Which Air Dryer for Compressor?

[Waxman]

I need an air dryer for my car wash air compressor.

I'm looking at this one: https://www.amazon.com/Cleaner-Drye...&sr=8-4&keywords=dessicant+for+air+compressor

What do you use?

Thanks!

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

DO you have an after cooler on your air compressor?

 

[Waxman]

DO you have an after cooler on your air compressor?

I don't even know what that is....

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

I made it myself. Dropped the air temperate from 125+ down to about 50 pretty much eliminating all my condensation issues.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I like this - Automatic drain. Put downstream nearest the unit that uses the air.
https://www.mcmaster.com/#4958k31/=1bb9j6l

 

[wash4me]

I’ve seen people run a copper line to the ceiling on the air line exiting the tank. Condensation drains back to the air tank so you can drain it.

 

[wash4me]

Do you have a part number for the fan and coil unit? Looks nice.

 

[Car_Wash_Guy]

Do you have a part number for the fan and coil unit? Looks nice.

B&M Transmission Cooler:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CIIE12/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


12V Fan:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T3TQLKW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

12V 7A 100-24V Power Supply
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0113NPC0K/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I just wired the power supply for the fan through my air compressor pressure switch to come on when the compressor is.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I’ve seen people run a copper line to the ceiling on the air line exiting the tank. Condensation drains back to the air tank so you can drain it.

This won't help much. As the air expands it cools, - cool air hold less moisture. This cooling will continue down stream and point of use may be 100 feet from the compressor and in a cooler environment.

 

[Rudy]

Here's a link to an old thread about this:
http://www.autocareforum.com/showthread.php?6984-Removing-Air-Line-Moisture&highlight=air+dryer

The pictures are no longer available....however, there's some useful information.

One thing I learned the hard way....use flexible lines (as opposed to rigid copper) to connect the heat exchanger. The subtle vibrations eventually crack the fittings on the heat exchanger. Flexible lines eliminate this.

 

[wash4me]

Rudy when you say flexible lines are you referring to soft copper like in the pictures or did you use hose barbs and hose?

 

[Rudy]

I used a stainless braided teflon hose to connect the heat exchanger to the air compressor. This hose gets pretty hot. I don't have an exact part number....but it's the same type of hose used in large trucks when connecting to the air compressor.

The exit from the heat exchanger is not as critical, since the temperature is close to ambient. In my setup, I used 1/2" polybraid hose connected with hose clamps and barb fittings.

 

[bighead]

I use a similar setup to car wash guy, but I just use the oil cooler, not the fan... on the output of the cooler I put an upside down check valve sort of like a "T" so that the condensed moisture will drop down to the bottom of the T, and once the air pressure drops down the check valve will crack and release the trapped moisture.

I also use the yellow flex gas line between the head, cooler, and tank... the fittings matched right up and it deals with the vibration well.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Smart-C...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CKzHkOahgNkCFUFifgodm-sOdQ