Automatic drain valve for an air compressor

[alia176]

fellas,

Do any of you have any experience with using a decent quality automatic condensate drain system for your shop air compressors? Please, let's stay away from the Harbor Freight kit! It'd be nice to find one that runs using pneumatic pressure vs 110vac power but if I have to, I'll run a 110v service to my compressor house. My unit shuts off at 175psi and it's a 60g vertical tank.

Thanks.

 

[PAToyota]

I know that you say you'd like pneumatic over electrical, but I have one similar to this: http://compressorparts.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=2878

One dial sets how often it drains and the other sets the length of the drain. The pneumatic ones only trigger when the compressor cycles. If your compressor gets infrequent use, water can build up between the times that you have the compressor running. With the electronic drain, it continues to drain off any moisture - such as between weekend wrenching sessions.

If you use your compressor daily, the pneumatic style will likely take care of your needs. A decent name is Wilkerson: http://www.drillspot.com/products/75181/wilkerson_x51-02-000_pneumatic_auto_drain

 

[alia176]

You bring up a good point; my compressor won't be cycling daily. Most likely, heavy usage during the weekends and light usage during the week. Still, in NM, our humidity is less than 10% normally, so I wonder if condensation build up will be all that much. I do like the electrical unit that I've been seeing on the 'net and the cost is similar to a pneumatic device it appears.

 

[PAToyota]

I'm sure that we have considerably more humidity here - I say while looking at today's weather forecast of between 72% and 99% humidity... When you crack the drain valve manually, how much fluid do you get out?

The cheap pneumatic setups are usually limited to 100 psi. If you read through the HF reviews there is a lot of talk of blowing the line off / apart and people having to replace it with copper.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I just installed one from Parker on the house air compressor here at work. Just a simple float type, it works fine. It is very simple, there is a float that opens a valve when the water level in the coalescing filter gets high enough. It has nothing to do with the compressor cycling. I also have similar coalescing filters from SMC and Atlas Kepco on different equipment around the plant they all work the same. I mention Parker because they seem to have the best quality for the price.


I also have a dryer, between the dryer coalescing filter and the second in-line coalescing filter I see about 500ml for a 40 hr week. (I collect it in a bucket because there isn't a good place to run the drain. ) You know what the summer humidity is like in Reno so that should give you decent comparison for your application. If you need clean dry air you need a dryer, even in the desert.

 

[haveissues]

I second the float type. My refrigeration dryer has one and it works fine. It is also the most simple.

 

[alia176]

I like the float idea if it's located at the tank drain, at the bottom. Though, it does look a tad tall so I may have to elevate the compressor a tad to accommodate this unit.

 

[se2000]

I live in a humid area too. Though my compressor is in the basement that has a dehumidifier running most of the year.
I just ran a pipe out under the tank with the valve on it. That way the water collects in the replaceable pipe and makes draining easier. The floor is concrete so I just let it blow onto the floor. Yeah its manual but its cheap and won't fail like the automatic

 

[alia176]

I ended up doing a T at the bottom of the tank and then installed a manual drain and an automatic drain feature. I have this automatic drain thing for some time but never used it and not even sure who makes it but I'll give it a shot. Ended up using 1/4" copper for the sense tubing.

Thanks for the suggestions y'all.