Likes: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Results 1 to 15 of 18
Thread: air compressor water trap
-
16th Jun 2021, 12:47 PM #1Senior Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2010
- Location
- Brisbane
- Posts
- 143
air compressor water trap
I want to fit a water trap/regulator (like the one pictured) to my compressor to do some painting... can i mount it to the compressor , or do have to wall mount it and run some hoses ?.
Ken.
-
16th Jun 2021, 12:59 PM #2Golden Member
- Join Date
- Sep 2009
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 666
Don’t put it on the compressor. You want it as far away from it as possible so the air cools as it runs through the lines and more potential for water vapour to condense out.
Having said that I have mine on a 2M line after the compressor and never had an issue.
-
16th Jun 2021, 05:09 PM #3
-
16th Jun 2021, 05:40 PM #4Member: Blue and white apron brigade
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 7,189
I have those regs/traps at the ends of two arms of my reticulated comp air network. One is on the a 12m from the compressor, adjacent to where I spray as well as near where use a Plasma cutter, and the lube/coolant mister connection for my lathe. The other is on a 8m from the compressor on my mill to reg the air pressure for its lube/coolant mister.
-
16th Jun 2021, 07:04 PM #5Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2011
- Location
- Southern Flinders Ranges
- Posts
- 1,554
I have one on my tank, never had a problem with water in the lines. Don’t spray heaps but I have sprayed a couple of trailers and other random stuff inc about 30sqm of timber for the last carport I built and haven’t had any signs of water ingress into finish with the reg on the tank.
Drain the tank and reg (if the reg isn’t self empty type) before you spray and it’ll be fine.
In theory the ideal place for it is toward the end of the hose, in reality it makes no appreciable difference.
-
16th Jun 2021, 08:10 PM #6Golden Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2019
- Location
- Adelaide
- Posts
- 596
If its a one of spray job then it might be worth buying an inline filter 'sock'. These contain the water absorbing crystals. Cannot recall where I saw them or how much. Other wise as said above, put the reg/separator a little way from the compressor and maybe higher so that condensed water can run back into the tank.
-
16th Jun 2021, 08:47 PM #7Diamond Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2014
- Location
- South of Adelaide
- Posts
- 1,227
-
16th Jun 2021, 10:58 PM #8Member: Blue and white apron brigade
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 7,189
At 20ºC the most water air can carry (100% humidity) is ~17.3 mg/L
Assuming a 50% humidity that converts on ~8.6 mg/L which typically what shows up on my "outside my shed" moisture sensor.
Inside a shed, air carries more water as it's warmer, hot works release water, as do humans so depending on temp I typically see between 8 and 12 mg/
Half a cup of water is about 125g so that translates to 14500 L of pumped air or 508 cubic ft.
At 40 CFM that means you should get 1/2 cup water after just 12.5 minutes of pumping.
If compressor is pumping for any more than 12.5 minutes total during those 8-10 hours then water is either not getting to your dryer or is getting past the dryer.
Working the other way - how long does the compressor operate for in total over those 8-10 hours?
-
17th Jun 2021, 10:54 AM #9Golden Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2019
- Location
- Adelaide
- Posts
- 596
dont the water separators only take out water in its liquid state but not that which is in gaseous form? i.e. most of the water goes out the spray gun? Never really thought about it in detail.
-
17th Jun 2021, 12:35 PM #10Member: Blue and white apron brigade
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 7,189
The amount extracted depends on the water removal process.
The water filter/reg as shown in the pic by the OP uses a bronze/brass membrane witch catches fine droplets and they drip into the small chamber below, this doesn't do that much for water as vapour.
Cooling coils and refrigerated air dryers work by cooling the air so it cannot hold as much water.
Water coming out of a compressor is quite hot so it can hold large amounts of water.
eg at around 60ºC as much as 130 mg/L
Of course it cannot make water out of nothing, there has to be water in the air to begin with.
On a very humid/hot day (eg 35ºC and 90% humidity) can hold as much as 35 mg/L
At 20ºC, air can hold as much as 17.3 mg/L but drop the temp to 0ºC and water condenses out so it can only hold a max of about 5 g/L
Even at -20ºC air can still a max of about 1 mg/L of water vapour.m
Desiccator systems work by absorbing water vapour from the air. When my desiccating agent in my water trap is fresh, depending on the starting humidity of the air it can get the air down to around 0.2g/L but that is for very low air flow (3L/min) air flow - the minimum I can have for measurement purposes- as soon as there is working flow it goes up to around 0.5 g/L and it goes up slowly as the desiccator saturates.
-
17th Jun 2021, 12:55 PM #11Golden Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2019
- Location
- Adelaide
- Posts
- 596
Cheers Bob. So I am correct that the separator/reg combos only take out water suspended in air as a liquid.
When redoing my air system I will either use an a/c condensor with fan, a long run of copper pipe or an old wall mount a/c that the copper pipe passes through. This will condense much of the water to liquid that can then be caught by the reg/separator.
For the OP, I painted my rally car in the shed using only the basic regulator/separator connected to the compressor (and close to it). Never had any water related paint issues. However, Adelaide isn't known for its humidity.
-
17th Jun 2021, 01:08 PM #12Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2010
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 9,088
Hi Bob,
For those of us trying to follow along, are there some "mg" typos in your last post?#10
Assuming the "g" are meant to be "mg" and that a refrigerated dryer cant get below 0C(google seems to say they aim for 3C). Wouldn't that mean the best you can hope for is 8mg/L - 5mg/L = 3mg/L, making the run time more like 40 minutes?
-
17th Jun 2021, 06:24 PM #13Member: Blue and white apron brigade
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 7,189
-
17th Jun 2021, 07:52 PM #14Member: Blue and white apron brigade
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 7,189
Yep.
When redoing my air system I will either use an a/c condensor with fan, a long run of copper pipe or an old wall mount a/c that the copper pipe passes through. This will condense much of the water to liquid that can then be caught by the reg/separator.
For the OP, I painted my rally car in the shed using only the basic regulator/separator connected to the compressor (and close to it). Never had any water related paint issues. However, Adelaide isn't known for its humidity.
Recently I removed any vegetation needing water from the garden bed and I will shortly disconnect the reticulated from that garden bed.
I've also added a snorkel to get the main air intake from the bottom to above the enclosure.
Snorkel1.jpg
This is my finned copper cooling coil.
CUpipe1.jpg
-
18th Jun 2021, 09:53 AM #15Golden Member
- Join Date
- Sep 2009
- Location
- Sydney
- Posts
- 666
I’ve also done a few painting jobs with my setup. With the water trap 2-3m on a hose from my compressor and a disposable filter on the gun, I’ve never had any issues with water in my finish spraying 2k base, 2k clear, acrylic or basic single stage paints.
Similar Threads
-
metric Uk bridgeport - acme or trap leadscrews?
By StrayAlien in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 7Last Post: 30th May 2018, 07:36 PM -
Tig water cooling
By eskimo in forum WELDINGReplies: 3Last Post: 16th Feb 2018, 08:15 AM -
Water pump
By morrisman in forum AUTO RESTORATIONReplies: 4Last Post: 18th Jul 2016, 08:51 PM -
How much water in compressor line is acceptable?
By ventureoverland in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 29Last Post: 5th Apr 2016, 03:57 PM