Moving compressor new pipe

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When I plumbed mine 27 years ago, I used black iron pipe. Are there negatives for it? I've never had any issues and anywhere I have a vertical drop in the pipe, I have a tee with a ball valve to drain moisture from.
 
I used Rapid air Piping as well, easy to connect to a new install or to an existing Pipe system too.
 
dowboy1970 said:
I am going to have to disagree with you on that to a point.
PSI is the same with pneumatic versus hydraulic. 100psi is the same weather you have water pressure or air pressure.
I will agree that pneumatic will have a much more violent burst than hydraulic.
pneumatic psi will find leaks easier than hydraulic psi.
Hydraulic will gain pressure due to hydrostatic weight and pneumatic will not.

I would never use pvc for air lines. I would not use pex for airlines with plastic connectors.
I would not use rapid air system with plastic connectors.

Rapid air stuff seems to be a pretty good system but I feel it is just a marketed pex set up.
I would use pex or rapid air with brass or copper connectors.

The first two shops I plumbed for air were done in copper and I had zero issues other than quick connects for well over 10 years at each shop. Both shops were industrial 24/7 businesses.
This is my preferred method but now days, copper is very, very expensive.

Rapid air has great stuff and is very user friendly. I feel that they have built there product line off of the pex system and that is a great system. (do not use plastic connectors)

I already have the tools to do pex and my shop is pretty large 80x65 so I have a lot of air lines.
I saved a lot building my own system using pex with copper drops in areas that would see heavy use or welding.

If somebody had a smaller shop and did not already have the tools to sweat copper and crimp pex, The rapid air could be the cheaper option.

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Premium Compressed Air Piping, pipes for compressed air – RapidAir Products
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I got the info about the pressure being different for pneumatic vs hydraulic from a Senior Engineer at Silverline Plastics, who mfg miles of PVC every year. I think he probably said the same thing you did (it's been years ago) and I didn't get the take on it as well as the way you said it. :) Bottom line is don't use PVC for air lines!
You may be able to answer this. Is Rapid Air piping just Pex-Al-Pex? I know the Rapid Air piping has an aluminum core in it, but never actually seen pex-al-pex at Home Depot or Lowes. I did replumb our older RV at the beach with Pex, and used all brass fittings. Easy stuff for a hack plumber like myself to use....lol

:thumbsup:
 
Pricy but cooper is the way to go. And it removes heat and lets vapor change back to a fluid so the filters can remove it. Install it with a downward angle. 3/4 is min. size but if you just make up some drops to remove moister you can use 1/2 on those drops.
 
JDMopar said:
I got the info about the pressure being different for pneumatic vs hydraulic from a Senior Engineer at Silverline Plastics, who mfg miles of PVC every year. I think he probably said the same thing you did (it's been years ago) and I didn't get the take on it as well as the way you said it. :) Bottom line is don't use PVC for air lines!
You may be able to answer this. Is Rapid Air piping just Pex-Al-Pex? I know the Rapid Air piping has an aluminum core in it, but never actually seen pex-al-pex at Home Depot or Lowes. I did replumb our older RV at the beach with Pex, and used all brass fittings. Easy stuff for a hack plumber like myself to use....lol
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Rapidair uses a reinforced nylon, pex uses tight molecular polyethylene
 
JDMopar said:
I got the info about the pressure being different for pneumatic vs hydraulic from a Senior Engineer at Silverline Plastics, who mfg miles of PVC every year. I think he probably said the same thing you did (it's been years ago) and I didn't get the take on it as well as the way you said it. :) Bottom line is don't use PVC for air lines!
You may be able to answer this. Is Rapid Air piping just Pex-Al-Pex? I know the Rapid Air piping has an aluminum core in it, but never actually seen pex-al-pex at Home Depot or Lowes. I did replumb our older RV at the beach with Pex, and used all brass fittings. Easy stuff for a hack plumber like myself to use....lol

:thumbsup:
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From What i have seen rapid air has a economy line that is like regular pex and is straight plastic.
Rapid air also has a higher end that has the alumium in it.
There ia a line of pex that you can buy that has the aluminum in it as well. Most plumbers use this underground or in the slab.

If you use the alumium sleeved pex, you have to buy a little reemer that will remove the top layer of the pex to be able to band it correctly.

PEX-AL-PEX.

I will try to get some pictures of the tools needed to do the pex that I bought.
I purchased the tools to complete my house with and when I was getting ready to do my air in my shop I about fell over at the price of copper so I looked at other ways and came across the rapid air products and then started researching using pex.
Lots of people have used it and I think osha even permits it.
I tested mine to 175psi with no problems then I have a good regulator at my tank set to 125psi.
The one concern I had was would it stretch with pressure on it especially being in the top of my shop during the summer. It worked well all summer with very little stretch.

This is a great video testing pex.
 
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dowboy1970 said:
From What i have seen rapid air has a economy line that is like regular pex and is straight plastic.
Rapid air also has a higher end that has the alumium in it.
There ia a line of pex that you can buy that has the aluminum in it as well. Most plumbers use this underground or in the slab.

If you use the alumium sleeved pex, you have to buy a little reemer that will remove the top layer of the pex to be able to band it correctly.

PEX-AL-PEX.

I will try to get some pictures of the tools needed to do the pex that I bought.
I purchased the tools to complete my house with and when I was getting ready to do my air in my shop I about fell over at the price of copper so I looked at other ways and came across the rapid air products and then started researching using pex.
Lots of people have used it and I think osha even permits it.
I tested mine to 175psi with no problems then I have a good regulator at my tank set to 125psi.
The one concern I had was would it stretch with pressure on it especially being in the top of my shop during the summer. It worked well all summer with very little stretch.

This is a great video testing pex.
Click to expand...

I've had PEX 3/4" in my shop for probably 10 years now. Very easy to install with brass fittings. I never turn the compressor off and it has never leaked. I run 130 psi all over the shop. You can get assorted fittings on Fleebay cheaper than big box stores. I bought the 20' sections of Pex=B from HD. Installation is fast and easy with the clinch rings. The tool for the clinch rings is not to expensive, and the cutter is the best way to cut it. You can get a set of cutter and clinch tool right now on Amazon for about $30.

Amazon product ASIN B07GYQDRG1
 
I’m a big fan of heavy wall copper it’s nice and clean and the fittings aren’t big and bulky, it also has anti corrosion properties also. I made a after cooler with about 40 feet of copper before it goes to the water seperator and then the regulator. I’ll try to snap a pic of it later.

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Wow! A bunch of great suggestions. :thankyou:I bought the electrical parts but, still watching all the suggestions for air pipe. Craig
 
i installed the maxline system about 4 years ago, best bang for the buck and works great ! i was a collision equipment distributor for 20plus years, copper is the best if you got a big checkbook, absolutely NO PVC, i have seen the aftermath of the explosion, you can kill someone
 
So what's the price of a 3/4 type L 10-foot stick of copper going for in your neighborhood? Last I looked it was about $36.00.
 
LO23M8B said:
So what's the price of a 3/4 type L 10-foot stick of copper going for in your neighborhood? Last I looked it was about $36.00.
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30 a clip if you buy in bulk.

i priced it out awhile back and some barroom napkin math came to about 800 to outfit a 1500 sq/ft shop.
 
junkyardhero said:
30 a clip if you buy in bulk.

i priced it out awhile back and some barroom napkin math came to about 800 to outfit a 1500 sq/ft shop.
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Ya that’s what I’m going to do, buy it in bulk as I’m going to need about 15 sticks of 3/4 but I’m going to use 1/2 for the drain drops to save a little.
 
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