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Posted: 11/12/2020 12:37:01 PM EDT
Can you explain this setup? Basic use and precautions? It was in my garage and I want to learn to use it.
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Nothing wrong with that PVC pipe in that application. Keep using it.
Just because the first reply has a avatar that is a photo of big machine does not mean that person is correct. |
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Water separator , pressure reg., oiler, pretty simple, pvc ok...edit I like a drip leg before water separator with a valve
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Do what you want with the pvc pipe. Shit can that inline oiler.
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Black pipe and galvanized pipe rust, become brittle and corrode with age causing shrapnel when it explodes.
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PVC pipe isn't for air.
Use black pipe, pex, or air specific line. PVC is a shrapnel thing with air. |
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So take out the oiler? I thought pneumatic tools needed one inline?
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Pipe or copper I used this blue not sure what its made of line.
Cheaper and faster set up but always getting small leaks. Wish I would have used black pipe. I have a water filter and trap at compressor and at my cleaning tank area I put another water trap and pressure regulator. |
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Technically, the PVC should handle the pressure, but most people would not use it for compressed air.
The first cannister is the water separator and it should separate out the condensation from the compressed air. It needs to be drained periodically. The second unit with the gauge is your pressure regulator and is used to set the pressure you wan to run your tools at. The third cannister is the oiler. It should be filled with air tool oil and adjusted to supply a very fine mist of oil to lubricate your tools. |
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Quoted: Black pipe and galvanized pipe rust, become brittle and corrode with age causing shrapnel when it explodes. View Quote Im sitting in a factory full of 60-70yr old airlines. The only time they break is the same time they need replaced, when someone hits them with a fork truck. |
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Quoted: oilers don't work that well, better to have good water separation and oil air tools as you use them View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: So take out the oiler? I thought pneumatic tools needed one inline? oilers don't work that well, better to have good water separation and oil air tools as you use them I just leave them empty so they still look cool. |
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Whole bunch of idiocy in this thread.
Plenty of steel pipe out there for air. It’s very reliable and doesn’t explode when it fails. PVC on the other hand is no good for air. It ages poorly, especially in a shop filled with solvents and ozone from welders and motors. It gets brittle and when it fails generates lots of shrapnel. |
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Quoted: lol wut? Im sitting in a factory full of 60-70yr old airlines. The only time they break is the same time they need replaced, when someone hits them with a fork truck. View Quote LOL, nothing that can get damaged in a forklift collision will last 60-70 yrs in a manufacturing plant. Forklift drivers are fucking pinball wizards, the best is when they take out sprinkler heads. |
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Quoted: Black pipe and galvanized pipe rust, become brittle and corrode with age causing shrapnel when it explodes. View Quote Black pipe just gets pin holes when it rusts. No shrapnel... Tap that PVC a little too hard with a project you are trying to maneuver in the shop and you better be wearing your eye protection... |
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Since no one is answering your question....
The cylinder on the left is a water separator. It will remove a good portion of the water in your compressed air. (The water is from air humidity) You should drain it regularly via the valve on the very bottom. I drain mine each morning when I'm planning a full day in the garage, or before I paint anything, or whenever I see there is water accumulating in the bowl. You should also drain the tank drain on your compressor regularly. Some people drain both of these at the end of every use. It's up to you. The middle part is your pressure regulator. The knob on the bottom is turned to raise or lower the working pressure. For the majority of the time you will leave it set the same as your compressor's pressure and use tools at full pressure. You will want to lower it if you paint with a paint gun. The right cylinder is the oiler. I don't use one since I paint a lot. If you use a lot of air tools such as impact wrenches, ratchets, or grinders you will like to keep it filled with an appropriate tool oil. You do not want oil in your line for sandblasting or painting. Since I do a lot of both, I manually oil each tool with an oil can. My preferred oil is Marvel Mystery Oil, but there are plenty of opinions about tool oil. You will want to turn the air pressure off at the compressor before opening this to fill the reservoir, but that's a little obvious. |
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So take out the oiler? I thought pneumatic tools needed one inline? View Quote I have had no issues. In line oilers will contaminate your air hose, which is a bitch if you spray automotive paint products, or run a plasma cutter. (My setup has an intercooler, aftercooler, water separator, and oil separator.) |
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I have air tools I've used professionally for over 40 years still running.
I oiled them when I would think of it with what ever I had on hand. Would never put an oiler in line. How would you blow off parts or paint. |
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Quoted: PVC pipe becomes brittle with age, UV and oil contamination. When it fails, it makes shrapnel. Sure, keep using it. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Nothing wrong with that PVC pipe in that application. Keep using it. PVC pipe becomes brittle with age, UV and oil contamination. When it fails, it makes shrapnel. Sure, keep using it. This is the correct answer. There is a guy here in Tennessee who has a “jr” version of Jay Leno’s garge. PVC ruptured. No one got hurt but damaged one of his cars. Guess who repiped it? PVC and compressed air, are an accident waiting to happen. |
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At my places of work I’ve seen pvc blow 4 times. One time feet from me. I think my earbuds kept me from losing my hearing.
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Quick question, what are y’alls thoughts on using pex for 160psi main lines?
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As many have said, PVC for compressed air is no bueno...you don't have to take my word for it...
OSHA is against it as well |
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Quoted: So take out the oiler? I thought pneumatic tools needed one inline? View Quote It depends. You can oil your tools manually through the oil port every day - don't have to have the oiler. But if you have an oiler, you can't use the air for paint or media blasting due to oil contamination. |
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That could also be a 2 stage water separator and NOT an oiler.
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I had to honor of being in a shop when the PVC air line(s) decided to fail.
Was not fun. |
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Replace the oiler with a second water filter..oil your tools after each use..that way they sit with fresh oil inside the internals which does far more for protecting them than a crappy inline oiler that rarely works right..Plus oil is the death of paint work and any oil in the hoses will constantly be coming out on your work area...I would not use plastic pipe..use black pipe and be sure to put a water trap on each termination point..also make sure you drain the tank daily....Also make sure you kill the power anytime you leave..I have seen shops burnt to the ground when a hose popped and the compressor ran until it caught on fire and burnt the place down...
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OP, you can buy Air Tool Oil pretty much anywhere, ditch the inline so you're not limiting your options (paint, sandblasting, dusting stuff off, etc).
And I agree that PVC would make me nervous!! |
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I had PVC blow one time in my shop. Ruined a pair of underwear. Never again.
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Awesome help guys. Going to swap the PVC out with black pipe, pull the inline oilers, and put in a water separator at all termination points. I also have this, but found a manual on line for it.
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Quoted: Nothing wrong with that PVC pipe in that application. Keep using it. Just because the first reply has a avatar that is a photo of big machine does not mean that person is correct. View Quote https://www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19880520.html https://www.oshatraining.com/compressed-air-hose-water-hose-clamp-pvc-pipe-OSHA-violations.php https://www.thecompressedairblog.com/comply-with-osha-dont-use-pvc-pipes https://www.pvcfittingsonline.com/resource-center/using-pvc-pipe-for-compressed-air/ https://www.about-air-compressors.com/pvc-air-lines/ https://www.quincycompressor.com/all-about-compressed-air-piping-systems/ |
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Quoted: Since no one is answering your question.... The cylinder on the left is a water separator. It will remove a good portion of the water in your compressed air. (The water is from air humidity) You should drain it regularly via the valve on the very bottom. I drain mine each morning when I'm planning a full day in the garage, or before I paint anything, or whenever I see there is water accumulating in the bowl. You should also drain the tank drain on your compressor regularly. Some people drain both of these at the end of every use. It's up to you. The middle part is your pressure regulator. The knob on the bottom is turned to raise or lower the working pressure. For the majority of the time you will leave it set the same as your compressor's pressure and use tools at full pressure. You will want to lower it if you paint with a paint gun. The right cylinder is the oiler. I don't use one since I paint a lot. If you use a lot of air tools such as impact wrenches, ratchets, or grinders you will like to keep it filled with an appropriate tool oil. You do not want oil in your line for sandblasting or painting. Since I do a lot of both, I manually oil each tool with an oil can. My preferred oil is Marvel Mystery Oil, but there are plenty of opinions about tool oil. You will want to turn the air pressure off at the compressor before opening this to fill the reservoir, but that's a little obvious. View Quote Thank you! |
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Quoted: Technically, the PVC should handle the pressure, but most people would not use it for compressed air. The first cannister is the water separator and it should separate out the condensation from the compressed air. It needs to be drained periodically. The second unit with the gauge is your pressure regulator and is used to set the pressure you wan to run your tools at. The third cannister is the oiler. It should be filled with air tool oil and adjusted to supply a very fine mist of oil to lubricate your tools. View Quote YAY....an actual answer to the OP |
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The correct answer is to rip out all the archaic air lines and put outlets to charge your milwaukee m18 fuel batteries
I have a pancake compressor for........I honestly don't even know why I bought it. |
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Air tools rock. Schedule 40 PVC...what pressure are you maxing at? I have 25 year old schedule 80 PVC all through my shop, several hundred feet of it and never had any of it "blow up". There have been times when a line got broke but it was easily repaired. Now, as a business I always planned on and wanted to swap it out and finally got about 99% complete with all new lines in copper.
What you need to be concerned about with air lines is proper sizing to prevent pressure drop and distance from compressor to water separator. |
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