Shop Air Suggestions

[ItDoRun]

I just bought me a new 2 stage 80 gallon compressor and want to plumb my air inside my shop. The compressor will be outside. Will PVC pipe work okay for the plumbing? What size should I use? Also, where can I get a decent in-line filter/regulator for it?

I plan on running the line inside the shop to the filter/regulator, then coming out to a tee and running horizontally across one wall in my shop and tying into two hose reels that will be mounted on the wall. Instead of the tee, should I get a 4 way and put a drain valve at the low point? If so I could slope the lines back to the drain valve to help keep the lines free of moisture.

Any suggestions or pictures, perhaps? Hopefully I painted a good enough picture of what I'm trying to do.

[B Schein]

I plumed my shop at home with pvc I would get one leek after another final just gave up and redid with steel pipe

[parsonsj]

I've had very good luck with copper tubing (the kind you buy at Home Depot for plumbing use). I've done three shops with it... and no leaks, ever. Plus you can get pipe thread adapters, ball valves, joints, etc.

jp

[7TSS]

Another vote for copper. I was warned not to use pvc since it can get weak over time and if it accidentally gets hit while under pressure it would hurt someone due to shrapnel.

Do a search on this site for air compressor lines and you should find a lot of info

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/

[68protouring454]

copper, done it cools itself, does not rap moisture, just pitch the pipes about 1/8th inch per 10 ft to a corner and put a drain, another tip is to use t's and come out of the top of the copper, and down and around so water in the pipe does not run down the outlet, i will get a pic of my shop, i ran 1.50 main line with 3/4 drops, and had my air take offs t off to the side also.
no moisture period.

[chevyIIpost]

Moisture/condensation will need to be addressed once you have settled on material for your plumbing. The best drier/filter will get overwheled from moiture quickly if you don't separate a majority of the moisture from the air before filtering it. IMO the filter is for the last 5 to 10 %. You have two weapons for removing moisture gravity and temperature. The mioture will seperate from the compressed air as it cools while passing thru your pluming. I would not run my piping horizontal anywhere. It should always be going down hill at an angle. Start high near your compressor and run it down hill a 1/2" or 1" per foot. The more the better and then have a verticle drain running to the floor at the end of that run of pipe. At each preasure port or quick connect run the piping 12" verticle from the main feed line. The moisture is heavier than the air and will tend to seperate out and collect at the end of the run at the lowest point and can be drained daily. I also have a seperate 20 gallon tall thin vertical tank mounted just inside my shop. My air compressor feeds into the bottom of it and the air cools as it enters allowing the moisture to condense and fall to the bottom of this tank and the verticle drain that runs from the bottom of this tank toward the floor at this inlet. Air leaves the top of the tank near the ceiling and then goes to a verticle pipe that runs almost to the floor with a ball valve on the end of it for daily draining. At approximatly 5' from the floor I have a tee fitting that feeds my main (not so) horisontal pipe that runs along the wall. The only place I use a filter is the one air line that I connect to my paint gun to. I use no drier/filter on the rest of my system and with the listed plumbing my air is nice and dry.

[ItDoRun]

Originally Posted by chevyIIpost

Moisture/condensation will need to be addressed once you have settled on material for your plumbing. The best drier/filter will get overwheled from moiture quickly if you don't separate a majority of the moisture from the air before filtering it. IMO the filter is for the last 5 to 10 %. You have two weapons for removing moisture gravity and temperature. The mioture will seperate from the compressed air as it cools while passing thru your pluming. I would not run my piping horizontal anywhere. It should always be going down hill at an angle. Start high near your compressor and run it down hill a 1/2" or 1" per foot. The more the better and then have a verticle drain running to the floor at the end of that run of pipe. At each preasure port or quick connect run the piping 12" verticle from the main feed line. The moisture is heavier than the air and will tend to seperate out and collect at the end of the run at the lowest point and can be drained daily. I also have a seperate 20 gallon tall thin vertical tank mounted just inside my shop. My air compressor feeds into the bottom of it and the air cools as it enters allowing the moisture to condense and fall to the bottom of this tank and the verticle drain that runs from the bottom of this tank toward the floor at this inlet. Air leaves the top of the tank near the ceiling and then goes to a verticle pipe that runs almost to the floor with a ball valve on the end of it for daily draining. At approximatly 5' from the floor I have a tee fitting that feeds my main (not so) horisontal pipe that runs along the wall. The only place I use a filter is the one air line that I connect to my paint gun to. I use no drier/filter on the rest of my system and with the listed plumbing my air is nice and dry.

Got any pictures?

[Fluid Power]

chevyii and 68protouring nailed this. I do this for a living, compressed air, compressed air systems and anything that runs on compressed air, cylinders, filters, regulators etc...but I will add one thing, under no circumstances should you use PVC for compressed air/gas service. The issue is that the rate of expansion/contraction of pvc is not linear. That is where the danger comes in. If part of the pipe heats up and stresses other portions, it explodes, sending shards of PVC all over, much like a grenade. I have seen plastic pipe that is made for air, but the home depot/lowes stuff is not good.

Proper filters, drip legs, auto drains and clean dry air can be had by all...

On another note, we rep Reelcraft hose reels, maybe a group buy?

Darren

[ItDoRun]

Okay, then what type of copper pipe do I use? I see L, K, amd M types available.

[68protouring454]

fo0rget the letter, but use the thicker of the two, one if for reg water pipes(thicker) the other is for forced hot water heater lines