Affordable Compressor Water Filter

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RustyRatRod

RustyRatRod

I was born on a Monday. Not last Monday.
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I have a cheapass water filter on my compressor. Pretty sure it's failed because the compressor gets water in it. I am getting to the point on the little car where I will be spraying with a sprayer and I want to do something about the water contamination in the air. What's an affordable water filter separator that actually WORKS? Don't come in here talkin about some bullshitter 700 buck air drier. I ain't got the resources for that so lets nip that in the bud right now. Thanks for any USEFUL ideas.
 
These are good for catching the water and final filtering air. Motor Guard: Air Management
I made a coil of 1/2"X 20ft pipe with air fittings on each end. I then just put a regular airline water trap on the outlet. It allows the air to cool enough for the water to drop out and be removed by the separator. Just being air cooled, and possibly the spinning air, works pretty well for getting water out. The coil is small enough and tight enough to fit in a five gallon bucket so if I'm painting I can put it in a bucket and add a couple of bags of ice and top the bucket with water. It then works like a refrigerated separator and makes a regular bowl style water filter very effective.
 
grimreaper said:
These are good for catching the water and final filtering air. Motor Guard: Air Management
I made a coil of 1/2"X 20ft pipe with air fittings on each end. I then just put a regular airline water trap on the outlet. It allows the air to cool enough for the water to drop out and be removed by the separator. Just being air cooled, and possibly the spinning air, works pretty well for getting water out. The coil is small enough and tight enough to fit in a five gallon bucket so if I'm painting I can put it in a bucket and add a couple of bags of ice and top the bucket with water. It then works like a refrigerated separator and makes a regular bowl style water filter very effective.
Click to expand...

That sounds like the kinda cheapery I am talkin about. Can you post a picture for me?
 
Rob I put a automatic drain valve on mine really works well. Still have a small separator on the hose line that used to fill up fast now it is much slower.
 
I built an air dryer that works great. I got the idea from a you tube video. It’s two pieces of 3 inch exhaust tube about 3 foot long mounted vertically side by side. The first is just a drip leg, it gets most of the water, the second is filled with desiccant beads that you can use over and over.
The compressed air goes into the drip leg, through the desiccant, then into the tank. I have two 220 volt compressors that start simultaneously and one 80 gallon tank. No moisture in my air now.... before it was real bad, very humid here.
 
You can also outsmart the water for virtually no cost

I run a 50' hose straight up (after the bowl trap) and over the shop,

then straight down to a T fitting (secured to the wall) where the air to my paint gun tap comes off at a 90* angle,

then continues down another 2 feet to a valve.

I can open the valve to purge the line, but usually the water can't;

A- make the climb the 8 or so feet to the ceiling, or

B- falls down to the bottom of the 2' extension

I also have a cheap $10 HF ball desiccant filter and a small regulator on my gun T to take care of any stubborn molecules that made it through the ninja course.

That way my other outlets have full pressure, and I'm only limiting what goes to the gun.

It's common to be 98% humidity where I am and over 100*.

Works pretty well.
 
Can you post a pic?
jas0162 said:
I built an air dryer that works great. I got the idea from a you tube video. It’s two pieces of 3 inch exhaust tube about 3 foot long mounted vertically side by side. The first is just a drip leg, it gets most of the water, the second is filled with desiccant beads that you can use over and over.
The compressed air goes into the drip leg, through the desiccant, then into the tank. I have two 220 volt compressors that start simultaneously and one 80 gallon tank. No moisture in my air now.... before it was real bad, very humid here.
Click to expand...
 
Copper coil from Home Depot inside a mini fridge. Air goes in then cooled and then simple water separator outside on other end.

Works great. Mini fridge can be had at yard sales for like 10 bucks. Or less. Copper coil sometimes found there as well. Soilder on pipe adapters. After your done- use it in one of them there moon shine stills. Lol!
Joe
 
I’ve never posted pics before. I will see if I can figure it out today
 
1A2542E6-7230-4EA9-BDD8-B70434C85AFC.jpeg
 
Lots of heat on the hose going in, I found a nice braided hose in the dumpster at work that has not failed yet. Some kind of cooling coil would be better
 
YY1 said:
You can also outsmart the water for virtually no cost

I run a 50' hose straight up (after the bowl trap) and over the shop,

then straight down to a T fitting (secured to the wall) where the air to my paint gun tap comes off at a 90* angle,

then continues down another 2 feet to a valve.

I can open the valve to purge the line, but usually the water can't;

A- make the climb the 8 or so feet to the ceiling, or

B- falls down to the bottom of the 2' extension

I also have a cheap $10 HF ball desiccant filter and a small regulator on my gun T to take care of any stubborn molecules that made it through the ninja course.

That way my other outlets have full pressure, and I'm only limiting what goes to the gun.

It's common to be 98% humidity where I am and over 100*.

Works pretty well.
Click to expand...
Layout like that to condense out as much as possible and use gravity definately a good approach.
Compressed Air Piping
 
Here is my setup. I have the 40+ feet of black iron pipe going up and down the wall with a drip leg on on every other one. I also have the motoguard filter and regulator at the end.

I was still getting a little moisture, so I plumbed in a trans cooler, between the pump and the tank, with a drip leg on that. So the pump pumps the air, through the cooler and then it goes into the tank. The air temp drops significantly before hitting the tank. Now, I have no moisture by the last leg of the black pipe.
 
I also use a passive drying system on my compressor.
Ran about 15 foot of 3/4 inch copper pipe across one wall of the garage. The fittings are soldered.
I have it angled so the moisture that condensed out runs to a drain. I take the air off the top side of the pipe, with a drain on the end.
 
halifaxhops said:
Rob I put a automatic drain valve on mine really works well. Still have a small separator on the hose line that used to fill up fast now it is much slower.
Click to expand...

I have thought about one of those but I didn't know if they worked well. There's not a lot of room between the tank and floor. Which one did you use? Thank you.
 
Now my next stupid question is, is sweated copper pipe SAFE for this?
 
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