Garage air line plumbing options?

747mopar · Dec 7, 2018

G.V.Charger said:
High pressure and plastic, just do not mix.... those plastic line kits are for DIY's and are CHEESEY.....They are produced for the cliental that either have no access to the proper materials or equipment and or knowledge, or maybe needed for a temp situation. It may be, that I'm just old school, I would run black iron over copper, or plastiflex hose on any natural gas or propane appliance. When I come across a rooftop unit, unit heater, that has been replaced with a premade flex line the only word that comes to mind is.....What a, HACK,.... fast, quick and cheap.
I will kick out some pic's over the weekend, inverted trap means you take your line drop from the 12 o clock position, never 3,6,or 9 position, and usually use a 4 in nipple up, 90, 3 in nipple, 90, and down. I have seen so many main air lines mounted level on the wall, great for electrical conduit, but not water return. Will post some pic's..

Got it, basically your just making all of the drops start off facing straight up before turning and coming back down the wall. This will be easy since the compressor will be upstairs, I'll poke through the floor, install a 4 way (bottom being a drain) then take off both directions sloping upward both ways adding the T's facing straight up everywhere I want a drop?

As far as Hack jobs go... that's why I was interested in the one I posted. I didn't like the idea of the PEX kits because they'd surely sag and look tacky but this one has an aluminum center making it fairly rigid. From what I've seen installed they definitely don't look like Hack jobs but pretty professional instead.

You've got me wanting to give black pipe another try only putting more thought into it this time. Just priced it through my supplier... 3/4" is cheaper that 1/2"!!! Only $23 for a 21' stick!

747mopar · Dec 7, 2018

WileERobby said:
I installed black pipe in my own garage/shop over 30 years ago, used for paint, tools, and blasting cabinet. Never had rust issues. As stated, must be installed properly. Others with the plastic mentioned leaks at joints. Today, I'd probably sweat copper pipe just for the ease.

Yes, I'm 100% positive it was installed IMPROPERLY by ME 20 years ago :BangHead:

.

Pretty embarrassing to be honest but I guess at 19 you just think run pipes where you need them, we did slope them and installed drains just not right.

G.V.Charger · Dec 8, 2018

I missed, the idea, that the compressor is upstairs. Gravity only goes one way. So, if you can post a small drawing of your shop. The worst scenario , would be running your mains on the second floor and run your feed lines straight down. You want to use your tank as the final drain point, having a trapped amount of water down stream of the compressor is defeating the purpose of proper piping practice.

G.V.Charger · Dec 8, 2018

Hope this works, if it does, please excuse the early morning penmanship..

747mopar · Dec 8, 2018

I was going to move the compressor upstairs last night, good thing I didn't! Might have to rethink my plan since the upstairs isn't finished (needs drywalled). Is it possible to come through the floor and install a 4 way having a pipe going straight down into a smaller collection tank? You'd basically have 2 tanks but instead of everything going back to the compressor it would be a lower tank?

Now the next question is where else can I put the compressor? I'll have another 24×24 addition soon but that's where all the bodywork will happen so not a good idea either. I really want it where it's breathing clean air and where I don't have to listen to it.

747mopar · Dec 8, 2018

My dad and I were talking about the dilemma and we came up with this idea. Simply having a 4 way once you drop through the floor would allow moisture to carry right into the horizontal lines but what if you were to come through the floor into the main shop and weld up something like this? The pipe from the compressor will travel right past the supply ports and carry all the way to a tank mounted inside the workbench cabinets? Would this be enough to separate the moisture?

1967coronet · Dec 8, 2018

Our shop has had several hundred feet of 3/4 & 1/2 copper for years. If we were to do it today I for sure would use the pex style set up.

T2R9 · Dec 8, 2018

747mopar said:
My dad and I were talking about the dilemma and we came up with this idea. Simply having a 4 way once you drop through the floor would allow moisture to carry right into the horizontal lines but what if you were to come through the floor into the main shop and weld up something like this? The pipe from the compressor will travel right past the supply ports and carry all the way to a tank mounted inside the workbench cabinets? Would this be enough to separate the moisture?

A tank will work with that setup. It is basically the same as a dry fire sprinkler drum drip that consists of a length of 2" pipe at the drop with a valve at the top and bottom. Top valve is normally open and can be closed and the bottom valve opened to drain for weekly maintenance.

747mopar · Dec 8, 2018

1967coronet said:
Our shop has had several hundred feet of 3/4 & 1/2 copper for years. If we were to do it today I for sure would use the pex style set up.

I think I'm still sticking with the Maxline airlines instead of black pipe. I like black pipe for it's strength but researching the pros and cons I feel the Maxline is a better option. It seams most of the people who are against plastic are either thinking of PVC, CPVC, ABS or Pex, the PEX to me is out just because it will be a sloppy mess and the others aren't well suited for oil (I won't use them for anything but drains anyways). Maxline is made of aluminum and HDPE plastic which is compatible with oil, it's rigid enough to hold it's shape, is very smooth inside (less restriction), looks nice and is very reasonably priced. Still undecided.... I sure like the indestructibility of black pipe!

747mopar · Dec 8, 2018

1967coronet said:
Our shop has had several hundred feet of 3/4 & 1/2 copper for years. If we were to do it today I for sure would use the pex style set up.

Something else to add to this discussion.... While talking to my dad he was telling me that when they added onto his old company they used this same product (Maxline or equivalent), he said when he cleaned the air tools on the old side with black pipe he would get a lot of black residue out of the tools but on the new side with plastic the tools were spotless.

Looks like a 100ft kit with 3 outlets is only $160, I may buy one then add a second later.

G.V.Charger · Dec 9, 2018

Holly making things complicated, If the compressor must go above the working area, then at least install an inverted trap at the tank. The whole idea is to keep the condensate out of the feed lines, if you come out of the compressor, 90 straight up, as high as the second floor ceiling will allow, then down into the work space, and,install a drain trap on your 4 way.
If you feel comfortable with the kit material, by all means, go in that direction.
You must have a lot of water or traps in your home system, as I have never had a problem with tools getting dirty from the air, and never had any moisture or debris in any of my paint jobs.

747mopar · Dec 11, 2018

G.V.Charger said:
Holly making things complicated, If the compressor must go above the working area, then at least install an inverted trap at the tank. The whole idea is to keep the condensate out of the feed lines, if you come out of the compressor, 90 straight up, as high as the second floor ceiling will allow, then down into the work space, and,install a drain trap on your 4 way.
If you feel comfortable with the kit material, by all means, go in that direction.
You must have a lot of water or traps in your home system, as I have never had a problem with tools getting dirty from the air, and never had any moisture or debris in any of my paint jobs.

Lol, well... upstairs is the only place that will relieve me of the annoyance of listening to it. Still tossing around the idea of building a separate room outside for it? really need to research the affects of running a compressor in the cold, do I need to heat the room and if so how do you allow it to breath in a small closet sized room while holding the heat in as well???? Nothing is set in stone, just throwing ideas around.

Not home, my dad was telling me the differences in the 2 piping systems at work then the other was my old shop, this one has no plumbing yet.

747mopar · Dec 11, 2018

Maybe I need to shift the focus from moving it upstairs to just doing some sound deadening work? I have a mezzanine in my garage that was put there just for storing things that see little use? These are the only 2 pictures I could find of the mezzanine. BUT that doesn't remove the compressor from the area although I'm sure it would stay cleaner up there plus I could throw up a sound deadening wall or curtain around it?

steve from staten island · Dec 11, 2018

747mopar said:
Maybe I need to shift the focus from moving it upstairs to just doing some sound deadening work? I have a mezzanine in my garage that was put there just for storing things that see little use? These are the only 2 pictures I could find of the mezzanine. BUT that doesn't remove the compressor from the area although I'm sure it would stay cleaner up there plus I could throw up a sound deadening wall or curtain around it? View attachment 689601 View attachment 689610

If i was ever luck enough to have a shop like that i would use black and be done with it. In fact i have a one car garage shop and even in that i ran back pipe. With the cost of copper what bother. PVC or plastic? Never!

Ranger16 · Dec 11, 2018

747mopar said:
really need to research the affects of running a compressor in the cold, do I need to heat the room

My 5 HP/60 gallon tank was originally 110v. Had a hard time starting when cold in the garage. I had to convert it to 220v. My garage is attached so it never gets below freezing, but if that would be a problem, you'd have a hard time bleeding it until spring if the moisture in the bottom freezes.

oldbee · Dec 11, 2018

You need the heat when it’s not running(oil in crankcase). Don’t need any heat while running, it’ll do that all by itself!

747mopar · Dec 11, 2018

steve from staten island said:
If i was ever luck enough to have a shop like that i would use black and be done with it. In fact i have a one car garage shop and even in that i ran back pipe. With the cost of copper what bother. PVC or plastic? Never!

Research the product I'm looking at, not typical plastic pipe by any means but yes black pipe is tough as nails. I always look at options with so many great innovations coming out...

Glad you like it, I've dreamed of building the perfect garage for a long time just took years with the house, kids, etc but it's getting there. Lots left to do.

steve from staten island · Dec 11, 2018

747mopar said:
Research the product I'm looking at, not typical plastic pipe by any means but yes black pipe is tough as nails. I always look at options with so many great innovations coming out...

Glad you like it, I've dreamed of building the perfect garage for a long time just took years with the house, kids, etc but it's getting there. Lots left to do.

I wish i lived closer. Id tell you buy some pipe and we can get socket weld couplings. You'd be the talk of the town!

747mopar · Dec 11, 2018

steve from staten island said:
I wish i lived closer. Id tell you buy some pipe and we can get socket weld couplings. You'd be the talk of the town!

Well if your ever this way give me a heads up, if nothing else we could chat, grab something to eat and go for a ride. :thumbsup:

747mopar · Dec 11, 2018

Something else to throw out there for thought, talking to the guys that make Maxline they say the Nylon lines are good for 5 years but the Maxline is good for 50+. I would have never went the Nylon (Pex style) route but 5 years!!! Why does anybody? 50 years on the other hand would put me at 92 years old haha.

Garage air line plumbing options?

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