air compressor H2O problem

[Jerry]

I have a 5 hp compressor with 80 gal tank made in China. The unit makes compressed air well but lots of water comes through the hose. I have a NAPA water separator prior to the hose (tank-separator-hose) which seems to never collect water. The separator cost $85 so I expected it to work. Do any of you have any suggestions. The water plugs my bead blaster.

Jerry

 

[TR3driver]

Most likely, the problem is that the air is still warm when it passes through the separator (meaning the water is still vapor), and then cools in the hose to condense to liquid. The separator will only remove liquid water.

One solution is to make your own chiller, which can be as simple as a coil of copper tubing in a 5 gallon pickle bucket or similar, plumbed in before the separator. When you get ready to work, dump a bag of ice in the bucket.

 

[weewillie]

This may sound stupid but you do drain the tank every day or night don't you.

 

[weewillie]

you may want to check this out
https://www.oldsmobility.com/air-compressor-piping.htm

 

[Jerry]

Good info on this site. I will try some of these ideas. I do have a plastic coil that I can put in a water bucket and then to the separator.

Also, I don't drain the tank every time. I will have to mark that down as a daily task.

Jerry

 

[bill_young]

A hint I learned from a guy where I work, if you use some common plumbing pipe to extend the drain out from under the tank it will both make it easier to drain and also easier to remember since it's no longer a "chore". Place a common ball type valve in line and turn the end down and you can easily collect any liquid in a bucket.

 

[TR3driver]

What I did was leave the line down near the floor, so I could operate the valve lever with a toe. Kept meaning to run the outlet outdoors, but never got that part done (so it just runs out on the floor and dries).

The new setup will have two automatic drains, one on the tank and one on the first drop leg near the compressor.

 

[weewillie]

I have an automatic drain on mine and when the pressure drops below 5lbs it opens and drains the tank

 

[tomshobby]

When you make the connection for your hose use a tee and a down pipe with a petcock drain.

Connect the tee to a horizontal pipe using the middle leg of the tee. Make the pipe down from the tee about 10 inches and run the hose off the top vertical opening of the tee. This will collect most of the moisture in the down pipe. Just open the petcock once in a while while you are working.

 

[PAUL161]

Sold by Van Air Systems, this automatic drain devise works so well, there is zero loss of air pressure. It requires no electricity and works off of air pressure in the system. Install it and forget it. Not cheap, but what is!