Compressor Air Dryer

[Ironman]

Originally Posted by milomilo

How full do you fill the 30" tube with the desiccant?

OK, They come with a sort of 1" washer with a 1"tube about 4" long welded into the center which is supposed to hold the desiccant marbles from swimming in the water at the bottom, and has holes to allow air to rise through it.
And it had a plate with holes in it, to sit on top of the ball charge to keep the balls down. It also has plastic seals at the top and bottom. I airmailed all that out when I switched to Silica gel. The plastic gaskets leaked, so I put in O rings. The thing at the bottom I felt was not very good so I put in a heavy screen that was tacked on a short piece of 2" EMT. On the top I left the original piece of crap, until it proved to fail last summer, and then we used a bun made of steel wool to keep the desiccant down.
If I was doing it again I would put a stainless steel potscrubber for about $2 in the bottom and then (to answer your question) fill it up with desiccant to about 4 inches from the top, and then put another potscrubber on top.
Why the potscrubbers? Cheap, readily available, wont rust, and won't shed little crumbles of steel down the line from the dryer, and will keep the desiccant from discharging down the pipe.
No matter, if you have a downwind filter like me, though.

It will take about 1 liter of desiccant prills to do this. If you use the silica gel, it turns bright blue when it is wet, and you put it on a cookie sheet in mama's oven and a low heat will cook off the water, and they will turn back to a healthy pink. And you use them again and again. I look at mine once a year.

Some people have said they would use a bigger pipe. In some cases of anatomy, bigger is better, but in water or gas movement through a media, not so. A thing called channeling occurs and can result in actual less efficiency as the fluid or gas finds or creates a stream or path of least resistance. A smaller diameter prevents channeling from occurring, within a given flow range. There are tomes written on this subject and I won't pretend to understand it.

[Samcord]

I can't find that model on the HF site anywhere, only the manual. Must be discontinued?

On the other hand, I have an old free standing room dehumidifier that doesn't work anymore. Maybe I'll use the coils out of it for a cooler. Not as big as one from a car, but I have it on hand.

[milomilo]

Originally Posted by Ironman

OK, They come with a sort of 1" washer with a 1"tube about 4" long welded into the center which is supposed to hold the desiccant marbles from swimming in the water at the bottom, and has holes to allow air to rise through it.
And it had a plate with holes in it, to sit on top of the ball charge to keep the balls down. It also has plastic seals at the top and bottom. I airmailed all that out when I switched to Silica gel. The plastic gaskets leaked, so I put in O rings. The thing at the bottom I felt was not very good so I put in a heavy screen that was tacked on a short piece of 2" EMT. On the top I left the original piece of crap, until it proved to fail last summer, and then we used a bun made of steel wool to keep the desiccant down.
If I was doing it again I would put a stainless steel potscrubber for about $2 in the bottom and then (to answer your question) fill it up with desiccant to about 4 inches from the top, and then put another potscrubber on top.
Why the potscrubbers? Cheap, readily available, wont rust, and won't shed little crumbles of steel down the line from the dryer, and will keep the desiccant from discharging down the pipe.
No matter, if you have a downwind filter like me, though.

It will take about 1 liter of desiccant prills to do this. If you use the silica gel, it turns bright blue when it is wet, and you put it on a cookie sheet in mama's oven and a low heat will cook off the water, and they will turn back to a healthy pink. And you use them again and again. I look at mine once a year.

Some people have said they would use a bigger pipe. In some cases of anatomy, bigger is better, but in water or gas movement through a media, not so. A thing called channeling occurs and can result in actual less efficiency as the fluid or gas finds or creates a stream or path of least resistance. A smaller diameter prevents channeling from occurring, within a given flow range. There are tomes written on this subject and I won't pretend to understand it.

I was thinking of using a 3" pipe, but now looks like 2" will be the right choice. I already got the two stainless steel scrubbers. Think I will also put a ball valve on each end so it can be serviced without draining the air. I think I have a 3' piece of pipe that will work. I planned on using 1" pipe fittings for the inlet and outlet about 2" from each end of the 2" pipe.

[Walker]

Some time ago I was having trouble with water in my paint finished. I took a piece of copper tubing and coiled it to fit in a 5 gallon bucket. I added ice and water, then a water trap after. I was shocked at the amount of water it removed. I put the coil in the shop freezer with the same results. I was going to make a permanent coil in the freezer, but the compressor went out shortly after. It is a fine and cost effective method of having a refrigerated air dryer.

[greywynd]

Bringing up an old thread, as I realized that I need to setup something for an air dryer.

Gerry, where did you get the silica gel beads, are they a princess auto item?

Will have to do some looking around and see what I can come up with for pipe and fittings.


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[terry lingle]

I got mine as a complete dryer from PA for use on a plasma cutter. you also need a low micron particle filter before the cutter.
I also have a cooler on the compressor plus a separator before the main storage.
There are collector drains on each drop as well as end of line storage in an inverted 100 lb LPG bottle at the end of line.
All service drops take off on the top of the service line to minimize liquid water transfer to the drops.


















i have

[milomilo]

Seems I am likely to stick with the oxy/fuel cutting. 6 years later and still no plasma cutter. Suppose it is like you won't miss what you never had.

[toprecycler]

Originally Posted by milomilo

Seems I am likely to stick with the oxy/fuel cutting. 6 years later and still no plasma cutter. Suppose it is like you won't miss what you never had.

Til you find a good deal at an auction.


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[greywynd]

I’m looking for dry air for my air spindle, hoping to start fooling with it later this winter.


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[mccutter]

Originally Posted by milomilo

Seems I am likely to stick with the oxy/fuel cutting. 6 years later and still no plasma cutter. Suppose it is like you won't miss what you never had.

A plasma cutter is one of those things that if you have it, you will use it.

For example, say you are cutting up some scrap from an old trailer. You can use up a bunch of gas and then have to refill your tanks OR break out the plasma and an air hose and cut away. And it is especially nice for cutting Aluminum and SS--metals that don't cut so well with fire. A Motor Guard filter is about all I use and I've never had a need for a dryer. I HAVE been temped a time or two when I see them at auction but some are nearly as big as my compressor! If I was doing production cutting or had a plasma table I would get a dryer but for occasional use I think it is unnecessary.