advice needed on new compressor installation

My preference is to use rigid copper lines. Second choice would be black pipe (gas pipe). A distant third choice would be galvanized pipe. Copper gives the cleanest system. Black pipe can rust if the air isn't dry. Galvanized coatings tend to flake over time due to vibration, and block regulators or filters.

Lines should be run with sufficient fall that any water in the line will drain by gravity to the low point, where a drop leg with a water drain should be installed. In complex systems, more than one drain may be required.

But if you need dry air, and you nearly always do, the lines should be fed by a refrigerator dryer, velocity trap, and coalescing filters. That way very little water will reach the lines. You still need the fall and the drain, but it'll have much less work to do.

Gary

FYI

FYI

You can filter through the opinions of different airline materials, or just do the smart thing and go with copper. The link posted above should have the proper layout info. Additional inline storage tanks will get quite a bit of water out of the air. Whatever the physics may be can be explained by someone else. I do know that it works very well.

mj

Lots of good advice here one small point not made is that it is good practice to take branch lines from the top of main lines, this is just one more small step in not letting dirt water crud get to the point of use.

Jack

"Jack Hayes" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

Always come off the top of the pipe at least 8" before turning down. Always run a drip leg at every outlet. The drip leg should be constructed of a Tee, with the drip leg going straight down in line with the vertical pipe, your outlet should come off the side. The purpose is, a turn of more than 7° in an airstream flow will cause moisture and other particles to be 'flung out' of suspension, since they can't make the turn at the same rate as the air. Automatic water drains on your tanks, and at your line drain. I definately recommend a dryer for the system. I also recommend Black Iron pipe. Copper is clean, yes, but is somewhat fragile also, and fragile while maybe ok for a home shop, doesn't work very well in an industrial setting. Check with your insurer regarding this, they may dictate which type of pipe you use. Oversize your pipe. This allows slower air velocities, which helps moisture and particles to fall out of suspension, allows more time for the air to cool and it also adds to the reserve capacity of the system.

My insurance company and the Fire Department both said: "No Copper!", coppper is fine for home shops but not in industry, it's too fragile. Trust me, it will get hit! Use black pipe, bigger than you think you need and use plugged "T's" instead of couplers, You WILL want more drops later. Use drip legs at every turn.

I can see "no copper" for the fire system, but isn't this thread about the production air lines?

I would HOPE people are keeping the two pressure system seperate. Setting off all the sprinklers because some idiot ran a forklift into an air outlet at a bench would be more than just annoying.

I thought it was strange too, but the industrial consultant from the fire department specifically asked me if any air lines were copper and stated that copper air lines are a violation.

I'm pretty sure ours is iron from the flex to the sprinklers. The working system is all copper. (Two systems.)

(shrug) Local codes.

Strange.. We run compressed air to all 35 buildings of a major pharma companies manufact plant in nothing but copper.

Yep, same here. Our primary air system is all copper, has been for 35 years. The sprinkler system is black pipe. It is a dry system, and has its own (tiny) air compressor to keep it pressurized until it is set off.

Gary

Not in So. California.

Gunner

"By calling attention to 'a well regulated militia', the 'security' of the nation, and the right of each citizen 'to keep and bear arms', our founding fathers recognized the essentially civilian nature of our economy. Although it is extremely unlikely that the fears of governmental tyranny which gave rise to the Second Amendment will ever be a major danger to our nation, the Amendment still remains an important declaration of our basic civilian-military relationships, in which every citizen must be ready to participate in the defense of his country. For that reason, I believe the Second Amendment will always be important." -- Senator John F. Kennedy, (D) 1960

Isn't this covered in the Uniform Plumbing Code? Uniform Mechanical Code? If not there, some other code, perhaps a fire code? Don't take other peoples word on this. I've found over the years that often the ones who are supposed to be the experts, aren't. I'm baffeled about why a fire code would dictate requirements for compressed air plumbing. I've certainly seen a lot of copper tube airlines in fairly heavy industry.

On Mon, 05 Apr 2004 02:25:58 GMT, "Tom Gardner" brought forth from the murky depths:

If so, it's probably some plumber's union which bent the city over on that one.

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Copper compressed air lines where I work, too (large semiconductor mfg).

-- Greg

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Bruce, I think you meant to say that "L" is thicker than "M". Chief

Thanks all for the advise and diagrams. I have contacted our local fire department and our insurance co. and will advise what I find out.

I need to purchase an 80 gallon tank, and some accessories to install. Any recommendations on where to go? Grainger? I am in Southern California.

Thanks again,

Jason