Cornish Rattler Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 Hi guys I am running a new 14.5 cfm airmaster compressor for running airtools with and just recently noticed water coming out of the fittings, can you buy a water trap for this type of compressor as at some point we want to respray the 2a and possible the 90 in the future, what do you think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inigo Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 I ran a big u-tube in copper pipe to act as an air cooled condenser before the water trap. Every once in a while I open the valve at the bottom to drain the water out, it collects some water so must be working to an extent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Sparkes Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 Yes you can buy water traps as separate items. There should be one with every compressor, but there again, budget is budget, and in seeking an ever cheaper prices a 'non-essential' like a water trap can be omitted. I bought a self draining water trap, in that the valve could be set to open, under spring pressure, when there was no air pressure in the line feed. Two points to be going on with: Are you draining water out of the receiver tank at the end of every day? Any water trap can be overloaded it the air is being blown across a puddle of water, never mind carrying moisture from its own compression. If it's a pain to get down to the drain plug then removing the bung which contains the fiddly brass plug, and replacing the assembly with a piped in remote drain plug will be a very worthwhile idea. I suggest removing the existing bung (not just the little drain plug) so you can have it in your hand when you visit you local 'compressed air store' is a good idea, so you can match threads. Buy a roll of PTFE tape at the same time. To my mind noy only does it help seal the joint, but it also reduces the rust contact area between the fitting threads. The bungs can be sealed with a very strong sealant. It can take two of you to remove the bung, one to swing on the extended spanner, or Stillson, the other to stop the whole compressor spinning across the workshop floor. Depending on your kit, it might be possible to create a sort of 'compressor suicide' situation, where the compressor powers an air ratchet used to remove the bung, which when totally removed will stop the compressor producing any useful output!! I didn't do it myself, but if I knew then what I knew now .... When working with air before the point of delivery always go for the largest bore size possible. Forget the commonly available '1/4"' sizes, go for 3/8" or 1/2" bore. It's true, this decision will take you out of the range of Machine Mart mass produced cheapies, but that is no bad thing. Sorry I can mainly provide only guidance based on bad practice, not direct 'buy this specific item'. Regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Rattler Posted August 19, 2016 Author Share Posted August 19, 2016 Yes you can buy water traps as separate items. There should be one with every compressor, but there again, budget is budget, and in seeking an ever cheaper prices a 'non-essential' like a water trap can be omitted. I bought a self draining water trap, in that the valve could be set to open, under spring pressure, when there was no air pressure in the line feed. Two points to be going on with: Are you draining water out of the receiver tank at the end of every day? Any water trap can be overloaded it the air is being blown across a puddle of water, never mind carrying moisture from its own compression. If it's a pain to get down to the drain plug then removing the bung which contains the fiddly brass plug, and replacing the assembly with a piped in remote drain plug will be a very worthwhile idea. I suggest removing the existing bung (not just the little drain plug) so you can have it in your hand when you visit you local 'compressed air store' is a good idea, so you can match threads. Buy a roll of PTFE tape at the same time. To my mind noy only does it help seal the joint, but it also reduces the rust contact area between the fitting threads. The bungs can be sealed with a very strong sealant. It can take two of you to remove the bung, one to swing on the extended spanner, or Stillson, the other to stop the whole compressor spinning across the workshop floor. Depending on your kit, it might be possible to create a sort of 'compressor suicide' situation, where the compressor powers an air ratchet used to remove the bung, which when totally removed will stop the compressor producing any useful output!! I didn't do it myself, but if I knew then what I knew now .... When working with air before the point of delivery always go for the largest bore size possible. Forget the commonly available '1/4"' sizes, go for 3/8" or 1/2" bore. It's true, this decision will take you out of the range of Machine Mart mass produced cheapies, but that is no bad thing. Sorry I can mainly provide only guidance based on bad practice, not direct 'buy this specific item'. Regards. Yeah I am draining the comp off every time I use the comp think I have missed a couple of times two or three times I think since buying it earlier this year and is always used in the garage and uses the std 1/4 pipe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex Member Posted August 20, 2016 Share Posted August 20, 2016 You will always get water condensing. At pressure, the air will always be below the dew point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickwilliams Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 Depending on your kit, it might be possible to create a sort of 'compressor suicide' situation, where the compressor powers an air ratchet used to remove the bung, which when totally removed will stop the compressor producing any useful output!! Not a clever plan, there is a fair chance the bung will become a projectile if you do this. One of the reasons for having a drain on the tank is because you need to open it to make damn sure the tank is empty before you do any kind of work on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickwilliams Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 The air receiver makes a pretty effective dryer if you set it up properly. I have a 120l vertical tank. Incoming air from the compressor comes in towards the bottom and the outlet is near the top. There is a Beko autodrain on the bottom of the tank. There is a coalescing filter on the outlet upstream of a filter/regulator unit which sets the outlet line pressure. In over 10 years of use, frequently fairly heavy, I have never had to drain the coalescing filter or the regulator bowl - all the water is condensed out by the expansion of the air into the receiver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 Depending on your kit, it might be possible to create a sort of 'compressor suicide' situation, where the compressor powers an air ratchet used to remove the bung, which when totally removed will stop the compressor producing any useful output!! Don't go doing that! That's really not a clever idea as you need to bear in mind that the tank is going to be a much higher pressure than the ~90psi needed for the tool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Sparkes Posted August 22, 2016 Share Posted August 22, 2016 OK, two people have chastised me for making a silly suggestion. It was not my intention that the bung should be unscrewed completely, just that the thread lock seal was broken. However, I didn't make that clear enough, so the warnings are justified. Regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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