Compressor water separators

[5trucks]

Was wondering how all you shop guys are running your air filters,water separators and oilers off your compressor? With high humidity, should more than one separator be used? Pics would be great. Right now i run a water separator and then regulator. I still get a bit of water spurting out of my tools at times. I keep them oiled (by hand) but want to know if running an oiler is a good idea?

[Albin]

Google "Franzinator" and you'll get tons of ideas about a simple mechanical water separator system.

The problem is that your "water separator" isn't separating out the high humidity compressed air water vapor because the air temp is too high for the water to condense out. The Franzinator is a simple device to cool this air so the water will drain out.

A pic of my Franzinator is shown below. 5" x 3/8" square tubing about 5' long, weighs about 120 lbs. It will cool a lot of air.

Since this pic was taken, I've modified it to have the hot air come down a 3/4" pipe to the bottom of the square tubing, forcing the hot air to travel the entire length of the tubing to cool it.

Good luck.

Al

[dopeassjackson]

yea some sort of heat sink will help cool the air so the water can get out of it. we use a zig zag of steel pipe. there like 3ft long and have two 90* on each end then another 3ft piece running the other way. probaly about 10ft of pipe with a separator at the bottom. all the stuff can be found at your local hardware store.

[TNToy]

The larger the diameter, the better. Huge diameter means much lower velocity through the pip - air stays in it getting cooled off longer.

I've seen trans coolers bolted in front of the fan/pulley on a dual-stage compessor, too. Arranged so that air flows through it BEFORE it enters the tank on the compressor.

As the air is cooled, it can't hold nearly as much moisture. Hence the reason refrigerant air driers are so much more effective.

[Wyoming9]

I like that idea.

The air from the compressor comes in the top then then you draw the air out where??

Of course you would need a drain in the bottom.

Or does the 3/4 pipe go to the bottom of the tube while you draw out the top.

Given enough time I could figure it out.:grinpimp:

[nvrenuf]

Air comes in the side around miday and then out the top. Moisture falls to the bottom where the drain is.

[Wyoming9]

Being your down in the tropics .

How would this work in below 32 degree temps I understand that the moisture will be much higher on those hot humid days.

It would work even better warm air colder tank.:grinpimp: