| Author | Message | ||
     Misato |
what do you use? pvc? copper? alum? I need to run them in my new garage. I see stories about the pvc exploding. this place is too much $$$$$$, although I dont see prices now. I looked a few weeks ago and the kit was $600 | ||
| Dano_12s |
Try a over the road truck parts place,air brake air line works great. Hydraulic hose repair shop maybe. Good luck. | ||
| Bomber |
get to a big bookstore, and look at the garage planning books, or books on setting up woodworking shops (i.e., from Taunton Press) . .. lot's of data, much of it very concerned with budget my recollection is that a specific schedule pvc pipe is OK for compressed air . . . | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
I have seen standard plumbing pipe set in a slight V pattern with drain valves set at the bottom of the V's. | ||
| Whodom |
Misato- Nibco (copper & plastic pipe manufacturer) makes PVC pipe and fittings specifically for compressed air systems. Don't use the stuff you can get at Home Depot. If you use copper, you should silver-solder the joints (don't use regular plumbing solder). Probably the easiest thing to use is standard threaded steel pipe and fittings. You can buy various lengths of pipe already pre-threaded at your local building supply place. Use teflon thread sealing compound on the joints or teflon tape. Hugh | ||
| Henrik |
Speaking of air; oil-less or oiled compressor? Henrik (sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread) | ||
| Henrik |
Misato; what was the pricing on that Garage-pak system. Their "give us all your personal info before we give you a quote" pissed me off - but I'm still curious  Henrik | ||
| 99cyclone |
Definitely get an oil type compressor. I currently have both an oil type and an oil-less. Oil-less compressors make a god awful noise that makes it miserable to work around. | ||
| Captainkirk |
Misato, I plumbed my previous shop with 3/4" PVC schedule 40 at 120PSI working pressure.It's still working 8 years later. I'm in the process of plumbing my garage now with the same stuff. It's designed for hot water usage, so the 100PSI you'll see should be no problem. I've never heard of schedule 40 PVC exploding.The nice thing about it is 1)cost- you can plumb an entire garage for about 50 bucks; and 2) ease of working- with the proper PVC cutter you can string up the whole thing in a couple hours. And, yes-oilless compressors are loud, but they generally pump up pretty quick. | ||
| Misato |
I got it for a bday present. 7hp oil less 2stage 60gal. 175psi. I'm building a shed right outside the garage so it will be in there. I just filled out that thing and I should get a quote tomorrow. I'll let you know. | ||
| Misato |
pvc and air http://www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19880520.html | ||
| Bluzm2 |
I just did my garage with 1/2" hard copper. Standard water copper is rated at 180 PSI. Cheap and effective. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Whats the problem with normal solder for air? Gonna probably do this this summer, and was torn between that and PVC. | ||
| Whodom |
Normal solder for compressed air- good question. I know we never use it (I'm a mechanical engineer working for the Navy) so I tried to find out why. Our specifications require the use of silver solder; that's why we don't use "soft" solder. Compressed air piping is covered in ASME B31.1 "Power Piping". It says it's OK to use soft solder on power piping within its temperature and pressure limits. It references ASTM B32 for requirements for soft solder. B32 lists a whole bunch of different solder compounds along with suggested applications. None of them are listed for compressed air. I think the problem with soft solder is similar to the problem with PVC. If something screws up and the system gets hot, it could get hot enough to weaken the solder enough for a joint to fail. Odds are you will be OK for a home shop application but that's probably why we don't use soft solder on industrial applications. Silver solder has a much higher melting point to avoid the problem. All standard disclaimers apply- do not take this as professional advice on how to build your compressed air system. Hugh | ||
| Bluzm2 |
I used regular old soft solder on my install. I did use 1/2 ait hose to go from the compressor to the copper to make it easier to move the compressor if needed. It also reduces the compressor vibration and heat transmitted to the copper supply line. | ||
| Leftcoastal |
I've used threaded galvanized 1/2" pipe in my woodworking shops, no trouble ever. My business partner plumbed his garage with copper, also with no problems. Both systems set at around 95 lb. Use a flexible line to the plumbing from the compressor with a quick-connect, so you can easily service the compressor or the lines. You WILL get condensation in the lines, I haven't found a separator that is not really expensive that will prevent that. If possible, put moisture traps at the point you will be connecting to tooling. One tip that helps with condensation in the lines - If you have vertical drops in the plumbed lines (if you have run the lines high or on the ceiling) run the tubing down to a 'T' fitting, attach your quick-connector at the T, then continue the pipe down a foot or two, and put a drain valve there. That way you can purge any collected water from the system without it getting into the flex lines and to your tools, from the hard plumbed system. Hope that helps (or more importantly - made sense!) Good luck! AL | ||
| Jim_witt |
Tim, DO NOT use PVC or CPVC to pipe for your compressed air lines. It is NOT save. It will not take the shock, is brittle and all sorts of other hazards. When it reaches it's failure point, not necessarily its’ pressure limits, it shatters like a grenade. You wouldn’t believe the razor-sharp shrapnel that’s generated! I’ve personally experienced it, including 225mm PVDF exploding. Several thousand feet of it burst in a semi-conductor facility in New Mexico 2 years ago and it wasn’t due to over pressurization. There's numerous safety recourses are available on the Internet related to this topic. If you’ve previously installed it in your home shop, I strongly suggest you demo it as soon as possible, regardless how lucky you’ve been to date. There are tons of folks in this world that have installed something incorrectly and never knew how unsafe it is. Just because it didn’t or hasn't malfunction, doesn’t make it safe. If you choose to run copper tubing and decided to use silver solder (actually it’s not soldering rather brazing, much higher temperature is needed) you need to purge the line internally with an inert gas, like Argon, to keep in perfectly clean while brazing. Otherwise you have an enormous amount of scale build up on the inside of the tubing. They sell copper cleaned and capped at any pipe distributor too (not that I'm suggesting it). I personally wouldn’t buy black, galvanized or copper at home depot. The stuff I’ve seen is really inferior. Do a little homework via the Internet and see how others have designed their systems (at least those in the know). At lot of variables here not knowing what the demand will be on your system like a sandblaster, paint-gun, grinder and so forth. Plus using the proper size of pipe/tube for your demand, compressor size, dryer, filter, sloping your mains, installing drip legs with valves for the condensate to collect in and so forth. You can also look into system(s) like this. I've never used them, so I know nothing about them. -JW: edited by jim_witt on April 16, 2004 | ||
| Mikej |
When is comes time to add air to my garage this is probably what I'll do:  YMMV | ||
| Bomber |
since my wrenching has altered from equal parts old car/motorcycle to almost all motorcycle (with a little old car that's had every fastener unfastened in the last 5 years), my need for air in the garage has diminshed greatly (much to my surprise) . . . . I've even removed an air compressor from my permanent wish list now a welder . . . .differenet story | ||
| Misato |
thanks for all the info. I got the quote back from garage-pak too big I can't attach, but the basic kit was $450 | ||
| Misato |
BASIC PAK (GP Basic)-$431.26 (7) 1'' pipe (25mm) - cut to 9' length / total = 63 Feet (3) Unions (3) Elbows (3) Equal Tee (2) Plug-in 1/2" NPT male stems (1) 1/2" Male Connector (1) End Caps (1) Double Ported Wall Bracket (15) Hanging Clips (2) 1/2" MNPT Couplers (1/4¡¨ BODY) (2) 1/4"PLUGS (1) Pipe Marking Tool (1) Chamfer Tool (1) Flex Hose Assemblies 3 Foot Length 1/2" FNPT X 1/2" MNPT OPTIONAL HOSE REEL (25FT)-$149 (50FT)-$223 KEY PRODUCT FEATURES - The easiest pipe system in the world to use: Just push the pipe into the fitting and you are done. The secure and airtight connection is made. No pipe preparation or special tool required. No soldering, gluing, or threading pipe. - Piping layouts are easy to modify because fittings are removable and interchangeable. - The system can be disassembled. You can take it with you if you move. - Give your garage a clean, professional look: Garage-Pak pipe is blue powder-coated aluminum. Fittings are made of a black composite material. - Garage-Pak uses Transair fitting connection technology. This connection technology has been used at over 25,000 automotive and industrial facilities worldwide. - System is rated from 29.6" Mercury vacuum to 230 PSI. It is also rated for use with inert gases such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, helium, neon, and any mixtures of these gases. - Integrated airdrop fitting takes the air from the top of the pipe eliminating the possibility of moisture or water getting to your air tools. Garage-Pak can supply pre-drilled pipe for use with these fittings. - Garage-Pak supplies two port wall outlets for easy air access throughout your shop. - Garage-Pak quick disconnect safety coupler makes connecting your air tools safe and easy. Twist the coupler collar one direction to vent downstream air pressure. The coupler probe is still safely connected to the coupler body. A rotation in the other direction disconnects the plug completely from the coupler body. The safety coupler eliminates hose-whip entirely. - Garage-Pak offers a wide selection of fitting styles, including threaded adapters and even flex-hose. - Garage-Pak offers pipe-mounting clips to quickly and securely attach pipe to any wall or ceiling. |
