compressor set-up & plumbing

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hamesdart

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Well heres the deal.... I bought a nice new big Campbell compressor for my tools & side work i do painting... mostly small harley parts.. maby my own project cars now and then.
My problem is i need to do my plumbing for the compressor. i dont really need any hardlines since to stuff in the garage for general car work is so close to the compressor (which is in the garage) and the paiting i do is in the shop attatched on the other side of the wall of the compressor... so i really have no need for any extravagant plumbing and fittings all over the garage.
What is the minumim hardline to make sure the air cools enough before the water/dirt filters to actually catch it.???? i hear about 20-25 ft min?
IM going copper since copper around here is 2.29/ft apposed to galvanized which is 1.79... not much savings.

Any advice????/ i wouldnt even run hardline normally but im getting water at the tools... and thats not acceptable in paint.
 
25' is the bare minimum you want. Run a zig zag pattern with each piece angled down at the ends. I have done it using 25' of soft line at work with a filter at the end and it works pretty well. As soon as we move I am setting the new garage up to paint in and I will be going over kill on the compressor set up with hard lines going everywhere.
 
Run the line down to a low point, then back up high; install bleeder at the low point. Put 2 connections on compressor, with filters and dryer- 1 for paint only. On the bottom of the compressor, install a valve, to bleed water from the tank.
 
I ran mine with plastic pipe. Simple ,clean and cheap. Schedule 80 if you can find it, Schedule 40 will work fine.
 
jefflock said:
I ran mine with plastic pipe. Simple ,clean and cheap. Schedule 80 if you can find it, Schedule 40 will work fine.
Click to expand...

Don't use plastic pipe, it may be fast & easy but it is a bomb waiting to go off if you are using a large compressor. Plastic is not designed to withstand constant 100+ PSI pressures and the shock of on/off of air tools.
 
Plastic will also get very brittle and will start to break down. We had to replace a bunch of it at work because someone got cheap when they installed the air lines before we moved into the building.
 
Plastic works for me in my garage at home but I'm not large impacts and don't leave it pressured up all the time.
 
well im probly using copper....
about 25 ft is realy more than the length of the run i need to do.... but im going to have one line going into the storage room i have for paint with the nice filters and stuff and then one shorter run...maby 5 ft or so for the air tools in the garage...
Just more focused on the minimum lenght for paint..... but i think i can get 25 ft.
Thnks guys
 
They use plastic in water supply lines, and that could get over 100psi at times, and it is subjected to constant on and off pressure cycles. It's different than the hard PVC or ABS drain plumbing, though. There are kits made of plastic for pneumatic distribution systems. I think the use of the copper is for heat transfer, so the plastic wouldn't be the first choice. What about running the air through an AC condenser?
 
One more thing on plastic lines. They will remain water-tight considerably better than they'll remain air-tight due to the fact that water has surface tension. On that note, I'd see no problem using Schedule 80 plastic lines to plumb the place, as long as every air 'drop' you can connect to was pointing downward to allow easy water removal with a quick blow-out. Point-of-use filters are also not a bad idea. Just remember to use lots of cement on all your joints, and lightly sand/prime first. Also, a small solenoid valve to replace the stock drain valved, coupled to a nice tube pointing at your floor drain makes keeping your compressor tank water-free a no-hassle job.
 
i have plastic been there for 15yr.with no problems i came of the comp.to the Celene across the shop 3feet before coupler to the floor within 12inch.of floor put a drain back up to coupler.i also use a toilet paper water filter and have never had a drop of water.at 125 lbs.of psi.I use a regulator at my spray gun and on die grinders.
 
hamesdart said:
well im probly using copper....
about 25 ft is realy more than the length of the run i need to do.... but im going to have one line going into the storage room i have for paint with the nice filters and stuff and then one shorter run...maby 5 ft or so for the air tools in the garage...
Just more focused on the minimum lenght for paint..... but i think i can get 25 ft.
Thnks guys
Click to expand...

I can't solder to save my butt, that's why I went with black pipe. With a couple of pipe wrenches and some teflon tape even I managed to get good seals! I figured if I can't get a water-tight solder joint no way could I get one to hold 175 PSI!
 
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