this thread could be the start of a new section like "Tools of the Trade". what do you think mods?? ;D

[hotrodder]

I can only state what I know, not what I've done, so here's my .02 cents.....
Adding a second tank is nice for storage.... But if it's just you using the line, then I don't really see the need because when it comes time to pump both of them up, the main compressor has to run that much longer to pump both tanks back up.....
Running a fan on it, though I've never seen it done, I don't see where it would hurt, yet don't see where it would really help.... Might just be me though.....
I'm assuming by water tap you mean an air/water seperator that has a small pet cock on the mottom of it to empty it? If so, I'd run it a little closer to the tank to keep as much of the line as dry as possible running that type of set up....

Also, every compressor that I've seen, shop wise, has been installed outside of the building. My dad's shop has two compressors at the backside of the building outside sitting just off the ground..... I just bought a small roll around type compressor, it's nice, but has it's limits, that's for sure... But for what I paid, and such, can't beat it. Maybe this will spring a few more thoughts, lets see what we see....

[brock]

From what I've seen & read airlines should slope slightly down as
they route away from the compressor. Each tap should have its
own trap with a drain valve (both lower than the actual coupler).
Having a water separator near the compressor is good. I'd want
another right at the tap I'm plugged into for painting. This is
because more moisture will get into the system along the way.
I've seen the compressor location both inside & outside - depends
on how much floor space you have or if the neighborhood is not
the best. I'm not up on additional cooling or air inlet dryers. As
for additional storage: Why not valve it as an option that is only
"in" when you just can't take breaks to let the system catch up?
The added volume will only prolong the breaks you take to let the
system catch up so much though.

Lookin forward to more about your systems & other responces too!

[mdwyer]

What is the rated RPM of the motor? Most of the home type compressors run at 3450 RPM and that is why you are getting heat. Heat also leads to water. If you use it everyday 8 hours a day it will not last long. Commercial type compressors run at 1750 but have higher power requirements (40 + amps single phase).

If you want a better last forever compressor look up EATON compressors. It will shed some light on what you have and can do to fix your issues. They also make a nice freon type dryer plumbed in right after the compressor that works great.

I use these at our hangars and the dryers are on the aircraft paint shop. Been beating on them awhile and they have never let me down.

mike

[71deputy]

I have a 60 gallon upright with a twin cyl.- not a two stage unit- 220v @ running about 16 amps.

off the tank I use have a valve and to it a 1/2 rubber hose- made for air-also reduces vibration.
it then goes to a water & oil separator, next to 1/2 black pipe throughout the shop.

only time I see any water is when I use the sand blast cabinet- so I installed another one at the unit to catch the extra water.

It keeps right up with what I use. have several drip leg stops in shop to bleed off the water in the lines!!

yes they recover better and run a little warmer- a bonus up here in the winter for extra heat in the shop!!! lol

most compressors have a extra tube-some with fins the run right beside the main pulley that has a built in fan to help cooling.

[eckertc1]

Sounds like you have a fairly similar setup to mine 71Deputy. any chance the compress you are talking about is the Sandborne from Menard's?

anyway, now that we are getting closer to moving in to our new house and bigger garage (July 18th i hope) i have a perfect chance to rework the plumbing of the system a bit.

my plan is this.......

• Run a water separator directly off the compressor.
  
• 1/2" copper to the ceiling of the shop and across to the other side of the shop and into an additional 60Gal storage tank (hoping this will also act as a secondary place for any remaining water to settle as well as additional storage).
  
• additional water separator out of the storage tank.
  
• then back out with 1/2" copper to the rest of the shop (i will be putting in multiple drip leg stops in, one for each outlet at least).
  
• and finally, next to the compressor will be a wall mounted shop far to "Try" reducing the heat (this may not work but i figure at the least, if its going to create that much heat i can at least try to move the heat around the shop a bit and make use of it).
  

I will also be looking into an auto bleeder for the main compressor tank.

any suggestions on this setup would be great. i hope to have it all done and possibly some pics if interested by the end of July.