pvc for air

I guess you're not supposed to use gal. pipe for gas becasue it can flake off and clog things up. That's why code is black iron? It doesn't make sense to me.
 
well it looks like i will be using sch 80 for most of mine. all the underground will be pvc. debating on sch80 pvc or copper for the shop. hell of a lot of pipe in there.
 
I understand the concern of blackpipe contaminating the air, but I would think the compressor tank and compressor motor blow by could also contaminate the air no matter if we use pvc or copper or galv.
That's where I would think it's important to not skimp on the filter system.

It would seem the economic solution is as shine has it; lower the pressure, use pvc, and then run a coil into a bucket/barrel of water.
 
I have had 3/4" Pex lines in my shop now for several years, constantly charged to 120psi and never a leak. I use red for air and blue for water. Its cheap and most likely the easiest plumbing system out their. I am splicing into a line this weekend to run some copper into a barrel just for painting
 
I agree on the black pipe. It rusts. Everyone i know who put it in has replaced it. I have always used gal pipe and never had a problem but you cant get the home depot crap either. Goto a plumbing supply house.
 
shine;11971 said:
i have no cooling set up.
my compressor will be moving up hill this fall and plumbed underground to the shop. this will cool the air . i also do not run high pressure which creates more heat.
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Just a thought Shine---with the thermal conductivity of pvc so low, I wonder if you might lose the underground cooling effect by using pvc.
 
not likely. in ground it will be pretty constant on temp. test your air at the compressor. then look at ambient temp. not much difference so exposed copper would likely be hotter than pvc in the ground.
 
Run galv from the compressor to the shop and into a big air receiver with what ever filters you use, then copper out to each outlet.

I have seen photos shown during training of pvc explosions, it does happen and it isn't pretty.
 
yesterday the tank on my compressor was 111 degrees and may have been hot because a little sun hits it. need one more sheet over it. the pvc inside the shop was 102. all the cooling in the world would not help when the temp in the shop is 105. unless you cool and remove the moisture before it enters the shop you are pissing into the wind trying to cool it with pipes . makes no difference what it is made of. i guess i'll decide when i move the compressor this fall. worst part is the underground wire to run it.
 
shine;12044 said:
yesterday the tank on my compressor was 111 degrees and may have been hot because a little sun hits it. need one more sheet over it. the pvc inside the shop was 102. all the cooling in the world would not help when the temp in the shop is 105. unless you cool and remove the moisture before it enters the shop you are pissing into the wind trying to cool it with pipes . makes no difference what it is made of. i guess i'll decide when i move the compressor this fall. worst part is the underground wire to run it.
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Yes you guys have it plenty hot there, even without this heat wave you have had to endure.
I suggest you run galv pipe from the compressor to the shop, then through a refrigration unit and into a insulated receiver. Filter the air coming out, then run copper throughout your shop.
Save a bunch of money and forget buying direct burial cable. Just use thhn and run it inside pvc conduit. IMHO that is a much better install than direct bury. Be sure to oversize the conduit and leave a pull line in it so that at some later date you can pull more wire in if needed for who knows what.
 
the earth will be my refrigerated unit. there will be about 100 ft of pvc in the ground before it hits the shop. not sure what will run from there . pex/pvc/copper will be the choices. if i run pvc again i will step up to sch80 . heavy wire for the 5hp compressor is high period. but i learned about putting it in pvc. it WILL fill with water and roots anyway. all my service was put in pvc conduit from the pole. where it come into the well house there are briars growing out of it. damn thing grow through concrete.
 
I just cant figure out why all.this crazy stuff is being done, burrying pipes, etc. Small refer air driers are pretty cheap these days. Just plumb one in and be done with it.
 
shine;12046 said:
the earth will be my refrigerated unit. there will be about 100 ft of pvc in the ground before it hits the shop. not sure what will run from there . pex/pvc/copper will be the choices. if i run pvc again i will step up to sch80 . heavy wire for the 5hp compressor is high period. but i learned about putting it in pvc. it WILL fill with water and roots anyway. all my service was put in pvc conduit from the pole. where it come into the well house there are briars growing out of it. damn thing grow through concrete.
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Then run emt, I would anyways. Never seen an industrial application with direct burial, always in a conduit.
 
jim, i have listened to this loud cranky compressor for years. yes same one. bought it rebuilt in 84. i always plan on moving it but each time i get busy and just set it in the shop. by moving it up the hill i wont hear it anymore. to me it was always distance from the compressor . i really have no moisture trouble now just the noise. very rarely will there be anything in the trap in the booth. it still has the toilet paper filter to go through.
 
i used the gray underground conduit . hell i'm 60 years old so it wont have to last too long..... :)
 
you know everybody worries about the moisture but no one has mentioned the worst part. oil vapors. in time those vapors will make their way to your paint gun. a good cartridge filter at the compressor stops this.
 
Thought I'd dig this up from the dust bin while I research pipe and filters to replace mine.... made from heavy gauge 4" PVC fittings.... that exploded (behind the plastic wall I 'keep it behind' after reading about such danger) into jagged shards and what looked like a toilet trained rats nest (SHINNNNNNNNE !!!!Damn you and that "Toilet Paper" Filter.... idea). Neighbors came running from two directions and I was higher than a kite on home made adrenalin for several minutes.

The facts.. 120 psi, and the as mentioned heavy 4" fitting let go, not the several year old left over 1/2" pipe I'd used to supply it with.

The Lesson: PVC will explode in less than two years @ 120 psi not run daily. So just build in a blast shield if you use it. (is all I'm saying:playful:) The heavy plastic curtain/wall I use contained most of the mess but some pieces with mass were flung a good 4 ft past it just the same. I was standing about 12 feet away when it happened, thus the good quality high...

Motor Guard Metal here I come...
 
the 1/2 inch in my shop is 15 years old now . time to replace. i am going to plumb in copper this time because i dont want to crawl the ladder again. too old for that bouncing thing.

i run a mcguard filter .
 
Shine, we installed maxline from rapidairproducts and been very happy with end results. Ran it throughout shop and also branched off and did supply line to our garmat booth. The worst part was getting it uncoiled but a buddy can help out with that job and make it alot easier. It's pretty reasonable I think. It's really quick installation wise . I used the aluminum air junction blocks with drain valve's on bottom. Joe
 
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