Got the air compressor going!

[Pat]

Bird, Technology for recycling is improving and much of the task can be mechanized and handled "after the fact" instead of requiring individuals to separate trash into categories.

Your system sounds pretty darned convenient for the user. I think our service is about the same. The owner of our collection company drives one of the garbage trucks and is quite the entrepreneur. Essentially just about anything you set out for him that will fit in the compactor on the back of the truck will be taken away.

Pat

[CJDave]

[img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] One of the things that I did to this nice upright compressor that I have here, Pat, was have a 12" piece of high pressure hose made up at the auto parts with 1/4" MPT fittings on each end, and THAT HOSE attaches to my tank drain with a 1/4" copper street elbow, and then I have a manual blow-off valve on the end of the hose with a tail on it that goes outdoors. That setup is convenient and clean so I don't hesitate to use it as I might if it meant reaching under the tank, opening a valve, and covering the floor with rusty, brown, oily water. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] Here in rural-rural-RURAL Iowa where the population is kind of scant, we do have rural garbage pickup. The PROBLEM is that the empty cans get blown into the next county before you can run out and grab them; very annoying. Soooo.... about five years ago I made a forced-draft incinerator that works absolutley, positively, superb so we burn all of the burnables in that; stuff like kitchen garbage and sensitive paperwork from the office. It will take a phone book to ashes no problem. Aluminum cans are picked up by a guy who uses that money to supplement his social security, and the same for the glass bottles with deposit allowances. The noozpapers, magazines, and other kinds of paper have their own recycle bins at the transfer station and empty metal cans are taken to their specific recycle bin at the same transfer station. The burnt remains from the incinerator are bagged and taken to the landfill about every three or four months. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Dave, I will be putting an extension on the bottom located condensate drain on the upright compressor.

What do you think about the automatic drain units the hook up to the little line running between the "T"/check valve and the presure switch assembly and supposedly drain the condensate when the unit cycles off when up to pressure? (I think I got it right.)

I got one of those from HF but never installed it on the portable since the fittings wre the wrong size and I lacked sufficient motivation. Now I think I would like it on the bigger upright unit (now that it works right.)

Pat

[CJDave]

[img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] Pat, I encountered a lot of those automatic drain setups in industry, and no doubt they are essential if the duty cycle of the machine requires it. The ones that I see are either pilot operated; that is to say they use a "signal" from the air line of the unloader to cock them and then they exhaust water (if any) when the signal goes away; OR... they are electrically cocked and get their signal from the pressure switch or the magnetic contactor. As much as I LIKE machinery, it seems like A LOT of extra machinery for an occasional-use unit like you have and like I have. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] It just occurred to me that you might be thinking that the condensate drain goes up on top? You aren't thinking that are you? Even though it plumbs to the air lines on top, the valve itself has to go where the water is and that's the bottom plug. I did have a horizontal compressor in one of my shops that had a top drain valve which had an internal stem that went down through the tank and pulled the water off the botom. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Pat]

No, Dave, I still seem to recall that water is heavier than air and will collect at the lowest point it can. Considering this, trying to "drain" condensate from a high point is probably not provident.

I already have the HF unit and will eventually get around to installing it. It is a drain valve (of course, installed at low point - - as replacement for drain plug) and is controlled by an air line connection to the little air line connecting the pressure regulator (switch) assembly to the check valve. I'm guessing that when the heads are unloaded the drain valve is activated for a short while but I don't know for sure.

Since I have it I might as well try it out some time eventually. I agree it is not a necessity but if it works OK and doesn't leak and since I already have it, what the heck. It does require cutting and installing a "T" in the little line to the pressure switch.

Pat

[CJDave]

[img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] I suspect that the auto-drain valve has a chamber with an opening on each end. The tank side is normally closed and the atmosphere side is normally open. While the compressor is pumping, the air pressure from the unloader tube reverses the valve and the accumulated tank moisture flows into the cavity between the valves and is then exhausted when the compressor cycle is complete and the valve switches back to it's original position. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] Pat, I thought and thought before I mentioned that business about the valve needing to be on the bottom; [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] I KNEW you would know that, but just in case that particular valve was actually intended for a top-mounted siphon setup I went ahead and mentioned it because I knew your tank was not set up for anything like that, and there is nothing like reading a set of instructions that aren't for your application. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/blush.gif[/img] How about using a street tee on the tank check valve unloader port and thereby get a place to hook the drain valve pilot tube? [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Hey Dave, better safe than sorry. Better to err on the side of caution. In this particular case the instructions with the HF stuff actually are readable and make sense.

Pat

[egon]

Pat, I'm positive Honeywell could set you up a drain system that would be awesome. Chances are you could even write a program to control it! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Egon, I think the HF accessory is about as high tech as I need. If the HF accessory doesn't work out to my satisfaction I will use a flexible extension (to handle the vibration) and remote the drain valve to an easily reached location where I don't have to stand on my head to reach it.

I haven't used the air for nearly a week and the pressure is remaining constant (with the switch shut off) so apparently I have no leaks worthy of the name.

As soon as I get the fittings I need to set up the little compressor, I will run that leak test you suggested. It could very well show me that the compressor itself has a leaky intake valve or whatever.

Pat

[Pat]

Egon, I finally made it to town and got the fitting to get the little air compressor going. It pumps up to about 45-47PSI and just keeps running but making no more pressure. I shut it off and have been monitoring the pressure. In nearly 3 days it has dropped to about 40 PSI but at least part of that drop was due to a reduced temperature.

I guess we now assume the check valve is OK and than the pressure switch/head unloader thingy is not leaking. This leaves piston to cylinder wall seal and the "exhaust" valve or maybe the intake valve.

If it were a car I would do a dry vs wet compression test but not sure if that is Kosher with a compressor.

Pat