2 Gloats and a Air Compressor Question

[Mark Kauder]

First Gloat: I have been looking for an air compressor for my little shop. Today, on one of my weekly Pawn Shop tours, I found a nearly new Devilbuss IRF-420-2 4HP 20 Gal Air Compressor for $120. Only thing wrong with it, is the drain valve on the bottom of the tank had been sheared off (in the closed position). That is a $3 part.

AND it came with 150ft of hose!! I took the hose off for now, and put on a 25ft section that I already had.

Second Gloat: I noticed a new 6 Gal Shop vac on a neighbors garbage pile Monday morning. I stopped and picked it up, figuring if it was in fact broken, I could use the Hose. I took it home, plugged it in and when I turned it on, it just hummed. I looked inside, and noticed that it had been used to vac up water/mud. Oh well. During the course of that evening, I accidentally knocked the ShopVac off my bench, and it hit the floor pretty hard. For some reason when I picked it up, I decided to try turning it on again, and IT WORKED. I hosed it out, and it is now my wife's craftroom vac.


My question: for around the house maintainance operations I might occasionally use the 150ft of hose. Is there such a thing as "line Loss", pressure-wise, when using a long line.

Mark

[Dale Thompson]

Mark,
Pneumatic line loss is a bit different than hydraulic line loss. It mainly has to do with the viscosity of the media; specifically, water (high) vs. air (low). If your "around the house" projects (i.e. tools) don't work with 125' of hose, it is highly unlikely that they will work with 25' of hose. UH--What did I just say?

I just may be close on this one! Not right--but close!!

Dale T.

[Paul Kunkel]

I routinely run 300 to 350 ft of 3/8" hose from the shop to various parts of my house for nailers or light spraying projects. I'll sometimes use a pressure reducer at the house end for the last 50 ft. For heavy spray or large air usage you'd be better off with 1/2" hose.