New compressor air lines...

J

jaxxas

Well-Known Member
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So while awaiting parts to build my new forge I ran into some issues in the shop. My old (7 yr old) PVC airlines continued to crap out at an unacceptable rate. My compressor went from kicking on once per hour to 4 times an hour, I was chasing leaks like crazy. Finally decided to scrap all the PVC and re plumb with 3/4" copper. Would have preferred 1" copper for the flow rate but the price difference was like a buck per ft! Compromises! The old PVC just got brittle over the years, seems every new little flex (hose pull) would cause a new leak. So here you see my initial condensation manifold in the corner of my 20'x20' garage/shop where the 5hp Quincy compressor normally resides. About 21' of copper condensation lines with twin drains. Absolutely no engineering involved, just seat of the pants. It just has to be better than what I had before! (Which was no condensation lines!) I have another 50 ft of copper to run!

Love to hear any and all inputs on the subject. Might not change anything as I'm half into it at this point but who knows!

Joe Cross
 
Gene Kimmi said:
I had the same problem with pvc in my cabinet shop. I switched to pex with shark bite fittings and haven't had one leak in over 6 years.
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I looked briefly at PEX, though I don't think it does anything for condensation just as PVC doesn't. I run a sand blaster and a plasma cutter which demand clean dry air.
 

Prevost Piping System, the aluminium compressed air network - Prevost

The Prevost Piping System of aluminium pipes and couplings offers the guarantee of a leak-free network that is easy to assemble. A PREVOST compressed air network is built to last and provides a top-quality supply to your workstations.
www.prevostusa.com www.prevostusa.com
This isn't the name I saw it by but it is suppose to be sturdier than PVC and cheaper than copper? With the quick connections it should fly to put up! I dont know about pricing but thought it was neat. Copper is the Cadillac of piping though. Wont have to worry about that for a long time.
 
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I plumbed my shop with copper air lines also. I didn't install a condensate bank, but use a water trap on both the compressor and the plasma. I also put a foot or so of down pipe below every wall air outlet with a drain valve. I rarely see and moisture from them. The most used air line in the shop is a ceiling mounted hose reel.
 
Jesse Latham said:
I plumbed my shop with copper air lines also. I didn't install a condensate bank, but use a water trap on both the compressor and the plasma. I also put a foot or so of down pipe below every wall air outlet with a drain valve. I rarely see and moisture from them. The most used air line in the shop is a ceiling mounted hose reel.
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I too have the water traps and they help a lot. Probably all you need but I figured if I'm doing it I should just go ahead and add the condensation lines. My 1/2' air connectors (sandblaster) are steel and they all have rust inside them. And I typically gets a bit of moisture when using the air nozzles. I've had this Quincy 2 stage compressor for about 3 years now and I certainly think I get a lot more water out of it compared to my old single stage! Puts a lot more heat into the air.

The down pipes below the outlets is great! I might be able to figure out how to add them in but all my outlets are just below ceiling level. I'll work on that.


And I'm definitely looking forward to the sounds of silence!
 
I also plumbed with thoughts of moving my compressor outside in a enclosure. I've been too lazy to move it. I have an N-closed electric valve that opens when the first bank of lights are turned on. I never shut the compressor off. TV and stereo go on and off with the lights too. Hahaha.
 
Gliden07 said:

Prevost Piping System, the aluminium compressed air network - Prevost

The Prevost Piping System of aluminium pipes and couplings offers the guarantee of a leak-free network that is easy to assemble. A PREVOST compressed air network is built to last and provides a top-quality supply to your workstations.
www.prevostusa.com www.prevostusa.com
This isn't the name I saw it by but it is suppose to be sturdier than PVC and cheaper than copper? With the quick connections it should fly to put up! I dont know about pricing but thought it was neat. Copper is the Cadillac of piping though. Wont have to worry about that for a long time.
Click to expand...


I just checked these out they seem like a pretty good deal, love to see some pricing though.
 
Jesse Latham said:
I also plumbed with thoughts of moving my compressor outside in a enclosure. I've been too lazy to move it. I have an N-closed electric valve that opens when the first bank of lights are turned on. I never shut the compressor off. TV and stereo go on and off with the lights too. Hahaha.
Click to expand...


I would love to put my compressor outdoors, just not going to happen in my neighborhood! Once I have zero leaks again I'll probably leave my compressor on full time as well. Though I have an automatic tank water drain so I will have to turn that off otherwise the compressor would be running off and on all night.
 
Well I have it all plumbed up! I've had 4 leaks (so far!), all 4 are in my old airline fittings. I have 3 of them repaired and will finish up the last one tomorrow as I had to run for a couple of parts. Still need to install a dozen or so 2 hole pipe clamps. Put about 24 hours into, probably a week of elapsed time, a plumber I'm not!

I ended up using about 110-120 ft of copper pipe, just under a 100 solder joints. As the layout basically follows the ceiling perimeter I sectioned it off into 5 different circuits, joined together and controlled by compression'/valve connections. Made the whole system easier to manipulate and I can pull down any section and make changes easily. Also made it much easier to leak test overall.

It's a real blessing to look over at my compressor gauge and see it stuck on 175 psi when not in use.

Silence is golden!
 
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