Air compressor after cooler.

[Bill D 1,620]

I've seen posts on line about air compressor after coolers people make to eliminate water in their air tanks.  Has anyone here built one?  What did you use and how is it working?  Pictures appreciated as always.

[953 nut 51,875]

I have about ten feet of copper tubing coiled in a five gallon bucket. Put water in the bucket and it will cause moisture to condense out of the air. Add a water separator at the outlet and you have nice dry air for painting of pneumatic tools.

[Pullstart 59,816]

39 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

I have about ten feet of copper tubing coiled in a five gallon bucket. Put water in the bucket and it will cause moisture to condense out of the air. Add a water separator at the outlet and you have nice dry air for painting of pneumatic tools.

Pictures of that, please?

 

@Bill D I have a couple industrial air dryers on the shelf that are just 110V plug and play units.  They came out of a shop tear out, where I got my racking from.  One is destined to my shop air, one for my FIL who scored me the deal.  It sure would be nice to have an air compressor on muggy days, not a pressure washer!

[squonk 38,980]

Warm air holds more moisture than cool air. You need to cool the air from the compressor to get the water out. Use metal lines. Mount the air drying unit, water separator and line drain AWAY from the compressor to give the air a chance to cool some and get the moisture condensing. Mounting a water separator right off the compressor outlet doesn't work a hill of beans and just overloads the filter.

 

I worked in a hospital and had to deal with medical air. Multiple dryers, filters ect. We ran air supply dewpoints in the below 0 range on the muggiest days. Install an automatic drain on the compressor tank. Your compressor will thank you.

Edited July 16, 2021 by squonk

[ri702bill 7,360]

Squonk hit the nail on the head about not putting the water separator too close to the compressor. Thru the summers of high school I worked for a painting contractor. We ran a 50 foot long 3/8" hose to the separator and out of that another 50 foot long hose to the sprayer. We used an old wire milk crate to hold it all. I have the same setup at home - had it for 45 years. Works well.

Bill

[adsm08 1,442]

A water seperator needs a minimum of 10 feet from the tank outlet to work at all.

 

My first one is only 7 feet in straight line, but there is a vertical run, so the total pipe distance is almost 15 feet.

 

Then I have ones right before the regulators on the hoses I use for painting.

Edited July 16, 2021 by adsm08

[adsm08 1,442]

3 hours ago, pullstart said:

Pictures of that, please?

 

@Bill D I have a couple industrial air dryers on the shelf that are just 110V plug and play units.  They came out of a shop tear out, where I got my racking from.  One is destined to my shop air, one for my FIL who scored me the deal.  It sure would be nice to have an air compressor on muggy days, not a pressure washer!

Keeping the tank drained helps with that too. Having the compressor in too enclosed of a space will make it worse.

 

Have you ever run it so hard you started getting hot discharge air? That really makes water problems bad.

[squonk 38,980]

Pipe the compressor so the intake filter is outdoors. Usually cooler air and it will also annoy the neighbors! 

[Jeff-C175 7,195]

4 hours ago, adsm08 said:

you started getting hot discharge air?

 

I can't really run anymore but most of my discharge is in fact hot air!  

[Jeff-C175 7,195]

1 hour ago, squonk said:

intake filter is outdoors

 

And check often for insect cloggage!

[ebinmaine 63,266]

2 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

I can't really run anymore but most of my discharge is in fact hot air!  

I coulda gone several more weeks without knowing that an' I'd've been just fine...

 

[JPWH 5,311]

@Bill D

I installed 5' of copper from the compressor to 30' of galvanized pipe before going to the tank.    ( 2 compressors feed my air lines ) Then from the tanks to a 1" pipe that goes straight up for 7' before it goes horizontal into a 3/4 pipe to 3 drops. I do not get any water at the drops in the shop. I get some from the pipe and very little from the tanks.

Jay

[kpinnc 10,819]

I knew a fella that made up his own cooler/ condenser for use in a paint boot. He claimed it was the way to go. The condensed water falls back to the bottom of each loop, and there was a drain valve for each one. The air cooled down completely, and his work definitely showed. The pic below is pulled from Google, but it is identical to what he did.

[ebinmaine 63,266]

Some interesting ideas. 

 

I never knew these coolers were a thing. 

[953 nut 51,875]

23 hours ago, pullstart said:

Pictures of that, please?

Any of these water separators will remove the condensed moisture. https://www.google.com/search?q=air+water+separator+for+compressor&oq=air+water+seperator&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0i10l9.17062j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 mine is a Sears Craftsman unit I've had for years.

The coiled copper tubing in a bucket of cold ice water will condense the humidity in the hot air allowing the separator to remove it. In my case the compressor is located in a barn and there is about 100 feet of 1" PVC line run underground that brings the air to the shop. That PVC line has a low point drain on it so most of the moisture has already condensed out and run back to the drain basin  before it ever gets to the shop.

[Zeek 2,284]

52 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

Any of these water separators will remove the condensed moisture. https://www.google.com/search?q=air+water+separator+for+compressor&oq=air+water+seperator&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0i10l9.17062j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 mine is a Sears Craftsman unit I've had for years.

The coiled copper tubing in a bucket of cold ice water will condense the humidity in the hot air allowing the separator to remove it. In my case the compressor is located in a barn and there is about 100 feet of 1" PVC line run underground that brings the air to the shop. That PVC line has a low point drain on it so most of the moisture has already condensed out and run back to the drain basin  before it ever gets to the shop.

Oh no, commence the PVC debate 

 

Of the ones pictured in the link I had this one. Piece of worthless trash. I have used these right before the paint gun with success, although I realize the initial question was about the coil method. 

[kpinnc 10,819]

Another point to mention: where I used to live my shop was on a bit of a hill, so naturally painting outside was sometimes a bit below the level of the compressor. Guess where the water goes when you use a 100ft hose downhill?

 

Just a reminder that your work should always be above the level of the compressor, regardless of what device is used to seperate water vapor...

Edited July 17, 2021 by kpinnc

[82Caddy 851]

This is similar to the one above and how I modeled the one in my garage. Picture stolen from a garage journal build thread. 
 

[Horse Newbie 6,878]

3 hours ago, kpinnc said:

Guess where the water goes

When I bought my compressor, the salesman told me I could upgrade to a model that would not produce water vapor...  called it a zero vapor model, but warned me not to tell the manager because it was for commercial customers only...

[953 nut 51,875]

10 hours ago, Zeek said:

I have used these right before the paint gun with success

Thanks, I failed to mention the in line filter/separator on the paint gun whip, last line of defense.

Nothing works well unless you convert the vapor to liquid and then trap it.

10 hours ago, Zeek said:

11 hours ago, 953 nut said:

100 feet of 1" PVC line run underground that brings the air to the shop. That PVC line has a low point drain on it so most of the moisture has already condensed out and run back to the drain basin  before it ever gets to the shop.

Oh no, commence the PVC debate 

[Horse Newbie 6,878]

I was kidding in post # 19 above @953 nut...

[Snoopy11 5,713]

Well, I understand the need for eliminating the water, particularly if you are running a plasma cutter. But, creating something to do this pre-compressor may prove a little on the extreme side, when you can buy something like this, relatively cheaply... which catches virtually all the water before it gets to your tool.

 

 

Or this...

 

 

The only legit pre-dryer systems I know are refrigerated, r-134a... etc...

 

I say that, but water ain't exactly good for compressors... so from that perspective, pre-dryer systems (although pricey) are very thought provoking... although maybe... a little beyond my expertise! 

 

Don

Edited July 18, 2021 by Snoopy11

[Bill D 1,620]

Leaning towards using a Derale 15300 trans cooler and water separator to keep water out of the tank.  I seen a few videos on YouTube.  Air temp into the cooler is 260+ and 80 out.  Seems to work well.  Thoughts?  Thanks.

Edited July 18, 2021 by Bill D

[Jeff-C175 7,195]

1 hour ago, Bill D said:

to keep water out of the tank

 

The only way to keep water out of the TANK would be if you dried the INLET air.

 

I don't see how the equipment you mentioned could do that.

 

If that cooler is on the air OUTLET and rated for the pressure [edit: rated 250 PSI, ok!] with either a fan blowing on it or immersed in cold water, it could work, but I would also look at it's flow rate and pressure drop.  Depending on how much air you need it might be too restrictive.

Edited July 18, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[Snoopy11 5,713]

2 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

The only way to keep water out of the TANK would be if you dried the INLET air.

 

I don't see how the equipment you mentioned could do that.

 

If that cooler is on the air OUTLET and rated for the pressure [edit: rated 250 PSI, ok!] with either a fan blowing on it or immersed in cold water, it could work, but I would also look at it's flow rate and pressure drop.  Depending on how much air you need it might be too restrictive.

Good point, Jeff.

 

I have personally never had an issue with an outlet dryer... and I have quite a few air tools... but... someone might!!!

 

I have always hated the water from my air compressor getting into the tires of my equipment... especially when I see rust on the inside of my rims when I take my tires off... 

 

When I got the outlet dryer... no more rust...

 

Don