where can i get a good water trap for my air compressor? the ones at home depot/sears etc. are flimsy little p.o.s. i want one that will last. I use air tools and paint with my compressor. where have you guys gotten your water seperators at??
Most water traps are a chamber that the air flows thru to cool down which condenses the moisture in the warm air. In hot and humid conditions most small condensers don't cool the air enough to let the moisture condense. They also need to be about 20 feet away (downline) from the compressor tank. If they are right next to or on the compressor they will absorb heat from the compressor and not be efficient in cooling the air. Some condensers have filters (which do NOT filter moisture) and some have dessicant (small beads that absorb moisture) that both need to be changed or serviced every so often. The big buck units are actually refridgerators that the air p***es thru to cool and condense out the moisture. I have a Harbor Freight unit ($35.00 with regulator) which is a copy cat of a Sharpe wall mount unit on my garage compressor. It's only so effective when painting so I use some low buck Tech to make it more efficient. I take about 25 feet of air hose off the compressor, make about 3 loops in the hose so the loops fit in a 5 gallon pail, then fill the pail with ice and water and attatch the water trap to the air outgoing side of the bucket. The cold loops in the bucket of ice cool the warm air condensing the moisture out of the air which deposits in the moisture trap. Always drain the compressor first before the painting operation and drain your air lines and let them blow out. I still use a small plastic ball shaped filter on the paint gun for a little extra insurance. Usually there's enough room left in the bucket of ice for a 6-pack. overspray
I thought about doing something similar to this idea except using a coil of 1/2 inch soft copper with fittings on each end then stuffing in a mini fridge I'm not using anymore. I'm just not sure if the soft copper will hold the pre***ure although it looks like they use it to connect the compressor to the tank.
Try TPtools.com they have a great diagram on how to route the lines to capture water, plus a nice line of water seperaters, and regulators and other ***y for compressors. (various prices also). I used the diagram and went to Home Depot and bought the black iron 3/4 pipe. but did by the seperator, flex tube and regulator from TP..
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