Compressor regulator/desiccant?

[David Ragan]

Hi all,

I'm interested in installing another in-line pressure regulator valve closer to the actual shop (currently about 40' of hose between compressor and hose coil in shop). Tired of walking over there to adjust the pressure.

My plan is to adjust the regulator near the compressor upward, and have the new regulator in the shop adjusted as needed for job @ hand.

This post has 2 questions:

1) Is having 2 regulators OK? Part of it is-I just don't want the hassle of taking first one out of the circuit
2) Is the current regulator in the picture good enough for taking moisture out for using a pin nailer, etc. No finishing equipment.

The compressor itself has an automatic intermittent bleeder @ the bottom.

I searched over Google, and was just confused. Don't need industrial set-up.


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There is a small diaphragm visible in the picture, but no moisture

Thanks!

[Malcolm McLeod]

1. Having 2 regulators is just fine. Only issue might be if you are using large volumes of air (i.e. air-sanders) - then flow might suffer. ...Not likely in a home shop.
2. Any name brand FR will likely be adequate, especially with the 40' hose to allow the air to cool before it hits the the FR.

Install a ball-valve just upstream of the FR, then you can empty the bowl w/o need to de-pressurize the entire system.
Consider adding a lubricator if the only use for this drop is air tools (no blow down or finishing gear).

[Bruce Page]

I don’t see any reason not to, as long as the regulator valve’s PSI rating is equal to or above the max line pressure. I installed one just ahead of my cnc router to reduce pressure.

[Mike Cutler]

David

It's done all the time in industry. A high flow regulator with a moisture trap and coalescing filter will come first, and the second regulator will have a desicant cartridge, and possibly another moisture trap. You just need to make sure that the first regulator can keep up with the second regulator, flow wise.

Where is the regulator in the picture, relative to the tank, in feet of piping/tubing? The further the better, within reason.

Ideally the first regulator should be 20+ feet away from the receiver, but that is just not always doable in a small shop.( Mine has about 100' of piping between the tank and regulator.) The reason for this is that the stored volume in the air receiver tank is your first pressure drop and has the greatest D/P, differential pressure, across it. This is the first mechanical means of moisture separation in an air system. As the pressure drops, moisture has to come out of the compressed gas, as long as the system is not saturated.
The further the first regulator is away from the receiver tank, the lesser chance of having saturated gas, air with moisture, at the first regulator. Depending on the temp and pressure of the air, the moisture can actually still be in vapor form and will pass right through the filters and regulator.
Many times you will see a section of piping/tubing, set up in a torturous path to "cool" the air and facilitate condensation in each of the legs. It's not really cooling the air, per se, but rather each elbow represents a D/P drop, and once again as you change the pressure, moisture comes out of the gas. The air molecules would be individually moving too fast, to effectively "cool" them. The cooler comes later.

Bottom line; If you're not spraying finishes, you should be all set.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I use the HF $4.99 regulator where hose plugs into shop piping, then plug in hose into regulator. For $4.99, you don't care if it lasts long enough to will to your grand kids.

[Jim Becker]

Multiple regulators is no issue...for example, I have a regulator at the drop I use for spraying finish that I keep shut down to 40 psi which is the specified input pressure for my particular HPLV gun. I also have one near the compressor which I use to insure that what's in the line is not above what my pneumatic fastener guns need so that fastener depth is consistent.

[Bill Adamsen]

Second what Mike and the others have said. I carefully buy used Numatics on ebay and use those on my system. They are space efficient, offer precise control and extendability (dessicant, lubrication) and seem reliable. Likely you can do as well at a local discount store.