Garage compressor setup

I'm going to be buying an 80 gal. compressor for my garage and I'm thinking about the best way to lay out the air lines. Compressor will be used for normal home garage type stuff: spray gun, cut off wheel, air gun, etc. I'm going to have two air lifts and possibly a tire machine in the future.

My question is how crazy do I need to go with running hard piped air lines and what accessories should I consider? I was thinking I would install the following in line after the compressor:

1) water separator - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B009VQ0...TF8&colid=2ZB7X3SZFP2R4&coliid=I1S5Y4BNUGQ13H

2) air dryer/filter/regulator - https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00PR2U...UTF8&colid=2ZB7X3SZFP2R4&coliid=IY5DHZ0XQCZ7F

Is there anything else I should consider installing?

I am planning on running flex tubing from the compressor to the water separator to reduce vibration. The compressor has a max psi of 175 and 20 psi at 90 cfm so I am planning on using 3/4" hard piping.

Originally i was thinking about hard piping in the lifts and tire machine but is that overkill? I could just as easily hook the air supply hose up to whatever I need to use instead of running dedicated hard pipe.

Also do I need to run drops to collect water at any point? I'm planning on emptying/draining the tank at the end of each day to prevent condensation buildup.

Since this is the first time I'm installing a compressor I have been reading up on installs but I don't want to go overboard with the design if it's not necessary.

 

Put your supply line at a slight angle, at each end/corner, put a drip leg with a ball valve on the end for a drain. Kind of like the drip leg on the gas line to your water heater or furnace/boiler. About 10-12" is fine, lower to the ground makes less mess but is harder to reach. Take all of the air for your equipment off of the top of the line. It doesn't have to be straight up, just a tee facing up, with a 90 degree elbow facing out.

I would use the hard pipe just for supply, then use push-lock hose from McMaster for your equipment connections.

 

I'd hit up Garage Journal. Lots of good info over there.

I'm not running air tools and my lift is hydraulic, so I went with a quiet, smaller air tank that I hid inside a cabinet when not in use.

 

20 psi at 90 cfm?

Could be overkill for your T-shirt Airbrush business you're trying to start up.

Seriously though, if you're just running lifts, tire machine and some grinders... there's no need to go nuts about keeping the air moisture free. If you were running a paint booth it would totally be necessary.

 

I have a 80 gal in the background in these pics. I have a Wilkerson regulator/oiler setup and keep the line at 100psi. I hard piped it using 3/4 galv. I was told after that using black iron was better as the galv may flake and clog or damage some tools but 10 years later and everything is fine. I installed 2 unregulated chucks before the regulator to run my tire machine and to fill portable air tanks. I think there are around 5 drip legs with drains I put in. There's a 50' hose reel up in the ceiling and several chucks at point of use. I would recommend installing a flexible line between the tank and hardline to minimize vibration. Just a short section like around 18".
Milton makes a V style chuck that flows alot of air for running a sand blaster or air gun. The female chuck can also accept both the larger v style and the smaller standard male chuck like you could get at Home Depot.

 

I bought a retracting reel with 50 foot of hose.....keeps the hose out of the way when not in use and long enough to get to everything in my shop. A lot cheaper than hard pipe

 

I ran push-lok type plumbing fittings with PEX tubing for mine. Two outlets on each sidewall at workbench height, plus one near one of the front overhead doors to make it easy to reach outside. There is one in the ceiling near the lift to provide air to a hose reel mounted to a lift post to power impacts for tire changes, etc.

It's better to have air fittings near where you think you'll use them, so you don't have to walk on/step over air hoses across the floor. You can also use cheap shorter flex hoses in many cases and just leave them hooked up. I have one air fitting near my sandblaster, one at the welding table for air cutoff/grinders, a hose reel at the front of the shop, and one at the workbench and one at the lift that get used frequently. One thing that is useful is to extend the air fitting at the workbench to the front of the workbench, so you aren't dragging an air hose across the workbench and all the stuff that is usually on it.

 

Thanks for the feedback all, it's really helpful. And airbrush t-shirts are making a comeback!

This is the compressor I was going to buy:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/EMAX-Ind...-Electric-Air-Compressor-HI05V080I1/204353725

It has pretty good reviews and I would rather spend the money now for something that will last for a while.

I think I'm going to wind up using Maxline semi-rigid tubing (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CZ7GTL..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=G7YM7XXBFKBF8Z412M5C) in 1/2" dia. since it is good for up to 175 psi. I will run one length along the top of my work station with a few chucks so I can plug into the line and will install a ceiling mounted 50' hose reel to plug into the lifts and any other equipment that needs it.

 

Yeah this is basically what I'm planning on doing.

 

The longer your supply line the more time the air has a chance to cool and condense most of that water out. Use something that will cool, such as copper will conduct that heat away and condense the water out of the air better. Ours has a 25ft run before going past tee fitting (tee goes down for a drain). The other end of the tee continues and then goes straight up so water has a harder time getting out of that 25ft run. Obviously a slight slope to a drain is best. We have drains at all of our drop lines with ball valves etc. That's overkill for a garage but is nice for hose change outs etc. We drain the lines every so often but the only one that really ever has any water is the first drain after the 25ft run, which is to be expected, and actually confirms that this idea works, otherwise they'd all be wet at some point in time.

I don't think I'd run a drier for the whole system unless like was said, your painting all the time. Maybe run one line with a drier in it that you plan on using for painting, or even something you can just quick connect in for those instances.


The only time we have water issues is if im sandblasting something with our big sandblaster outside. The compressor tank heats up, along with the supply lines and eventually it fills up. Takes a few hours of continuous use, so I have to let it cool down, condense, drain and repeat. However that's not very often!

 

Oilers on the end of the lines that are dedicated to tools and/or equipment that require it.

 

Dang! Wish I'd thought of that. My first drop collects most of the moisture, even with plastic line, but a first run of copper would have been more effective. Too late, it's all behind drywall now.

 

I used copper with 3 drain points, amazing the water it catches. I'll try to post a pic later. I also made a box for sound, used old bathroom fans in it (2 for inlet 2 for outlet), works damn good.

 

I made a air to air cooler that seems to catch 90-95% of the water coming out of the pump before the tank. I got the idea from garage journal and it's made from 2" black iron pipe. I'll look to see if I can find the thread about it.

 

Water traps or driers that are placed too close to the compressor are useless. They have to be far enough away, that the air cools enough for the water to condense and drop out(like Spitz said). If you use an actual dessicant drier, you Must get the liquid water caught before the drier. The dessicant will only last minutes, when flooded witn water.
http://www.sharpe1.com/sharpe/sharpe.nsf/Page/Air+Piping+Layout

 

I'm really itching to build a bigger shop in the next couple years and installing a proper layout like in that link you attached

 

the man that works with me, he did his system in his garage, in one day. Stick copper and Sharkbites. It works Great

 

I have a 30 gallon compressor on wheels with a 25ft extension cord. Bam

 

Meh, plastic is ok too, its just copper does it a little better is all. If you were starting to build one its something to consider. Didn't ya'll learn anything from moonshiners, 50lb yeast and some copper line? No?

 

I have used black pipe (no more), replaced PVC with other stuff, used a little copper, used RapidAir, and now have Maxline 3/4". It's a little pricey, but I'm very very happy with the Maxline. FWIW, you can get good prices on Maxline stuff from Rural King, believe it or not.

I always used Black pipe before, but didn't like the corrosion factor. PVC is IMHO just a bad idea. Yes, tons of people have used it. And when I was a kid nobody used seat belts. So what. RapidAir is good for a small home garage that doesn't need any real air volume and is just doing hobby stuff, bit it's 1/2" OD - not ID - and you can't move enough air. MaxLine is high quality, well built, really easy to work with, and has high volume. I've got an 80gal 8hp compressor going into a separate filter/separator and regulator. Then to a manifold connecting to multiple runs and drops, including two hose reels in two different bays plus multiple drops. Every drop has a sediment trap and drain.

Most important - you need to identify what you intend on using the system for. For example, if you're going to be doing painting, you will need to think about additional regulators/filters/separators.