[mrennie]

Hello:

I have read many posts asking about how to run air lines in a shop, what kind of pipe to use, how to keep air dry, etc., so I thought I would pass along some info on what I did for my shop.

I have a 7.5 HP, 23 CFM compressor, and since I planned on sandblasting and painting I wanted to make sure the air was as dry as possible. Since I am cheap, I didn't want to spring for a refriderated dryer or anything that had an ongoing cost to maintain (the electricity to run the compressor is painful enough!!)

After some online searching I came across several diagrams and suggestions from various compressor and filter manufacturers that had the same theme:

-install an aftercooler after the pump

-build a system that will require the air to travel a minimum of 25' before it reaches a water filter

-slope the main distribution line away from the storage tank

-install water traps as far form the tank as possible (or alternately, install water traps as close to the tool as possible)

-tap off the main line by going upwards and then down, to minimize carryover of water into the regulator/filter

-provide a drain at the low point of the main line

-provide a drip leg with drain at each regulator.

To incorporate all these features takes some planning, and the material is expensive, but the remeber that the quality of the air will be directly related to how much water you can extract before it reaches the tool. After using my system for a year, I have seen no evidence of water while using my tools, and the water traps on my filter/regulators have never had water in them.

The majority of the water is condensed at the tank, and what doesn't fall out there is trapped in the water trap I built for the output of the tank. I will attach pics of each with some explanations.