AIR LINE EXPLOSION

[RBManufacturing]

HI GUYS,
Rick here. Wanted to share some info. on air lines. My neighbor Larry ran a rigid air line from his compressor at
the back of his garage, to the front. He rented a pipe threader
and bought the pipe, fittings, and a regulator and in line oiler.
He mounted the in line oiler first, then the regulator. He has
used it this way for 2-3 months. Yesterday they took him to
the hospital with a large bump on his head and a minor
concussion. Oil passing through a regulator vaporizes,
and mixes with the air under pressure and CAN EXPLODE!!!
The front of the regulator blew off, striking him on left side
of forehead. I had heard of this being possible, but had
never heard of it actually happening. Also, never use oil
on pipe threads when cutting threads. It can do the same thing
when it reaches the regulator. If oil is used, the pipe must be
cleaned with a solvent to remove oil before assembly. Maybe
it is better to live and learn than to die never knowing.
Rick

 

[Bird]

Good information, Rick.

 

[Green_in_MI]

Ok I sort of understand the conditions that were created in the mix. But why did it take the next step and explode? Surely other toolnuts here have a similar setup without the same results. You said you have never heard of it happening before. What is different this time?

 

[Bird]

I'll just speculate on why it worked without exploding for awhile, and then one day exploded. As Rick said, the oil can vaporize going through the regulator, and that might not be a problem for a long time, but then one day if you have the compressor running long enough . . ., remember that compressing air also heats it, so if it ran quite awhile and got warmer, then hotter, then . . .. That would be my best guess; what do you think?

 

[Green_in_MI]

Thanks Bird. Ok, I will try to avoid using my air compressor as a diesel engine. Did this happen because the in-line oiler was upstream of the regulator? Is it corret to place the oiler after the regulator? I don't use a line oiler now, I just put drops of oil in to my tools before I start using them. Does that accomplish the same thing?

 

[em14]

I don't use an inline oiler because I don't know where I may want to use a spray gun ... that helps to keep oil out of the paint ... I don't want to get oil in my airlines ... also, I don't use a regulator until the end of each run that way I can adjust the presure nearer to the tool and I can get a truer read of the presure going to the tool ... of course where ever I use the spray gun I must use a water seperator ... since I moved a little while back I have only put up a small distribution system but later will have a large one in the next shop ... Sorry to hear of your friends injury .. thanks for bringing that to everyone's attention ... this stuff can hurt you ...
Leo

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Hi,

I know grease and Oxygen are never to be mixed or fire results...suppose oil may give similar results...

Just curious... how was it determined that there was an explosion, as compared to just a mechanical failure of the regulator body?

You friend is lucky...glad he is OK. Could easily lose an eye in a situation like that! If not one's life...

Bill in Pgh, PA

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>I don't use a line oiler now, I just put drops of oil in to my tools before I start using them.</font color=blue>

I never used an inline oiler either, both because of cost and because I sometimes used a paint gun and sandblaster than I didn't want to get any oil in, but IF you use one, then it should be inline AFTER the regulator instead of before. I consider an inline oiler simply as a time saver for mechanics who are going to be running those tools a good part of each day.

Putting a few drops of oil into the air intake of the tools works just as well as long as you remember to do that. And there's certainly nothing wrong with doing it BEFORE you start using them, but it may be even more important to do it AFTER you use them. I guess you know you cannot damage the tool with too much oil; the excess is simply blown out the exhaust. But unless you have a really good water separator, you'll get a little bit of moisture in the tool while using it, and you blow most of the oil out the exhaust, so putting a little oil in there and giving it one short blast of air to circulate it throughout the tool before putting the tool away will prevent corrosion and make the tool last a lot longer.

 

[cpicton1]

I use an inline oiler that is mounted on the tool itself. That way you only get oil in the tool, not the air line.

 

[Bird]

Yep, those are a good idea, and by the same token, you can buy a cheap, throw away, dryer about the same size to put on your paint spray gun instead of those expensive inline ones.