Best Pipe for Compressed Air

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> What would you recommend? </font>
Check out Garage Pak.

 

[OkeeDon]

I've never used anything but PVC. I'm well aware of all the theories and warnings about exploding pipe, but it's never happened to me. Even if it did, I doubt it would explode -- at the first fissure, the air escapes and the danger is gone. While I've never had any break due to pressure, I have bumped a pipe and broken it -- big whoosh, then nothing.

It's definitely the cheapest, quickest and easiest solution. In fact, it's so cheap, if you get concerned about a section, just rip it out and replace it. Use sched 40, of course.

Next, would be galvanized pipe (or black iron if it's not exposed). But, as mentioned, you need a cutter, thread vise, and a threading wrench and dies. I bought a cheap rig from Harbor Freight which has served me faithfully, but we only use it occasionally. A Rigid threader can run into hundreds of dollars.

I never considered copper pipe. Too expensive in the diameters needed. Easier to work with than the iron pipe, but I don't think I'd trust getting every joint sweated properly to hold that much pressure.

Don't think about the flexible hose method -- it will droop between fasteners and collect moisture.

I run all my pipe overhead and at a slight angle away from the compressor for drainage. I have drop pipes that come down to the connections, and each drop pipe is then extended a couple of feet below the connection and terminated with a plastic ball valve. Condensation drops below the connection tee, collects in the lower pipe, and I open the ball valve periodically to drain the water.

Part of the remodeling I'm doing to prepare my commercial property for sale is to remove any potential liabilities. Since I'm taking my compressor with me, and have no idea what kind of business will buy the shop, I took down the PVC airlines. They had been up for about 11 years, and there was no sign of any degradation. Some of the drop pipes were exposed to partial Florida sunlight, and I especially checked those pipes to see if there had been any weakening from UV. What I did was to deliberately try to break the pipes. A couple snapped easier than the others (but still with difficulty), leading me to think that any PVC pipe exposed to UV should be replaced in 10 years. That's my advice to myself; don't rely on my time estimate.

I will be using PVC in the new barn.

 

[JimR]

Any manufacturing facility is set up with iron pipe. It is not that hard to use. You can buy the pipe to length already threaded. The failure rate is nill. Put a regulator and air/water seperator at the compressor and at the pipe ends. I would run full pressure through the lines. My compressor is set for 175 psi. I did not pipe my garage as it was not needed. My compressor is under my second floor stairway at the back of my garage. All areas of the garage can be reached with a hose from there.

 

[johnbilt]

Hi

Black pipe is the best overall. Check the TipTools website for a great diagram on layout, filtering, etc....

Have Fun

John

 

[BXMMCC]

We did my bro-in-law's auto repair business in galvanized iron about 40 or so years ago, and it still looks and works good. Today, I'd use schedule 80 threaded PVC for a non-business application.
But then, when one gives it some thought, maybe the idea of using compressed air hose deserves more consideration. If the shed isn't too big, half inch air hose run thru PVC conduit (PVC conduit for support/protection)????? Hmmm.
With any method, be sure to turn the compressor motor control off when you leave the shed for the day.

 

[BXMMCC]

DocHeb
"There are two thicknesses of copper - type M and type L. "

I always thought that types M and L and K had something to do with hardness or ductibility primarily, and thickness second.
Could have been wrong tho...

 

[DocHeb]

All three types have the same outside diameter (O.D.), but the Type K has a thicker wall than Type L and therefore has a smaller Inside Diameter (I.D.). Type M is very thin and would not be appropriate for the pressures we're discussing. Both Types K and L come in two different "Tempers", annealed (soft/flexible) and drawn (hard/rigid) . There is a nice summary at Sizes.com - Copper water tubing.

 

[disk_drive_eng]

House air at my employer's manufacturing facilities is done in copper pipe. Most other places I've seen around here are also copper. May be a regional preference or code, I don't know.

I plan to use 3/4 inch copper when I pipe air around my shop this summer. The 3/4 size inch will have plenty of flow with low pressure drop for running bigger tools. References I have show Type L working pressure rating of around 500-600 psi, plenty for me using 120 to 180 psi.

 

[BillyP]

I have 3,600' of 1/2" PVC in the fogger system, in my poultry houses. Pressure runs 100 to 200 PSI (depending on weather)and the PVC hasn't burst since installed. That was 14 years ago.

 

[Henro]

While I have no doubt that PVC would work fine, I think I am going to use copper tubing.

Copper Tube Handbook can be downloaded from this page

I just like the idea of metal over plastic, and apparently there is an upside of metal, that is the air cools faster and moisture drops out sooner...

Even the type M (red) tubing has a rated working pressure of something like 500 lbs plus. The copper tube handbook has a lot of info. Worth downloading if you are interested.

I do have another question related to piping up the compressor. It will be bolted to the floor and leveled. Is it advisable to hard pipe right up to the outlet valve on the compressor, or should I put some kind of hose link in between the compressor and the rigid piping, sort of a vibration damper? Are such things commonly sold, or dose one normally just make something up himself?

My gut says I should have some kind of hose between the compressor and the piping...guess I will find out more when I get the compressor wired in tomorrow... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif