DIY cheap quality Air Drier - Filter - Regulator combo for auto painting
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- Опубликовано: 13 авг 2022
- I'm setting up my home shop to do car restorations and automotive painting. For that I will need clean dry air for my air guns. In this video I show how I created an affordable drier, filter, and regulator for my air shop air system.
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Very innovative. I'm not ready to set this up yet but after watching
Awesome, thank you!
Here in Tucson, we are actually the wettest portion of the Sonoran Desert. That being said, we get a lot of moisture here during the summer, and affects my three compressors for both air tools and my plasma cutter. I have struggled for years to try to find an effective desiccant dryer, and/or filter dryer system and all this time I could’ve just used a large water system like you presented and made it happen. So I think I’ll do that in addition with trying out that Motor Gard system. So overall excellent video and really glad you presented those products. Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Just FYI, I've been using one for about five months and it exploded this evening. I'm just here looking at videos of other people's findings after I've already come to my conclusion.
A couple weeks ago I saw some stress lines in it and I figured I would see it to its end because the odds of it happening when I was in the shop were very rare. I came out of the house at about 12 a.m. and heard my air compressor running with no load on it.
It's the cyclic pressure spikes that are the demise of the material. I thought it could be a thing but also it was cheap enough for me to gamble with.
It was definitely a more violent explosion than I thought it would be. Luckily my security camera and the shop caught it and there is shrapnel nearly to the other side of the shop from where it was.
Also, desiccant is absolutely everywhere. It was like a crappy IED went off in here.
Ahhh...glad you are safe and good to know. I have a shut off valve and keep mine unpressurized unless I'm using it. Maybe that will help. You are going to be finding dessicant beads for years! Thanks for sharing.
@@3rdstallgarage Yeah, I think I got most of them cleaned up, but it definitely was a good spread of them.
If I get a chance I'll throw a video up on my channel of the security cam footage of it exploding. It's pretty entertaining.
The furthest piece of the housing shrapnel hit the furthest wall of the shop about 25-30 feet away.
I just bought a "Air Filter Combo Filter/Regulator/Mist Separator". I had my own idea on how I wanted to hook it up, but wanted to see if there was a better way. I liked this setup, but why isn't the Regulator/Separator the first inline? It would catch some of the moisture so the desiccant would last longer, as well as lower the pressure on all the components.
@@danmatson8685 That's a good idea. I will ponder that.
What are the pressures into the filter that you're working with, please? The filters aren't rated for this kind of work and wonder what your compressor's output was when it involuntarily disintegrated. Which filter were you using (brand, model)? I plan on building this system, too. My compressor is rated at 175 lbs., max, and would probably set a regulator before the filters. Thanks!
I took the same approach, using a Cullens brand.
Actually, I used 2. Both made identically, with the center tube. The first cannister, I cut open the centers of 12 copper scouring pads and fit them around the tube, stacked to fill the can. Air goes in through the "in" port, same as would water.
Both cans connected "out-to-out", the second can is built exactly like this one.
Sending the air through the scouring pads helps to force the water molecules to collide and condense, allowing the second can's desiccant to be more effective.
I use that for painting. Not one fisheye. I had to replace the desiccant after about a year; as that was when I finally noticed a little steam emerging from an air blower. Currently on my second year, still no water.
Nice! cool idea. Thanks for sharing. I hope people read these comments too.
Thank you! I will be trying out your idea my friend!
Just watched again got it, mine is mainly for my CNC plasma table. Thanks again for the reply.
No problem. Happy to help. I'm jealous of the cnc plasma table...
NEW Subscriber!! Love the build and great video!!
Thanks for the sub!
You will remove more moisture if you put the regulator before you dryer. When the air drops pressure it expands and gets colder and can't hold as much moisture so that is when it starts to come out on its own so there will be less for the beads to have to suck out of the air. All systems for sale as a kit are set up that way for that reason.
That makes sense. Thanks for pointing that out.
I bet you could use a zeolite instead and then just regenerate it with a heat blanket and inexpensive vacuum pump. That's what we use for gas drying in an industrial context. Reusable and far more effective than silica beads.
Interesting idea.
you need to pull the motor guard filters every few weeks, I read They arent made to stay in the body, over that, the powder coating in them peels as well. better off painting the inside with epoxy primer .
Good idea to pull it out and add some paint to it. Thanks!
I don’t understand what the issue is here? Why wouldn’t a filter be OK sitting in the housing if that’s what it’s designed for?
@@TheRolfano This vid is mystifying. Rejiggering a house water filter as a compressed air system dessicant?
@@thardyryll it’s rated to 120psi so it’s probably ok. Worst that can happen is it goes pop with a million beads. I am willing to try it. Others have as well. If it blow’s I’ll make a video lol
@@TheRolfano the water gets under the powdercoat and lifts it and corrodes the aluminum under it bad, its a know issue,
You can buy a mesh screen filter for the home water filter
True. I did that too.
So a year later how has this worked out for you? How often do you have to recharge the desiccant? Any problems with the PEX piping or water filter housing? Neither of these those are intended for compressed air use.
So far I LOVE the pex system. It's so easy to install and works great. I have had no problems with leaks, even with joints I ended up cutting off the crimp collar and re-doing it. I haven't done any painting yet to test the desiccant dryer yet, though. So I don't have much feedback on that. Sorry.
@@3rdstallgarage Thanks, I have seen other YT videos where their PEX pipes blew up, and a lot of fear mongering about the water filter acrylic housing blowing up, but so far no actual incidents showing a failure in those.
I wonder if you can low temp bake the beads dry?
My water filters look like that and the groove where the bead got into is where mine have an O-ring for sealing.
Absolutely. They are reusable.
@@3rdstallgarage glad to see the second filter housing is working.
How did the desiccant dryer work out? Does it leak? Cheers!! Just installing my pet air system was thinking about doing the same diy desiccant dryer.
The first cheap one I bought online from Amazon online leaked. The second one I bought from Lowe’s holds air great. I have used it to paint yet to know how fast the desiccant beads get wet but it should hold up for a good while and then I can dry them out in the oven.
@@3rdstallgarage Cool, thanks for the reply. Do you have the manufacturer name or part#?
@@raygraham7018 I think the brand name was AO Smith and the part number is AO-WH-PREV I'll put a link in the next comment.
@@raygraham7018 www.lowes.com/pd/A-O-Smith-AO-WH-PREV-Single-Stage-4-GPM-Mechanical-Filtration-Whole-House-Water-Filtration-System/1000576411
Motor guard....
The inside of the filter roll as a plastic roll....must be removed before inserting it? Thank you
I'm not 100% sure. I don't think mine has a plastic roll in the middle. I might be forgetting. Maybe somebody else can chime in here and help with the answer.
Why not put the regulator on the input side so the filters are only exposed to low pressure?
Hmmm....well...because I didn't think of that. Good idea.
I like regulator on output side of filter. Previously Several regulators I tried failed due to water corrosion.
I am curious after 8 months how much moisture you are seeing in the Motor Guard moisture filter? Without a pre-moisture filter the Motor Guard filter must be changed or at least opened up once a week so the trapped moisture can dry out. I am a DIY'er with the M-60 and didn't check the filter for ~ 6 months. When I opened it up the corrosion was so bad I had to cut the filter out of the housing. The housing is shot.
That's a good point. Right now, I'm side tracked on projects and haven't done any painting yet. So I don't have any real world data for you. I hope the dessicant filter takes most of the moisture, but I think it's a great idea to open the MotorGuard filter and let it air out after each major use or weekly.
Is it working
So far, it works great. I haven't been able to do much painting yet, so I know more later.
Link for the filter housing?
I don't have the link. Sorry. It was what was in stock at Lowes.
Why you dont share the links of the products you use 😢
I will try to get better at that. Sorry.
Pex
Thx.
All you really need is just the motor guard
It probably would be fine but in really humid weather I thought having both might do better and avoid soaking the motor guard filter. You are probably right though.
@@3rdstallgarage Yep I understand what you're saying. I guess it can't hurt to provide an additional filter, especially if you live in a really humid area like Florida
I wouldn't run the second line use all the filter system if not your defeating the purpose
Thanks for the suggestion.
Get new ones 😂
U don't read anything online do you.? Ped is NOT rated for ail #1. If you paint cars, you have really good paint guns so take care off them. Buy a real dryer/water separator and be done with it. Last, look at flexzilla coil hoses. They come in different lengths and work great hot or cold
Yes, Pex is is not rated for air. You are correct and I had read that online. But just because something isn't rated for something doesn't mean it doesn't work well for that purpose. Thanks for the advice on flexilla hoses. I need some new air hoses soon.
Pex is far better than pvc,copper way too expensive I bought a 100" coil of 3/4 pex and left it that way hung on wall for additional cooling and a drop you don't need to go up n down zeg zag with all that piping js😊
100' feet!!!!!