"air filter" for compressors?

chillin014 · 10-03-2008, 06:53 PM

Awhile back on horsepowertv I saw they did an episode about air compressor set-ups and the guy showed some sort of attachment for where the compressor takes in air that would I guess remove the water. I recently got a fairly large new one so I wanted to make sure it lasts a long time. My old one collected alot of water and when I'd drain it it would come out rusty. Anyone know where to get something like this? I'm not talking about an in-line one for the air tools, I'm more worried about my compressor's longevity.

*maxima42* · 10-14-2008, 11:20 AM

there should be a drain valve at the very bottom of the compressor, open that every 6 months, let the water drain and close it, my uncle wo is a professional mechanic has done it like that for 25 years and still uses the same compressor

chillin014 · 10-14-2008, 11:23 AM

yes, there is...but it seems like I can open it once a day and alot of water comes out. I mean I guess its not a big deal since the valve is obviously there for this very reason but...if I want to paint or something I'm afraid those inline filters dont capture enough of the water. The one on my sandblaster certainly didnt.

**mtrai760** · 10-14-2008, 12:45 PM

There is no way to prevent water from building up in the tank. The moisture is a byproduct of the compression process (happens in your cars engine as well). I'm assuming what you saw was a inline filter and water seperator to prevent the moisture from going down the line to your tools. Those are fairly common, Sears sells some basic ones. They also have more advance ones, but the one from Sears works fine for me. These are used to protect your expensive air tools from the moisture and subsequent internal corrosion. You should really drain your tank every day to ensure the integrity and longevity of your air tank.

I have never seen an inline filter/water seperator that intercepts between the compressor and the tank, but that does not mean one does not exist.

chillin014 · 10-14-2008, 01:02 PM

well on my sandblaster there was a filter inline/before the pressurized tank.

Anyway, I saw this thing on Horsepower TV which is where I got the "idea" to buy one. It was something the guy put on top of the compressor where it took in air or something like that. It was a long time ago but I tried searching their website and their compressors have huge dryers on top of them :-/ . Maybe it was a more paint-related product. Do you think the tank is coated on the inside to prevent rust? The water that comes out is pretty brown.

**mtrai760** · 10-14-2008, 01:19 PM

Like I said, I'm not claiming that what you saw does not exist, I have just not seen them around for your average home use compressor. The inside of the tanks are not painted, that is why you see the rusty water. I've seen some pretty fancy professional setups, but we are talking $$$$ and those are usually used for things like paint booth work using desiccant filters, where any moisture at ALL is a big no no. They usually use a seperate compressor and air storage tank, with an air/oil seperator between them.