Please help me set up my air compessor

LynnBob Mustang · 10-27-2009, 04:15 PM

I'm trying to set my air compressor set up.

I've got a 15 gal 2.5 hp 125 PSI, SCFM 40 PSI 5.1 SCFM 90 PSI 4.2 . It works OK for what I need, so far, and the paint shops say it can be used for most smaller to mid sized HVLP spray guns.

Right now I have a pressure regulator coming off the air compressor with a 60' hose and that is it. I have no filters or water traps yet.

My cut off tool takes a lot of air, but the directions say it requires 4.0 at 90 PSI, so I'm pushing it and it takes some lag time to catch up, but technically it should be OK.

As you can imagine I get a ton of water coming through the hose out the air tools on really humid days and less on not so humid days and this be a disaster during spraying. I also think I'm loosing a lot of air pressure with the 60' hose thus taking more needed air to run my tools.

So I need some help from you guys to get set up the best way I can with the compressor I got.

Do I need another regulator in the line some place even though I have one coming off the tank already?

Should I run a none movable line attached to the wall with all the regulators, water trap filters, air dryer, and then run all that to a movable line for the tools?

How/where should I put all this in the line?

Can I run a 5' line off the tank with the needed equipment and then run one of those 25' coiled up lines to run my tools and spray gun?

I have heard different things on the coiled up hoses, are they OK to use with the tools and spray guns?

I may not have thought of everything I need to do, if not please post.
Thanks for the help.

Lynn

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THUMPIN455 · 10-27-2009, 06:26 PM

I take it you have a small portable compressor, right? The water comes from heated air cooling off, just like water forming on a cold beer can in summer. If you can get it to condense in the right spot you can control the water.

You could mount it somewhere and run hard lines from it, that makes it easier to keep the water out. I need to do something with mine, but mine is a larger 220v stationary 5 hp. Right out of the tank you want to put a T with the 90 pointing down. You attach a pipe to that that comes close to the ground, then cap it with a valve. That will trap some water, you also want it angled so where the water condenses gravity will run it back to the trap. Sort of an up angle. That is assuming it isnt going to be moving anywhere. Running a hard line around your garage/shop with similar pipe traps on all the downs, and a regular water trap like DeVilbis sells near the outlets will allow multiple points to connect a hose and not get water. That is what I have planned with 1/2" pipe in the shop.

Barring that approach, its hard to keep a portable from making water in a humid environment. One thing that helps is adding a quick connect to the hose so you can remove it from the compressor and dump the water out of it. I have a certain hose that is only used for paint, when it isnt in use its hung up on a hook with the ends connected so nothing can get in it. I have a cheap one for filling tires and a good one for running sanders, die grinders, impacts, and air chisels that I can remove water from. inline sanders dont like water at all. The big thing with hoses is you want to be able to easily get the water out, you can do it with gravity if you coil it up on a hook with the connector being the first loop on the hook, like draining a garden hose. I like the more flexible hoses that cost a bit more, much easier to work with when its cold up here.

Mine has an issue with freezing, on a 90F day it doesnt do it as bad, but in 70F or lower it will just stop running the tool. The routing above will fix most of the water and freezing issues it has.

LynnBob Mustang · 10-27-2009, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THUMPIN455

I take it you have a small portable compressor, right? The water comes from heated air cooling off, just like water forming on a cold beer can in summer.

Thanks for the tips!
This is exactly mine here..

Would 5'-10' of black metal pipe off the compressor with the regulators, and water traps be OK then go into a 25' flexible hose?
Lynn

THUMPIN455 · 10-27-2009, 06:53 PM

Here is mine, and its an excellent way to make water appear in your tools. A T fitting with a down trap right off yours, or on mine behind the large black water trap, with more distance between the setup I have on it now will reduce the water. If you have the room to go out 5'-10' then it will make a big difference.

If you are going to be painting, dont scrimp on the quality of your traps, the cheap $20 ones at Menards wont do the trick. Mine is going to get a T fitting right after the valve, and then the lines are going to the wall behind it. This was a temporary setup that ended up being this way for four years. Unless you are going to bolt it to the floor, you will need some flexible line between the compressor and the hard line mounted to the wall. Mine moves around the floor when its running, not a problem the way it is now, but a hard line would break from vibrations and the compressor wanting to explore.

LynnBob Mustang · 10-27-2009, 07:32 PM

Thanks!
So if I went with a 5' whip hose off the compressor then attach that to the black pipe "T" water trap then going into the 5'-10' of black pipe with the air dryer and water traps be OK then go into my 25' coil hose?

I was going to use these traps and regulator
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...5X-_-100671465
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...5X-_-100671461
Are these OK?
Lynn

THUMPIN455 · 10-27-2009, 09:43 PM

They should work ok, not great but ok. Make sure the flexible line is angled downward towards the T trap, then the air has to go uphill from there to the outlets. You will still have water in it, but it should be much less, the only way to fix the water problem is to have a huge compressor that doesnt have to work very hard and doesnt heat the air very much.

65rangoon · 10-31-2009, 01:50 PM

havent read all the replies but you can set up a decent drying system for $100.

i would drain the tank and pop open the bottom and see if theres any water sitting in the tank.

depending on how old it is or when the last time you checked it was, there might be some water in there and thats whats causing some of the water you are seeing.

edit:

a T will be decent for the air tools if you keep them oiled although for painting you are going to need a nice coalescent filter system.

if you want to get fancy you could do a coarse then fine then absorbant filter system.

you can even get coarse coalescents with 3.0 micron particulate pre filters

LynnBob Mustang · 10-31-2009, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65rangoon

havent read all the replies but you can set up a decent drying system for $100.

i would drain the tank and pop open the bottom and see if theres any water sitting in the tank.

depending on how old it is or when the last time you checked it was, there might be some water in there and thats whats causing some of the water you are seeing.

edit:

a T will be decent for the air tools if you keep them oiled although for painting you are going to need a nice coalescent filter system.

if you want to get fancy you could do a coarse then fine then absorbant filter system.

you can even get coarse coalescents with 3.0 micron particulate pre filters

Thanks!
I empty the tank every time I'm done using it per the directions.

Lynn

chris66dad · 11-01-2009, 12:20 AM

I used 2 compressors (110V) and tee'd them together with a 25 foot air line from each one into an air dryer. Doing it this way way I got a combined output of 13 CFM @ 40 psi and never ran out of air when I painted the 66.

Be sure to run each one on a different AC circuit so they wont trip on over current.

This is the dryer I used from HF.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=98904. I had no fish eyes in the paint and the air was dry. They will regularly drop the price to 25 dollars.

The 25 foot section of hose from each compressor to the dryer allows the air to cool down and moisture to drop out better. Set the regulators at the compressors at 90psi and the regulator at the dryer output (wall pressure) at 50 psi. You will then adjust the gun so it flows and that is usually around 10psi at the tip. My HVLP gun uses 10 cfm @ 40 psi and I never ran out of air or had my wall pressure drop even even on long passes. I only stopped to refill paint into the gun or to maintain my time windows for paint.

Do not use old hoses that have been used for air tools that have oil in the lines. They will give you fish eyes and lots of headaches! Air hoses and fittings are cheap at HF. Watch the sales and buy the stuff when it goes on sale and you can usually save 30%.

Excuse the very primitive drawing but a picture is easier to get the information across sometimes.

THUMPIN455 · 11-01-2009, 12:56 AM

I picked up the fittings and pipe to do the upgrade to mine today. I still need a pressure switch since mine decides to stick in the on position. Maybe I will take it apart and clean it up instead. I'll post pics of it when I am done, and next summer we will find out how well it controls the water problem.