Compressed Air Piping in Shop

[moto123]

Has anyone used this product before?  The piping and outlets are available as stand alone parts or as a preconfigured kit at northern tool.  I picked up one of their regulator / filters to try and it seems like a pretty solid part.  Appears to be a US company based in Wisconsin.  The company isn't afraid to declare their faith either.

http://www.rapidairproducts.com/

[JR]

I looked at but unsure if I want to go that way. My system runs at 150psi so I would need the 3/4. Although budget and run size the 1/2 looks nice.

[stlaser]

There was another compressor thread on here where Big D said you can't ever get the 1/2" to be straight even when screwed to a wall (it wants to roll up) so if you do it to make it look good go with 3/4" straight pieces.

I'm going to run black pipe when I do mine, I like the old school way I guess.

[Flyin6]

Korrekt!

The rolled up 1/2" stuff is a mess. I am still using it, but will replace it when I do garage 1.2

The straight tubing is just great. Get plenty of angle fittings. like twice what they recommend, you'll use them!

[TexasRedNeck]

At the risk of getting flamed, what is the problem with SCH40 PVC?  Ive used that in the past.  I would think that under 200psi you'd be fine

[stlaser]

I've had friends who ran it. I wouldn't as I believe the pvc over time can become brittle & deteriorate.

[KensAuto]

Want it to last, use rigid copper. Don't want to have to take out a second mortgage, use longer hoses.

[Farmer Jon]

The guys that did our heating and plumbing in our shop ran the lines. They used steel. WE have an 80x80 building with 10 or 12 outlets scattered around the shop with 4 water traps. Running 160 psi with a 500 gallon propane tank converted for air on reserve. We discussed using PVC or other plastic pipe. They refused to do it unless it was steel. He said he had seen one shop that used plastic and when it blew it blew a hole in the wall. If someone was standing there they would be dead.

[moto123]

I've had friends who ran it. I wouldn't as I believe the pvc over time can become brittle & deteriorate.

Correct, and when the brittle PVC plastic finally fails it EXPLODES and sends shrapnel everywhere.

We discussed using PVC or other plastic pipe. They refused to do it unless it was steel. He said he had seen one shop that used plastic and when it blew it blew a hole in the wall. If someone was standing there they would be dead.

That's a great example.  I have also heard of testing sanitary waste PVC piping with air simply as a leak detection before it's done.  When testing with even low pressure air like 15 or 20 psi, fittings that never got glued can become dangerous projectiles and be shot across the room.  Air when compressed contains a lot of energy so you want the failure method to leak slowly, which metals tend to do.  That's why this new plastic / aluminum combination pipe is interesting to me, it appears to be safe but also quick, cheap and easy.

[JR]

Well, I like the fitting and the ease of it but not so sure about the cheap part yet.

[mjmbrown]

Ive seen this in a couple local small shops, the "FastPipe" looks like a simple product to use. although it looks like the unions would cause you to go broke @ $10 each. this is on my to do list after insulating shop in the spring.

[OldKooT]

I can't comment on how the new technology works per say. But I did my entire shop in 1" black pipe. I bought a pipe cutter and threader on CL for $100. After that it was just buying the materials. I have about 250' of pipe and fittings all total. Nice thing about it, I have yet to find a shred of moisture at my drops. I angled it all carefully so the compressor is the lowest point. The drops are all 3/4" The 1" makes a large loop and ends up T'd back in at the compressor junction.

Set up this way the compressor can catch up no sweat to the sandblaster. I get about 22cfm at the drops at 125psi and run the main 1" at 150psi. I was going to run some copper to cool the air for painting but I have been spraying direct off the 3/4 drops with now water filter with zero problems all summer. Same with sandblasting... I might have $500 in all the pipe/fittings.

[stlaser]

I'm only running a 60 gallon tank so I was planning on making a ceiling loop and running 2" and 3/4" drops with black pipe to add more storage myself.

[Nate]

we have a norm sighting.........where yah been norm and hows the farm and family doing?!

[OldKooT]

We have been keeping busy neevr any lack of stuff to do around here. Hope everyone is keeping well and enjoying life.