Could I use a copper coil in water butt to dry my air?

[rcx132]

Despite 10 m of copper, there is a lot of water coming out my air lines when they are run for long periods. The desiccant filter works great but I'm finding I can only recharge the desiccant twice before it goes black and stops working.

There's a rain water butt next to my compressor shed. What do you think if I run the air through the water butt using a copper coil like this:

 

[addjunkie]

It would accelerate the moisture turning to water droplets, but youd need some kind of water separator in there. Another reservoir would work with a few baffels in it. But youd need some kind of water drain from it.

Do you drain water off the reservoir.

 

[rcx132]

It would accelerate the moisture turning to water droplets, but youd need some kind of water separator in there. Another reservoir would work with a few baffels in it. But youd need some kind of water drain from it.

Do you drain water off the reservoir.

As I understanding it, cooling the air makes the air drop it's water so that my water trap can then catch it right? But I was still planning on using the desiccant filter, just want to reduce my desiccant costs. I have a water trap and I drain the tanks twice a week.

 

[mike 109444]

Much as Addjunkie says that the moisture will condense back in to water and then form/build up at the lowest point (bottom of the copper coil) If you take the output from the coil at the bottom in clear tube and have a tee with drain tap you should be able to see any build up and manual draw it off. If you don't yo will get what I have see on the medical devices I work on where the moisture fills that low point eventually and next pull of the trigger will blow the water (not moisture!) through in one big go !!!
Where ever you create the "moisture trap" you could insert a dump valve on a timer to "blow off" the built up moisture.

 

[mike 109444]

Bit like this

 

[rtbcomp]

Check the pressure rating of those coils, IIRC they're made out of thinner material than copper pipes.

The water coming out of your airline after a while may be moisture that already condensed and then picked up again by the air. Have to tried draining the pipework more frequently?

 

[optima21]

Despite 10 m of copper, there is a lot of water coming out my air lines when they are run for long periods. The desiccant filter works great but I'm finding I can only recharge the desiccant twice before it goes black and stops working.

slightly off topic,but how are you drying your dessicant. if it goes black its been overheated.

I dry mine in my over with the door wedged open about 1/2" at 125C (think it might be slightly cooler if I use as infra red thermometer, it takes about 3 hours to dry it properly and needs to be stired in the dish in the oven every half hour or so. I dried the beads I've used 6 times so far but need another batch so I can swap them without having to stop work for several hours.

 

[ndg]

I did this when sand blasting a few years ago. Dumped 10m of PVC airline into tub of water with a moisture separotor to catch everything after. Turned my setup from blocking every five minutes to one that would run as long as the compressor could keep up. I'm provisioning for the same arrangement in the garage when I install hardlines there.

Good point on the wall thickness though!

 

[julianf]

The DHW coil in our thermal store is only good for, IIRC, 3.5 bar.

...which, I think, is about standard.

We have a pressure reducing valve on the feed.

As mentioned above, a coil scavenged from a water cylinder will likely fail under air pressure.

That said, it may not, but you will want a contingency for if it does.

 

[julianf]

Also...

I have a load of coils here, from a superceeded project. All scavenged from cylinders over time.

They're not all the same by any means. Some are, I'm sure, stronger than others.

I pulled one only a couple of weeks ago (for another reason) and it all twisted up as I removed it - very thin wall.

As per my earlier post, I'd be dubious of putting a lot of pressure through any of them, but the old ones are all on my "to scrap when I get around go it" pile, if anyone passing wants to root through them.

 

[500e]

If it is in a water-but should be easy enough to make one
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22-18-15-...Y-PLUMBING-10m-15m-20m-25m-coil-/222601877486

Drain valve there was a thread about this a few weeks ago
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AC-110V-2...d=281900632134&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

 

[Bill Edwards]

A copper coil in water is an idea that I have thought of but never tried. I expect it to be very successful, obviously with a water drain and suitable pipe.

 

[brightspark]

it will work very well. when I'm shot blasting the air from comp to helmet was coming out hot so I ran the line through a coil of 10mm copper pipe in a 5 gallon bucket of water and it came out nice and cool

 

[roofman]

Only real way to have reliable dry air is buy a screw comp

 

[brightspark]

Only real way to have reliable dry air is buy a screw comp

there ok after 5 minutes constant use till your gear warms up . then its dry and hot

 

[Maker]

Only real way to have reliable dry air is buy a screw comp

I don't think the type of compressor makes much (Any) difference, you need a refrigeration/drying unit.

If you can be sure the coil can take the pressure, it seems like a good idea.

 

[rcx132]

Check the pressure rating of those coils, IIRC they're made out of thinner material than copper pipes.

The water coming out of your airline after a while may be moisture that already condensed and then picked up again by the air. Have to tried draining the pipework more frequently?

Sorry I exagerated, there's just a lot of water being caught up in the water trap and the desiccant gets used up in a day of blasting, or half a day of spraying + mask.

slightly off topic,but how are you drying your dessicant. if it goes black its been overheated.

I dry mine in my over with the door wedged open about 1/2" at 125C (think it might be slightly cooler if I use as infra red thermometer, it takes about 3 hours to dry it properly and needs to be stired in the dish in the oven every half hour or so. I dried the beads I've used 6 times so far but need another batch so I can swap them without having to stop work for several hours.

I originally was using my oven but found some of the beads were going black. Turns out the oven at lowest gas mark is already way too hot. So tried slow cooker with operates at 99 C. That was slow. But after few dries the dessicant was black. Was going to phone the desiccant company for advice.

I did this when sand blasting a few years ago. Dumped 10m of PVC airline into tub of water with a moisture separotor to catch everything after. Turned my setup from blocking every five minutes to one that would run as long as the compressor could keep up. I'm provisioning for the same arrangement in the garage when I install hardlines there.

Good point on the wall thickness though!

I think you mean nylon pipe. You're not supposed to use PVC for compressed air

 

[rcx132]

This is cool, I can make a coil using regular pipe bender and length of pipe:

 

[ndg]

I think you mean nylon pipe. You're not supposed to use PVC for compressed air

Probably! It's blue and definitely not rubber, feels like PVC sheathing on cable.