Water/Dirt Trap for AirCompressor Line.

[Greg Mitchell]

Can someone advise which way to install this and should it be back at the compressor end or up near the working end.I believe some install two traps on the one line. Any advice greatfully accepted.Thanks.Image Insert: 27.93

[Greg Mitchell]

Alright 12 reads and no response ( thought I was 'green' for asking), what about you blokes who I know have air compressors at home? You dont use water filters when your spraying something?Mitchwww.thebutterflyllc.com

[MechFx]

I'll have a go.I'd mount it vertically(if possible) with the brass fitting end to the bottom.The brass fitting end would be the inlet for the air from the compressor.This looks like an inline version suited more to being mounted near the spray gun whilst having a bigger version nearer the compressor.If i only had this unit on its own I'd mount it near the compressor, before the pressure regulator. This will keep the weight down at the gun. (more control, less sore arms)It doesn't seem to have a tap-off to purge the water after use so I think keeping it verticle to stop the water touching the filter is a good idea.After "looking carefully" (thanks Pete)I did notice the purge valve.Depending on the humidity and temperature I'd be keeping an eye on the water level and emptying it regularly..I'm definately no expert at this and have never used this type of filter.did that help ?Art SpinkGyroNews Editor

[asra]

For all those interested, these are a cheap secondry inline water trap, and are designed to fit at the base of the the handle of a spray gun, looking carefully it will be noticed that there is a little water release valve on the downside of the trap that looks similar to a tube valve.Pete Barsden

[Greg Mitchell]

Now there ya go!Art Thanks for your steppin up to the plate.Pete, I had it mounted up on the gun like I'd seen in a DVD.When my sparkie called past the other day he looked at the setup and asked why I had it there, so I explained. He stated he had two in line filters on his setup, one next out from the tap at the compressor and the other about half a meter along the line.So today I played with it a bit by putting it down at the compressor end.Art,when I had it attached to the touch up gun trigger on top, I had the air comming into the brass fitting end and screwed the alloy end directly on to the gun. The little valve is like a bike tube valve. I reversed the direction of flow today and it seemed to work better.Pete, I'm still not sure which way it should go. Intuitively, I'm thinking I had it **** about but the fittings worked more readily with having the brass fitting end as the inflow. Pete, When you referred to the valve being on the downside of the trap I'm thinking did I have it setup right the first time? And yes it was cheap. $12.00Cheers,MitchMeant to add that the whole filter comes apart for easy cleaning.www.thebutterflyllc.com

[asra]

Greg,Why not ask the manufacturer?.Pete Barsden

[MechFx]

After further thought......I'd say which ever end is NOT directly connected to the filter, ie air flows directly into the chamber, should be the inlet end, otherwise there would be no way of getting the condensed water out of the system before it went through the filter.If it was around the other way, and the filter was working well, the water would build up in the hose and eventually (ages) start spitting out.My understanding of how these work is as the compressed air makes its way into the chamber, it expands slightly (bigger volume than the hose) this releases the water from suspension. it also has a slight change of direction in the chamber causing the water to "cling" to the walls and then puddle in the bottom, using good old gravity and its own surface tension to keep it out of the airflow.or use it which ever way works best !!How'd I do that time ?cheersArt SpinkGyroNews Editor

[Greg Mitchell]

Pete,Cheap Chinese Crap, with rock bottom price and no instructions a web search of the company afforded info on other products but not the filter.Art,I took another look at the DVD last night and you are spot on.I didn't pick it up the first time around, I only saw there was an inline filter BUT he has it mounted out of the back of the gun with a 90 degree elbow. The quality is poor so it is difficult to see which way it runs.Your explaination and advice re mounting it vertically and the surface tension business would indicate that would be the correct way to place it. This then ensures the purge valve is at the bottom and would therefore greatly assist in purging the pooled water droplets.You did good Art. Real good.Thanks Fellas.Mitch.www.thebutterflyllc.com

[NiqueNaque]

Greg,What I am used to seeing and installing on compressed air systems, ie, 160 cfm units, are refrigerated air dryers. Your rig is probably a tad small for one of these, like about 10~15 cfm is all you'd ever need.Not withstanding, if you want to do some spray painting and avoid that 'orange peel' effect which can come with moisture in your air, a separator and filter back at the compressor is a good idea, these units are typically about 3" in diameter and about 14" high. One has a cyclone seperator in it, similar to what you see on truck air filters and the other usually has a sintered particulate filter in it, could be similar to the filter in the lhs of the the filter body you have there. These typically have a drain **** in the bottom and they too should be left just barely cracked, so they purge any moisture out.Most of your water extraction can take place in the compressor receiver or tank itself, you'll note there is a small valve at the bottom of the tank, you should when running the compressor and particularly when spray painting have this valve just cracked so any water that accumulates in the tank is expelled, this removes one of the levels of risk of water in your lines, if you can hear it just hissing then that is fine, every now and then water will be expelled. If you can put the tank in a very cold place that will help preciptate any water out at the tank, it all helps.Your next trick should be to have a larger than necessary line, say 1" NB which allows the air to slow down and the moisture to drop out, it must slope up to your filter bodies so the water is returned to the tank. You'd be suprised how cheap it is to do your compressor lines in blue stripe poly tubing, same as for water reticulation, with the philmac fittings, you must use PN16 tube and fittings or you will suffer injuries/death due to tube or fittings exploding. A 50m coil of PN 16 will cost $100 roughly and fittings about $5 each. Do not use locktite on the fittings as it contains ?cyanic methacrylic resin? which eats the fittings - not good.Trust this will help.Cheers,Nick.

[asra]

Greg,Logic dictates that the drain valve is at the bottom.Pete Barsden

[Greg Mitchell]

Thanks Pete...logic dictates...yes I agree as previously stated.Thanks Nick, some good stuff in there.Looking at the pic, the brass end is the filter section. The alloy end you can see a little hole on the side of the alloy casing inside the plastic casing. These holes (there are 4 0r 5 around the circumfrence of the cylinder) feed straight back into the large outlet (could that be inlet ) hole at top of the alloy section.Now if water droplets are comming in the brass end, they are going through a filter, water is condensating on the sides of the plastic and if held vertically, water will run down toward the bottom where the valve is. BUT then there is nothing stopping water droplets blowing straight through the little holes I spoke of and out into the touch up gun.If the unit is reversed inlet being the alloy end. Air blows in through the 5 little holes on the side of the alloy casing and into the unit. Then to exit the air would have to go through the filters and out the brass fitting end. If this unit was mounted in this way it would mean the valve would be at the top.Confused yet? I am. OK then the question ....IS the filter part in the component suppose to be the first line of defense? OR Is the chamber the first trap, followed by the filter? That answer should then qualify the correct placement.Thanks Mitchwww.thebutterflyllc.com

[MechFx]

With your observationsI'd have filter as second point of contactI'd Mount vertically so valve is to the bottom.I'd have Air from compressor connected to alloy section.I'd connect brass fitting to Spray gun.I'd then hope for the bestArt SpinkGyroNews Editor

[NiqueNaque]

Pete,That will be determined by whether you are draining air or water from your system.Greg,Any chance you can take the above filter apart and show us an exploded assembly? Cheers,Nick.

[Greg Mitchell]

Hey Art, Nick,I hooked it up to the compressor end today for some trial runs.I attached it at the alloy end, with the valve at the lowest point (trap is on its side as per pic) on the horizontal. I cracked the bleeder valve on the compressor. You could see the moisture come into the trap via the little side holes and cling to the inside of the plastic casing. The filter then seems to stop most of the fine particulate drops going up my short hose to the pressure gun. This same test was conducted with out the trap and with the trap reversed, both resulted in moisture exiting the gun. If the bleeder on the compressor is fully closed more moisture enters the trap. (Onya Nick.) Only problem I see is that if it were mounted off the rear of and just under the gun, the valve would be at the top. So I'll leave it down at the compressor end for now. I guess the air comming up the line may still have some particles in it. Anyway, I'll try it this way tomorrow on a job and see how it goes. Thanks for all the thinking and help, I appreciate it. Miles from nowhere.Mitch.www.thebutterflyllc.com

[NiqueNaque]

Greg,The other issue with putting it on the gun is that the gun orientation changes as you use it, this may result, as I have experienced, in the odd blob of water in the paint, which is a ******* to fix.Cheers,Nick.