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Your opinion on my theoretical air setup

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Cheeky81

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Oct 28, 2009
Messages
175
I've been getting myself together a to do an air line setup in my garage, but before I start measuring and cutting I would like some opinions from you guys (and girls).

I'm planning to do everything in 1/2 inch copper pipe with brazed joints.
The total length of the copper pipe between main compressor and the buffer tank will be around 50ft.

I'm planning on using SMC water separator, filter and regulator (AF40, AFM40 and AW40), which I already have lying in one of my drawers.

Grainger also recently put out some things with great discounts so I bought a hose reel with 50 ft hose for 100$.

Do you think this is a good setup? Will it supply sufficiently clean air to paint?

Air_Lines.png
 
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Angelfire

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Mar 22, 2012
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Location
New Mexico and Ireland
I would be concerned having any buffer tank as it could upset your balance between capacity and duty cycle of your compressor (ie. will cause motor longer to fill both tanks...). But I'm no expert!
 
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9GUY9

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Oct 12, 2009
Messages
248
Location
Mankato, MN
Eliminate every thing to the left of the water separator. It makes very little difference in the moisture in your air.

I did a setup very similar your drawing, I drain very little water from the zig zag piping, and until i got a refrigerated dryer had lots of water making it to my hose.

I bought as harbor freight refrigerated dryer for $300 with a 25% coupon and have been very happy with it.
 
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akdiesel

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Aug 8, 2008
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Location
Wasilla, AK
9guy9 is correct about the zig zag. As for the 4 gal tank you could use this in the beginning of the system as a secondary separator and use the filters for your paint / sand blasting since those types of use need extreme dry air but also will restrict.
I've had the knock out drum (your 4 gallon tank) in use for about 4 years or so and no moisture in the lines and I also have no filter system.
Just use your main tanks auto water water trap drain valve do both tank simultaneously.
 
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Kevin C

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Aug 4, 2011
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1,653
Location
Portland OR
For a high duty cycle system, most dry manf recommend 25 feet of pipe from the compressor to the dryer or a high temp dryer.... You can also upsize it. A lot depends on how hard you run your system.

At work I get a lot of water out of the pipes from the compressors to the dryer. Thats from a 7 hp IR unit running 50% duty cycle.
 
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C

Cheeky81

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Oct 28, 2009
Messages
175
The idea behind the copper tubing is to cool the air when the compressor runs with high duty cycle so most of the water should stay in the buffer tank.

Unfortunately I'm not going to run dryer. Maybe with a bigger compressor, but not with what I have.

Just want to get as much moisture I can out of the air with the piping.
 
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