Air Compressor Water Drain??

[Pete6114]

I agree with ray66v.
A fan blowing on the compressor pump and lines is not nearly as efficient as a aftercooler but is better then nothing on a shop compressor that runs often. But even moisture that a aftercooler takes out of the compressed air, drains back in to the tank. If moisture free air is desired for your tools, paint sprayer or plasma cutter, even a aftercooler is not enough and a dryer is necessary.

Anyways.....A automatic drain is the way to go!

 

[woodlandfarms]

We had a huge old compressor at work. And it had an electric drain off on it. Problem was that the crack of the solenoid releasing air, and the air itself, would make you mess your pants it was so loud. And you never knew when it was going to go off.

 

[ray66v]

We had a huge old compressor at work. And it had an electric drain off on it. Problem was that the crack of the solenoid releasing air, and the air itself, would make you mess your pants it was so loud. And you never knew when it was going to go off.

When I was a kid, I worked in a shop that had a 10hp 3ph compressor in the bathroom. It used to literally scare the crap out of people, if it kicked on when they were on the pot.

Here is how I deal with mine, which admittedly doesn't get much of a workout anymore:

I plugged the electric drain valve into one of those plug in mechanical timers like you use for Christmas lights, which is set to turn on the valve for 30 minutes, (the shortest interval), at midnight, and noon. Then, on the valve, there is a setting for how long the valve remains open. which I set for 15 seconds, and a setting for how often which I set on continuous.

Now, it only opens twice a day, once at midnight, and once at lunch time, for 15 seconds each.

I get the best of both worlds. I almost never hear it drain, and I never have to remember to do it.

Piping the discharge hose under the concrete, also helps a lot to quiet it down.

 

[troutsqueezer]

I'm lazy, I don't drain any of my three compressors. Just decided some years ago to see how long it would for a tank to fail if there was water in it all the time. So far, about twenty years into it and everything's holding. If I had known they'd last this long, I would have taken better care of them.

 

[mvwicker]

I'm lazy, I don't drain any of my three compressors. Just decided some years ago to see how long it would for a tank to fail if there was water in it all the time. So far, about twenty years into it and everything's holding. If I had known they'd last this long, I would have taken better care of them.

:shocked:After 20 years you might indeed have a gallon of water in the tank, probably very rusty brown water, too.

 

[Ken45101]

So, you see that the air has to cool to condense, but you don't see the benefit of not heating it in the first place. :confused3:

I had a entire career working in a shop, to find out what worked, and what didn't here. If you don't agree, don't put a fan on your compressor, I don't care.

The amount of water that condenses in the tank is a function of the humidity in the intake (ambient) air and the pressure in the tank relative to atmospheric pressure. Warming (or not warming) the air during compression has no affect on the condensation inside the tank.

Just where do you think the moisture goes that's in the ambient air if you heat it less when you compress it? It doesn't disappear.

 

[groundcover]

I put Street el, a long nipple, a 1/4 turn valve and a short piece of air hose on the end. Just stick the hose into a gallon jug and drain away! On the high pressure compressor the drain hose goes through a hole drilled in the cap of a 5gal jug, a zip tie around the end of the hose keeps it from pulling out.

 

[Johnp33]

I have two tanks, by the time the air gets to the second tan it has cooled, The shop I worked at had a very expensive filtration system. It was near sea level, so we drained at least a gallon of water a day, I installed a plastic hose to the drain, and a 3/8 ball valve to the wall, the hose drained outside. We shut the compressor off every night, and fully drained it, in the morning you checked the oil, started the compressor then shut the valve.

 

[charlz]

Another one with a elbow, pipe and ball valve. Just open it once in a while. If I have gotten a tablespoon of water at any one time I would be surprised.