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Air separator

cleancar

New member
I was told to but a good air separator 9 months ago to resolve an issue I was having. I was told to but Ingersollrand pup. Since then no issues. However everytime I use to for like blow grass off myself moisture come out of the nozzle. Other then replacing the filter once a year is there any other maintenance on it? If it is an air separator/dryer why am I getting moisture out of the nozzle? Thanks ahead of time!!
 
A tank auto drain won't do much for keeping moisture out of the air lines.

You don't need an air dryer unless you have tools or equipment that absolutely cannot have moisture in the air.

A water separator works for most purposes, but when you're just blowing air you're going to get some water because of the volume you're using. If everything else is fine, don't worry about it.

Another member has added a transmission cooler on his compressor for a much lower cost than a dryer and says it works almost 100%.
 
A little basic Science. Warm air holds more moisture than cool air. Compressing air heats it, and uncompressing it cools it. So, as you compress it and it heats up it holds more air. When you let it out of the compressor and as it travels further from the heat (Areas near the compressor are typicaly warmed by the compressor) it cools and moisture condenses out. Having the water seperator(s) as close to the point of use as possible will seperate the moisture at the coolest possible point where the moisture has condensed before the use. If you put it right next to the compressor the moisture has not yet condensed and will not seperate out.

Similarly, tank drains will not lower the humidity of the air and effectively reduce the condensation.
 
FWIW, the pictures I posted are now out of date. I have replaced the "rigid" copper lines with flexible ones. The rigid lines caused the heat exchanger (transmission cooler) to crack due to vibration and fatigue. The flexible lines eliminate that problem.
 
The faster you run an air compressor the hotter it will get and when they get hot they pull more moisture out of the air. I set up my air compressors up to run slower by changing the motor pulley to a slower pulley. The last one I changed out had a 5” pulley on the motor, sounded like jet plane taking off when it came on, I replaced it with a 2.6” pulley, it runs a lot quieter and doesn’t build up the moisture like before. I drain my tank about once a month and only get about 2 cups of water out of it. I don’t have any moisture separators/filters on the air system. The Flo-jet G57 pumps run fine, never have a problem with them caused by moisture.
 
Here's a link to the setup I made for "dry" air. It's worked well for years.

http://www.autocareforum.com/showthread.php?6984-Removing-Air-Line-Moisture

FloJet's run better. My ARO pumps used to ice up on muggy days.....no more. It's been well, worth the investment.

Rudy

Rudy,

I can't tell from your pics what CFM rate &/or HP your Eaton Horizontal air compressor is. I found this on Ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STACKED-PLA...ND-SPAL-FAN-/291432775082?hash=item43dabf3daa

From experience ... do you think there is any chance that the combo cooler fan that I linked to could restrict the flow to our 5 HP 2 stage IR 2340L5 175 psi air compressor? Any update of the flexible lines that could be used in that hi temp situation or is your previous link still the best? Any suggestions with a link or a brand for the 1/2" water separator that you used?

Thanks in advance ... I am not sure if the Ebay seller will be knowledgeable enough to respond since I also just emailed him through ebay ... up front he is not showing much by way of air flow restriction specs etc. ... which is my main concern.

Now that this is revisited & you have over 4 years of proven results ... we are very likely to follow your lead.

Mike
 
If the lines of the cooler are at least the same size as the line from the pump, it won't restrict airflow because the air will condense as it cools.

The unit you linked has a 12V fan - it would probably be less expensive to get a separate cooler and 120V fan than the one you listed plus a power supply large enough to run the fan.
 
Rudy - silly question, but I'm probably not the only one wondering. Regarding the Rotron fan, are you pulling the air through to cool or are you pushing it through the cooler?
 
If you're referring to the cooling fan, there are specific fans for pushing or pulling the air. You should be able to do it either way as long as the fan is turning the correct way. I've seen people use a "pusher" fan on the backside of their radiator and reversed the wires to make it pull and then wondered why it didn't cool properly.
 
For those interested ... This well done in my opinion ... YouTube Video ... shows a very similar setup as Rudy's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sn1PhK-RVI

Here is another one below where the guy shows the temp difference with his non contact temperature reader. He seems to mention that with some fin tube setups there sometimes needs to be a manifold with two fin tubes to avoid loss of air flow from the compressor pump outflow to the pump.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KETQfwtA3a0

Mike
 
Nice YouTube video.

Several comments.....

First, the video shows copper pipe feeding his heat exchanger. I ruined one due to fatigue (using copper). Google, "Air Compressor Discharge Hose". They are often used on trucks....and are stainless braided. They are made for 200psi and higher temperatures. I did a quick search, and found this:

http://www.anythingtruck.com/category/htp-brake-air-hose-compressor.html

You can use something similar depending on length. Being flexible, it doesn't transmit vibrations.

I wasn't too worried about the "flow" (ie diameter of piping) through the heat exchanger. With an 80 gallon tank.....you are basically "recharging" the tank vs. maintaining a constant airflow. I think my cooler has 1/2" NPT connections.....which is plenty.

Regarding "pushing" vs. "pulling" the air......I'm not sure it matters. Airplanes can be configured either way....and they somehow still manage to get airborne!

My setup.....I pull the air across the heat exchanger. It's an 120VAC fan....so there's no "reversing" the wires. You'd have to physically reverse the whole fan to make it a pusher instead of a puller.

My "cooler" is an B&M #70274. They have them at Amazon. It does a great job of cooling the air.

Reviving this thread reminds me of days long forgotten. I remember the panic I felt on "killer car wash days" when the pneumatic pumps would start icing up and run erratically. No More. I'd almost forgotten what that was like. Ever hear a FloJet start to slow down...and then go "Bam" with ice getting ejected? That's moisture in the air.

Do it. You'll be glad you did.
 
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