Compressed air supply in workshop.

[cwarrix]

JKlender, where can I find a timer like you have to shut off the compressor in case I leave it on? I was thinking that might not be a bad addition to my well pump (now located in my garage, was in the crawl space) in case a water pipe breaks when you are on vacation or something. Just curious where you got it. Is the time adjustable?

Thanks!
Chuck

[JKlender]

The setup I have is just something I made up. It's made out of a little Allen-Bradley digital timer and a lighting contactor with heavy-duty contacts. The box is just an old firebox with an acrylic cover. When the compressor pressure switch closes it brings in the contactor which powers up the motor. If the timer times out it drops out the contactor, unless the bypass switch is on. It's all stuff you could possibly find in a scrapyard that junks out old industrial control panels. Any kind of pneumatic or electrical timer is ok. Most timers are adjustable, but you have to find one that will cover the 'time' you are wanting. But you have to make sure the contactor/relay/starter has contacts rated to handle your motor starting load. Sorry if I can't point you at sources for parts. I can scan/post a print of my setup if you want.

[em14]

Check this site out. It has a lot of good info on setting up an air system in a shop. In the past I have always used 1" black pipe with great success. I have an 80 gal that I have sitting outside because of the noise. Since this shop is intended to be "the Shop" that I have planned for years I went a little wild and used alum 7/8" tubing which cost a lot more than the good old black pipe but ever so quick and easy to install. I had considered copper but after talking to some steam fitters who liked copper tubing/pipe but thick wall, I decided to go with the alum. It works great and no rust. Anyway, here is a good site with good info and you don't need to buy a thing ... http://www.tptools.com In the attached (I thought that I had a better picture but I cannot find it) you can see the blue lines on the wall. These are some of the airlines, actually about 1/2 the lines, that feed the shop. You will enjoy the bennies of having air in the shop!
Leo

[em14]

Here is the page with their diagram ... http://www.tptools.com/statictext/ai...ng-diagram.pdf
Leo

[Pat]

cwarix, A timer on your domestic water supply pump might be interesting. How long do you set it for is a good question.

Something like a retrigerable mono-stable multivibrator fed off of your pressure switch might be useful. It could be made so that it was reset every time your pressure switch activated your pump. If it were adjusted to time out in something like 12 hours it would probably be reset before timing out since when you are home you would not go over 12 hours without using water. When away (no water used for over 12 hours) it would time out and be disabled until manually reset with a push button. The oportunity for Murphy to interfere would be if a BIG leak happened within 12 hours of your departure.

Alternatively you could install parallel reset circuitry based on multiple strategically located IR motion detectors and go for a real short (much safer from Murphy) timeout period. Then a leak would have to happen before the time out period which you might choose to be fairly short. As long as someone moved in view of one of the IR motion detectors often enough, water service would not be interrupted. Suggested locations for the IR units would be bathrooms, kitchen, and any other high water usage areas and high traffic areas too.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[cwarrix]

Thanks for the info em14, you're right, there is a lot of good info there. I already finished the project though, so I'll have to keep it in mind for next time.

I ended up going with 3/4" copper from the compressor to the front of the barn. I put three outlets along the way. One in the back using my old regulator for an air gun, one in the middle with a new 3/8" regulator and a 50' reel of 3/8" hose, and the third in the front with a 25' 3/8" hose for pumping up tires. Should be all I need for a while. Also stuck a water trap with a valve at the lowest point.

Chuck

[cwarrix]

Hi Pat, sounds a little complicated to me [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I might look into those water supply cutoff valves with remote sensors at some point in the furture. Most of the stuff that would leak is in the garage or the crawl space, hot water tank, pump, pressure tank, water softener. I could put a few sensors around the stuff in the house that might leak and let the valve shut the water supply off. Here's a link to one system I was looking at:
https://www.safehomeproducts.com/SHP/SM/Water_cop.asp

Thanks!

[em14]

I just noticed the the attachment I thought I sent .. Didn't!
Leo

[cwarrix]

Nice shop em14!

[em14]

Thanks .... I'm enjoying it very much ...
Leo