Desiccant life?

metalman

Oldtimer
If you use desiccant how long is it lasting before you need to change or bake it?
I know the answers will vary according to climate, usage, how your system is set up (filters, dryers, pipe etc.) and likely other factors.
My system in order: 5HP compressor, 80 gal. tank with an auto drain, Apx. 38' of 1/2" copper pipe pitched down to a bulk water trap, then 2 side by side 5 micron filters, another 23' 1/2" copper pipe pitched down to another 5 micron filter with a .01 micron coalescing filter next to it . Then a 10lb canister of desiccant (from a old CAM-Air set up). Then out to a regulator, 38' of 3/8" hose fitted with Hi-Flo fittings. I drain the bulk water trap often and get very little water out of it and the first 5 micron filter right after that. I get nothing out of the 2 filters just before the desiccant canister. Installed all this in February after some problems, system works OK. Just noticing the desiccant is starting to turn purple which I guess means I will have to regenerate it soon. July has been extremely humid but I haven't been painting all that often lately. So 5-6 months here, so far with intermittent use, for the desiccant.
 
This is what the set up at the end of the line just before the paint regulator looks like.
desiccant_zpsv5utqmu6.jpg
 
you have the setup for the indicating type desiccant, just use some of it at the glass level to keep track of it if you dont want to use it all.
 
anotheridiot;n84581 said:
you have the setup for the indicating type desiccant, just use some of it at the glass level to keep track of it if you dont want to use it all.
Yes, I set it up that way with the glass sight. As I stated above it holds 10 lbs of blue indicating desiccant. Why would I just fill it to the sight glass and not utilize the full volume to trap as much moisture vapor as possible?
 
I had a 10lb cam air setup like that but it was all welded together as one unit. Here in the summer i would only get a couple weeks out of it before it was full of water. I dont mean it was damp, i mean actually full of water. Winter i would get maybe 4 mos ir so. We are 95-100% humidity here in the summer. I got so tired if that dryer and the constant maintainence. When i built my new shop i put in a refrigerated dryer. Now i do nothing.
 
same here jim . more filters than carter has liver pills and still water problems . put in the dryer and so far so good.
 
Jim -Shine:
My Cam-Air was welded together: bulk trap-coalescing filter-desiccant can . I cut it apart, had to replace what was the bottom pipe bung and plug, it was locked solid. I put the bulk trap about midway before the shop regulator. The desiccant can is flipped over, the sight glass used to be on the top and I removed the paper behind the glass so I could see the desiccant.
I can tell from my use/time since I revamped the system and what you are both saying that the dryer is inevitable. I started to wonder how many filter units is it going to take? Bulk trap, three 5 micron, a .01 micron and the desiccant is pulling moisture with light use. The temps and humitity is high here now and it's revealing the limits of the system.
I think the next move is to splice in a refrigerated dryer. Where is the best pace for it, close to the compressor, mid way or at the end before the paint hose?
 
metalman;n84591 said:
Yes, I set it up that way with the glass sight. As I stated above it holds 10 lbs of blue indicating desiccant. Why would I just fill it to the sight glass and not utilize the full volume to trap as much moisture vapor as possible?

I thought you were using the regular white desiccant so you did not know how long to wait to bake it. It was the only thing to make sense to me since you asked when to bake it. Silica blue to pink is more expensive, so if people want to save money, you can put the blue up to the indicator and regular you can bake that does not change color the rest of the way and use the indicating stuff to know when.
 
mine is 20 ft from the compressor which is outside. i thought about right before the booth but then my other lines would still blow water. this IR compressor makes a ton of water . i made sure it has plenty of room around it and can be kept clean . in the booth i have an oil filter , a desiccant filter and a reg water trap. plus a toilet filter canister . i dont do a lot anymore so i will just put fresh desiccant in before each job.
 
anotheridiot;n84609 said:
I thought you were using the regular white desiccant so you did not know how long to wait to bake it. It was the only thing to make sense to me since you asked when to bake it. Silica blue to pink is more expensive, so if people want to save money, you can put the blue up to the indicator and regular you can bake that does not change color the rest of the way and use the indicating stuff to know when.
That makes perfect sense to me now! I filled the whole thing with the blue indicating.
 
shine;n84610 said:
mine is 20 ft from the compressor which is outside. i thought about right before the booth but then my other lines would still blow water. this IR compressor makes a ton of water . i made sure it has plenty of room around it and can be kept clean . in the booth i have an oil filter , a desiccant filter and a reg water trap. plus a toilet filter canister . i dont do a lot anymore so i will just put fresh desiccant in before each job.
That's taking no chances. Water is one thing but the oil vapors still need to be stopped. I'm thinking of pulling out the 5 micron (see photo, left filter) and replacing it with a .01 coalescing so I have two .01 filters side by side just before the desiccant. Then maybe put the 5 micron after the desiccant to catch any desiccant particles or dust.
 
i bought one. 400 as opposed to 2k+ . it is just a simple 134a system which is easy to maintain. keeping the coils clean and the filter cleaned is all that is required . i did find out that to get the air right in the booth i had to leak air until it moved the dry air and cooled down the lines.
 
I have a oil filter right off my compressir then anither 5ft and it gies into the refer. I never have had moisure in my lines. Its been 9 years. You can spend more money in one year in desiccant than a refer dryer cost. I really dint see a point in those systems. For a shop anyway.
 
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