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Thread: Air Compressor Draining

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Prosper, Texas
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    1,474
    Quote Originally Posted by Keith Winter View Post
    Now that's pretty nice auto power up, you hadn't mentioned that.
    Yeah, it's quite nice. I have also automated the powering up of the air filter as well as the HVAC. When I walk into the shop each morning, the compressor is pressurized, the air in the shop has been filtered for a while and the shop temperature is just right.
    Regards,

    Glen

    Woodworking: It's a joinery.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
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    United States
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    1,038
    That's got to be a nice setup Glen!
    Trotec Speedy 400 120w, Trotec Speedy 300 80w
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  3. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    I haven't depressurized my compressor since last August when it was shut off during our annual family vacation and dropped pressure over time by itself. The IR automatic drain valve keeps the moisture out of the drain sump very nicely...to this day I'm thankful that I found it at a "very attractive price" a number of years ago when I acquired it.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    New Hill, NC
    Posts
    2,568
    Quote Originally Posted by Keith Winter View Post
    What's the point in leaving the air for tomorrow beyond convenience? Is your tank massive? Our tank take less than 10 minutes to fill each day at the shop, so we let the air out and open the drain every night religiously.
    I leave my tank full for two reasons. First, at 7.5HP it consumes a significant amount of electricity and I don't want to incur any additional expense on a daily basis (or the additional wear on the compressor).

    Second, the longer the compressor runs, the hotter the air. If you fill the compressor totally each morning, the air inside it will be pretty warm, and as a result will carry more moisture in it to your tools in the morning. If the compressor sits full overnight, the air cools and the moisture condenses out of it into the tank where it can be drained either manually or automatically. Since the compressed air has less moisture in it, there is less moisture conveyed to your tools.

  5. #20
    I've got just a ball valve on a length of hose at the bottom of my compressor. I usually crack it in the morning when I get to the shop and open the valve on the tank, and again at night when I close the valve. The morning there isn't much at all, but it only takes a few seconds to reach down and crack it open briefly.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Falls Church, VA
    Posts
    2,335
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    I've had one of the HF valves for years. Maybe I was lucky. it worked every time. The only problem was the crappy hose that went to the unloader circuit. That hose got hot and kept coming off. I finally replaced it with some better plastic and don't have the problem anymore. I still shut down the compressor when I leave town.

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