Air compressor mods?

[gkent]

Running copper up and down the wall isn't the answer. Firstly, the water will settle at the bottom of each run so that's no good. Second, with nothing other than ambient air to cool the lines it isn't going to do much (its the fins on rads that dissipate the heat).

The only reason I suggest copper is that a) it doesn't rust from the moisture b) its cheaper than iron pipe
c) its lighter to carry and hang d) solders together instead of threaded fittings which also makes it customizeable to exactly any lengths you want.

Not everybody owns a pipe threader and I'd hate to have had to pay for all the threaded ends I would have needed - I put outlets every 6 feet around the shop, every 4 feet above the benches.

I run a water trap at the compressor and I have a portable one that I can plug in at whichever outlet I'm using if I notice a moisture problem.

 

[gkent]

Moisture is usually only an issue if you're running the compressor continuously for a while - like running a blast cabinet. Air tools can handle a bit of moisture as long as you keep them oiled. Painting is a whole different story ... don't do it on humid days (which isn't recommended anyway), use your water traps, use a dryer and use a final hose that's dedicated to painting. NEVER run an inline oiler in your system or you'll never be able to use that system to paint.

 

[Brandy]

Had another idea today. Any reason I couldn't use that 5 HP motor as a buffing wheel?

 

[gkent]

Normally buffers have a double ended shaft that's threaded to take the wheels and retaining rings. But if you can figure a way to mount wheels, go for it.

 

[Brandy]

Well it has one shaft, with a pulley on it. I will examine that and see about it. I was asking more for the RPM of a buffer vs the motor. OR, I could rig up a short belt and a axle with the buffer heads and let the motor drive the axle.....

 

[gkent]

Y'know, buffers are pretty darn cheap at Harbor Freight - especially if you catch a sail. You're going to spend more and waste time building one. Save that 5 hp motor for something else. Just a thought.

 

[Brandy]

such as?

 

[Superb Bee]

For a little compressor like that you can do a few things to help with performance and ease of use.
1 is an after cooler that was already mentioned, plenty of threads on how to accomplish this

another is to install a small starter, that pump is using the psi switch as a high amp switch, this will most likely be the first thing to fail, you can get a start for that motor very cheap on ebay, I bought one for a similar size motor for $19 recently. This would be the issue with switching to 5hp, them psi switches dont like turning on high amp loads, and a 5hp would need a starter.

An auto drain, used to be very expensive now they are $20-30 on amazon very handy

changing the oil to royal purple syn film, lowers temps, lasts a long time, well worth its price.

Check the belt tension, sometimes these units are jarred in shipping, assembled on a monday, or buy a guy on his first day, so the belts can be too loose or too tight, getting the belt tension correct on a compressor is a good idea, even when I get a new unit I check the tension, it can always use a little tweaking.

Another nice part for a compressor, and it may not be useful to you, but I sandblast a lot, so when I am blasting the compressor will run non stop, but if I stop blasting for 10 seconds it will kick the compressor off then I start blasting and its kicking back on, on and off does a lot more wear and tear than continuous running, cdi sells a valve that you install and has a little switch on it, when you flip the switch it will run to a certain psi and then unload it before the check valve so now the compressor will run (with NO load against it) dumping the air out before it goes into the tank, its a lot better for your compressor, the motor, and your electric bill, than on and off operation. When you flip the switch back it just runs normal, it has no electrical connections just installs inline from pump to tank.

If you dont blast or your pump takes longer than you stop blasting for to build back up to high limit, than it wont be that handy, but for me I have a big pump and it fills the tank very fast. so it would just click off, but now with this valve, it just runs with no load until I start blasting again.

with a cooler, an auto drain, a starter, good oil, proper wiring size and breaker you will get the most out of your compressor and it will last a while. Some anti vibration pads are nice, and you would be amazed at how much quieter your garage will be if you pipe the air inlet outside with some sched 40 pvc and a kn conical filter, 85% of the noise is coming form the intake / air filter on a piston compressor.

 

[gkent]

Another nice part for a compressor, and it may not be useful to you, but I sandblast a lot, so when I am blasting the compressor will run non stop, but if I stop blasting for 10 seconds it will kick the compressor off then I start blasting and its kicking back on, on and off

I think there is a problem with the thresholds on your compressor. For example, mine are set at 120 to shut off and 80 to turn on. If the compressor is fully charged and I start blasting it will only kick on at 80. If I continue to blast it continues to run (as does yours) but if I stop, the compressor runs till its full at 120 again. If yours kicks on and off your thresholds are set too close together i.e you start blasting at 120 but the lower threshhold is only 115 so it kicks on right away but as soon as you stop your "big pump" hits 120 almost instantly and shuts off. The little switch you've installed is just a band aid.

 

[gkent]

such as?

No idea, but I wouldn't waste time building something I can buy cheaper. You'll spend as much turning that thing into a buffer as the whole kit will cost you from Harbor Freight.

 

[gkent]

An auto drain, used to be very expensive now they are $20-30 on amazon very handy

I bought the one at Harbor Freight - doesn't run on electricity. I don't know "how" it works but it does !!

 

[Brandy]

For a little compressor like that you can do a few things to help with performance and ease of use.
1 is an after cooler that was already mentioned, plenty of threads on how to accomplish this

another is to install a small starter, that pump is using the psi switch as a high amp switch, this will most likely be the first thing to fail, you can get a start for that motor very cheap on ebay, I bought one for a similar size motor for $19 recently. This would be the issue with switching to 5hp, them psi switches dont like turning on high amp loads, and a 5hp would need a starter.

An auto drain, used to be very expensive now they are $20-30 on amazon very handy

changing the oil to royal purple syn film, lowers temps, lasts a long time, well worth its price.

Check the belt tension, sometimes these units are jarred in shipping, assembled on a monday, or buy a guy on his first day, so the belts can be too loose or too tight, getting the belt tension correct on a compressor is a good idea, even when I get a new unit I check the tension, it can always use a little tweaking.

Another nice part for a compressor, and it may not be useful to you, but I sandblast a lot, so when I am blasting the compressor will run non stop, but if I stop blasting for 10 seconds it will kick the compressor off then I start blasting and its kicking back on, on and off does a lot more wear and tear than continuous running, cdi sells a valve that you install and has a little switch on it, when you flip the switch it will run to a certain psi and then unload it before the check valve so now the compressor will run (with NO load against it) dumping the air out before it goes into the tank, its a lot better for your compressor, the motor, and your electric bill, than on and off operation. When you flip the switch back it just runs normal, it has no electrical connections just installs inline from pump to tank.

If you dont blast or your pump takes longer than you stop blasting for to build back up to high limit, than it wont be that handy, but for me I have a big pump and it fills the tank very fast. so it would just click off, but now with this valve, it just runs with no load until I start blasting again.

with a cooler, an auto drain, a starter, good oil, proper wiring size and breaker you will get the most out of your compressor and it will last a while. Some anti vibration pads are nice, and you would be amazed at how much quieter your garage will be if you pipe the air inlet outside with some sched 40 pvc and a kn conical filter, 85% of the noise is coming form the intake / air filter on a piston compressor.

Those are great tips, thanks. I have not wired it up yet so I don't know how loud it will be, but, I can pipe it outside anyway. The compressor sheet has adjusting/checking belt tension as one of the must do's before use. It also says to use synthetic non detergent compressor oil, which I ordered from HD anyway. My wiring goes straight to a dedicated circuit breaker too. I just want to paint one damn car. and blast a few parts. and run some small air tools...

 

[Superb Bee]

I think there is a problem with the thresholds on your compressor. For example, mine are set at 120 to shut off and 80 to turn on. If the compressor is fully charged and I start blasting it will only kick on at 80. If I continue to blast it continues to run (as does yours) but if I stop, the compressor runs till its full at 120 again. If yours kicks on and off your thresholds are set too close together i.e you start blasting at 120 but the lower threshhold is only 115 so it kicks on right away but as soon as you stop your "big pump" hits 120 almost instantly and shuts off. The little switch you've installed is just a band aid.

80s a bit low to kick on, put a psi gauge at the end of your longest run with a hose on it, then check your psi when you open a line at 25% flow, so if you have a 3/8" line which is 3/32 I have a tee that I made with a cap and a 3/32 hole drilled into it, a gauge and valve. So I can test a 3/*" hose pressure drop. Ill bet you are down below 70psi before the compressor kicks on.

A good psi differential is 25psi, some guys go a bit wider, but if you do you really should have a good regulator setup, because with a single regulator at the tank, you will see variations in spray patters while spraying due to the pressure difference seen at the end of your run. I am a good painter and even I cant make up for inconsistent air pressure.
imo, pull in psi should be 15psi above your primary regs psi setting, so if you are set at 100 (I like 100 it gives most systems 90 at the outlet which most air tools specs are listed at).

I have designed air systems for commercial garages, I did a 12 bay disposal companies service center a few years back, 2 120 gallon 7.5hp recips each with a high temp refrigerated air dryer (a redundant desiccant dryer in their spray booth), one at each end of the garage with 1/2" loop system (so each outlet was few by 2 half inch ID lines), so it was a huge loop caught every outlet and both compressors. I wired that system with an alternating relay and the pressures were 115psi at primary regs, cut in was 125 cut out 155 second compressor kicked in at 120. System is still there and works flawlessly.

OP if you are painting, you need to look into water separation, you can never have too much, I use a refer dryer, after cooler, silica dryer, and a filter at the gun, nothing worse than a drip of water in your paint.

 

[Brandy]

I hear you. All that stuff costs money I don't have. So I will pick it all up bit by bit over time and then go after the painting.

 

[gkent]

A good psi differential is 25psi, some guys go a bit wider, but if you do you really should have a good regulator setup, because with a single regulator at the tank, you will see variations in spray patters while spraying due to the pressure difference seen at the end of your run. I am a good painter and even I cant make up for inconsistent air pressure.

Its been running like this for 25 years and runs anything I want to my satisfaction. When I'm painting I use a second regulator at the outlet 20' down from, the gun. Another small regulator right at the gun. With HVLP only needing 45 psi, there's never an issue with inconsistent pressure.

 

[AMX364]

I used a auto drain for about 3 years till the piston seal rolled. Now I use a simple 90 deg valve connected to the bottom and then run to outside. One place I worked had the compressor drain by the water cooler and those waiting to drink would drain the compressors.

 

[BobJ]

I have a auto drain and will only plug it in manually. It's to loud in my shop so I guess that I should run the line outside.

 

[Brandy]

how often do you drain them?

 

[AMX364]

Compressor draining depends on the usage. Right now about every other month(not out there at this time, CHF), when I was working about every other day. You can hear outside when the water quits coming out. Running the drains to the outside sure stopped the mess on the floor.

 

[Brandy]

I must be dense, do you not simply drain it once when you begin using it? Or, are you saying an automatic drain drains it off periodically while it's in use?