Compressor auto-drains

[Curt Goodrich]

Anybody else using one? I put one on when setting up the paint booth. I figured it was a good idea to reduce some of the moisture in the lines before the air gets to the expensive moisture and particulate filters for the paint gun. I've had zero moisture coming out of the paint gun. That's great. But I'm still getting the usual amount of moisture on my other air lines. I know the drain is working because periodically I hear it draining but I'm a little disappointed. Anybody else have similar experiences? Bueller?

[Jonathan]

I set up my lines with several low points with drains. The humid FL air provides a ton of moisture.

[Curt Goodrich]

I bet you get lots of moisture. Pretty humid here too. Think I'll set up a trap before the air line for the bench. It always bums me out feeling water spraying out of my dynafile.

[crumpton]

I bet you get lots of moisture. Pretty humid here too. Think I'll set up a trap before the air line for the bench. It always bums me out feeling water spraying out of my dynafile.

don't set the trap right at the tank. give yourself 5-10'. when i had a trap set right on exit, didn't do squat, learned the moisture develops in the line upon exit.

[Dazza]

don't set the trap right at the tank. give yourself 5-10'. when i had a trap set right on exit, didn't do squat, learned the moisture develops in the line upon exit.

Nick is right, closer to the end, because of the pressure drop and thus the drops form along the way
cheers from Italy

[hmbatrail]

Agree on setting the trap a bit farther down the line. When I plumbed in the shop I set the trap near the compressor and was still getting gobs of water vapor. I have a good friend who works for Sherwin Williams Auto and he sets up paint shops when they make the jump over to SW. The first thing he did when I showed him my setup was chop out my trap and move it on down the line to a point where the air had cooled from being under pressure in the tank.

Trap moved, problem solved.

Although I still need to drain the tank of the chocolate milk quite a bit.

[Curt Goodrich]

One thing I forgot to mention is the auto drain that I'm using is designed to be connected directly to the compressor tank. So moving it isn't an option. More traps will be necessary.

[David Cheakas]

I was also concerned about getting the crap and moisture out before the air got to the high-dollar desiccant dryer in the spray booth. Now, before the air gets to the booth, it passes through four other filters, so it's fairly clean and dry. I still have to change the desiccant when it changes color, but now it lasts a lot longer. I also have enough length of air line from the compressor to effect a temperature change in the air in the line, thus eliminating condensation problems in the lines.

As a last line of defense, I have cheap Harbor-Freight type water traps just prior to all of my air valves in the shop. I still occasionally get a face full of nasty water when using a die grinder for extended times.