Garage Air Mounted Lines

[4570Man]

I thought I remembered someone on here using Pex-A for air lines. I could be wrong.

Pex won’t blow into splinters like pvc. It’s not that much different from the poly tube frequently used in truck airlines. I’d have no problem using pex for shop air supply just keep in mind it’s not intended for UV exposure.

 

[4570Man]

This pvc held up quite well for the test but it was also brand new. It would have shattered much easier as it gets older.

 

[ruffdog]

The shops I worked at had black pipe. The pipe works good for hanging all sorts of things off of it like extension cords and other stuff.

 

[mikester]

If you do the black pipe route make sure to put in filters/oilers at your drops. You will see rust.

 

[EddieWalker]

My shop is only 24x30, so I can reach everything in it with a 50 foot hose.

What has been really handy for me is having a T on my air compressor, and a 100 foot hose that goes through the wall, and hangs on a garden hose holder on my outside wall. I use that air line ten times more then the one inside my shop. Maybe a lot more then that!!!! Most of the time, it's to air up tires or blow out my radiators.

I also have another 100 foot line that I can add to the one that comes in handy. The most common reason for adding the extra hoses is to install siding on my house and shed.

I know the original question wasn't about hoses, but for me, I think it's more important to have several hoses, then it is to have rigid pipe installed on my walls.

 

[not2old]

My garage is 26x24 and I've been using a 50' hose on a hand reel mounted on my portable compressor. At times it's a pain to get extra hose just for a few extra feet needed and then coil it back up to put it away. The next step is wiring my 31x43 shop and I plan to pipe air to the overhead door, to a bench beside the rear pedestrian door, to a post beside the hoist, and beside the welding area. I'm leaning towards 3/4 copper but haven't checked out some of the newer products designed for air. I'm planning on getting a 5HP two stage compressor that will support a sand blaster. The big question is do I bury the pipe in the walls or mount it on the surface?

 

[GSVette]

I did the whole built in compressor lines in my last shop- including retractable air lines and multiple drops. In my new shop I elected to go with a relatively large, vertical, portable compressor ( as opposed to the 6 hp/60 gallon fixed compressor in the prior shop)- I find it much more convenient to move the compressor to the work and use 25 or 50’ air hoses.

I’m also using fewer pneumatic tools these days-I’ve gone cordless for many tools that used to be air.

 

[MMC]

My garage is 26x24 and I've been using a 50' hose on a hand reel mounted on my portable compressor. At times it's a pain to get extra hose just for a few extra feet needed and then coil it back up to put it away. The next step is wiring my 31x43 shop and I plan to pipe air to the overhead door, to a bench beside the rear pedestrian door, to a post beside the hoist, and beside the welding area. I'm leaning towards 3/4 copper but haven't checked out some of the newer products designed for air. I'm planning on getting a 5HP two stage compressor that will support a sand blaster. The big question is do I bury the pipe in the walls or mount it on the surface?

I sweated copper for my shop main lines - used Type L. Type M is a little thin and K is so heavy as to be cost prohibitive for most of us. I run my main lines at around 170PSI max.

I would suggest never putting lines behind a wall. All compressed air will have water in it. You will need drain valves on every drop to bleed off that water from your system. Those drains need to be exposed. Forget that and you will freeze any pipe behind the wall. And then...well you fill in the blank. Plus, you will feel guilty about not opening that drain every now and then if you see the valve(s) and pipe(s) every day LOL.

Putting in water filters and moisture indicators is a really good idea, especially if you might be painting using your system.

Like others here, I would never use PVC in a compressed air system. Just too dangerous with time. But, you can certainly save some money with quality hoses/reels running from your drops. Lots of stuff online about how to design your system if you look around. But...more valves (ball type) and drains are the most important part of your initial design. And make sure your compressor will support air delivery to any tools you use now and in the future. In my opinion,naturally.

Best of luck.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I used PVC in my shop for awhile but found it to be too fragile. I nicked a line once with a pry bar when it slipped off the part I was working on and it went off like a bomb. I wound up replacing it all with copper.

PVC might work fine for some, but it depends on what type of shop it is. Might wind up being a target for flying objects.

 

[cmyoung2]

25x40 shop. 1" black pipe down one side and across the back, with a drop every ten ft(length of the pipe), and a drop outside. I have one 50' retractable reel plus a few hundred feet of hose, some fairly good 1/2" and 3/8" and a couple of 100'x1/4" to get air to the greenhouse and yard apple trees to use pneumatic pruners. So I can have air about anywhere I need it in the house, yard, greenhouse, and shop. And tools like nailers and pruners don't need a high volume of air, so the small cheap hoses work ok. PVC scares me, a little sun and bad things happen. I also use hydraulic hose coming off the compressor where there might be oil. Had oil break down a rubber hose on a compressor, when it gave way I thought the devil himself had come to get me. Changed a lot of habits that day.