Central Pneumatic Garage Air Kit (#66747)

[lfgt]

Thanks

I appreciate you posting this. I was looking at this kit and was seriously looking at purchasing and installing this weekend. I have a small shop. A two car garage that my wife has no hope of ever getting to park in again. This seemed like a good deal. The only reason I wanted it was to save me time/space/money. Looks like working on it will negate all of those.

Jim

 

[h2owell]

PVC pipe opinion

I work with pvc pipe all the time and would NEVER use it for an air line just save a few bucks. Think how valuable your eyes or any other person in your shop. Do you wear constant eye protection around this? Also think about a sliver of pvc flying into someones ear, could be fatal.
A few bucks is not worth any of the potential effects of this pipe exploding
under 130 lbs of pressure.
On a water line holding 50 lbs of pressure I will only use schedule 40 pvc pipe which in 1 inch size is rated for 480 lbs of pressure when new, after 5 or 6 years of getting more and more brittle how much will it withstand before[S[S exploding.[S

 

[old lady's mad]

when i was down at shakey56's garage a couple weeks ago helping him we had a pvc blow out. he has it running from the compresor out side through the wall to the inside where it ends. then regular hose. it blowed/ruptcherd the pipe went 20 or so foot out side. lucky no one was out there. but when we went to luch we picked up the parts to fix it back with pvc, lol.

 

[sgtpontiac]

How long was that PVC in use....

before it blew????

 

[ratrodz]

they must make it better in ky. LOL thats all i've ever used and never had a problem.had it in my current shop for over 12 years.everybody i know uses it in there shop and had no problems

 

[sgtpontiac]

I've heard of a lot of people using it.

Just makes me nervous..... but if you've used it that long must be something to it.....how much temp fluctuations do you have where you are??

 

[ratrodz]

in the 20s cold part of winter about 100 in the hot part of summer.

 

[sgtpontiac]

doesn't normally get that hot here but

gets a bit colder 0 to -10..... I don't have my barn plumbed and use air hoses but would really like to have less hose lying around....I've thought of PVC but like I said, makes me nervous.....wish I knew someone around MI that has it and has had it in place for a bit but everyone around here uses black pipe or copper....

 

[donsrods]

Anyone who even THINKS about using PVC pipe for compressed air is playing Russian roulette. It is just a matter of time until it blows and when it does it will like a bomb went off. It might not be today or tomorrow, but it will.

Here is what OSHA says about it:

"In enforcing the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA), the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) sometimes encounters the use of PolyVinyl Chloride (PVC) pipe as part of compressed air systems. Compressed gas contains a huge amount of stored energy. Any external incidental damage to the pipe, a nip or an unusual pressure surge in the system can greatly compromise the integrity of PVC pipe. PVC pipe also can be damaged by oil and other contaminants contained in the air supply. Subsequently, failure of the pipe can result in an explosion with fragments of shattered pipe flying in all directions. The potential for injuries resulting from such accidents is significant. There is a history of explosion in the state and the hazard should be widely recognized. Manufacturers will not accept liability for unapproved PVC piping used to carry compressed air. Furthermore, the Plastic Pipe Institute has warned against using PVC pipe for compressed air purposes."

http://www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19880520.html

Information Date: 19880520
Record Type: Hazard Information Bulletin
Subject: The Use of Polyvinyl Chloride Pipe in Above Ground Installations.

"When PVC piping explodes, plastic shrapnel pieces are thrown in all directions."

"'We're seeing more incidents of explosive failure, and we're citing more employers for using PVC air system piping,' said Paul Merrill, senior safety inspector in L&I's Spokane office."

"'It's probably just a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured in one of these explosions unless everyone pays more attention to the manufacturer's warnings,' Merrill said.
Last year, a section of PVC pipe being used for compressed air exploded 27 feet above a warehouse floor. A fragment of the pipe flew 60 feet and embedded itself in a roll of paper. Fortunately, nobody was in the area at the time.
A PVC pipe explosion in a new plant in Selah broke an employee's nose and cut his face."

"PVC piping buried 3 feet underground at a Yakima manufacturing plant exploded, opening up a crater approximately 4 feet deep by 3 feet across."

"Only one type of plastic pipe has been approved for use with compressed air. That pipe, Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS), is marked on the pipe as approved for compressed air supply."




Don

 

[sgtpontiac]

Well.....that about says it all....

I'll use the black pipe....cheap insurance and no guess work involved...thanks Don for the input....

 

[donsrods]

Pipe is what we used in our shop too. Two of my most precious possessions are in there all the time (my Sons ) and there was no question I didn't want to have any shrapnel from pvc causing them any harm.

One thing that is good to add to a garage system is a pipe that drops down from the main line with a ball valve on the end. It traps moisture and everytime we open it tons of water blows out. We have one shorter pipe with a valve on it and one longer pipe with a valve on it. Not sure why Dan did it that way when he plumbed it, but there must have been a reason........he researches everything before he does it, so he must have read that was the way to do it.

Don

 

[sgtpontiac]

Actually I did think about that....

I will be putting a couple down pipes and ball valves along the run and one not far from the compressor...figure that would keep most of the mositure out and allow it to be drained off along the line as well....what I did today was picked up the flex line / hose from the compressor to the wall and then ran the line up from the drop down and drain valve then just above the work benches....I have just laid it out and nothing is connected yet....I need to get some tee's for the quick couplers so the air hose can be attached in several locations...and borrow a pipe threader so I can cut and thread it....I had about 30' of 3/4 black pipe and a friend gave me another 25' so it goes completely around all the work area and enough to go to the garage door area for a coupler fitting so a hose can be run outside in the better weather..... I think that 3 drop downs with drain valves should be enough.......The work area is 40x40 but I also want to run a line thru the wall and into the storage/un-insulated area so at least there is a coupler for a hose there as well.... any other suggestions???? I invite any input....

 

[ratrodz]

as don said use galvanized pipe it wont rust.you know what they say if you are blowing yourself off with a blow nozzle and a piece of rust comes out. air in the bloodstream lights out for ever.

 

[sgtpontiac]

Didn't catch the galvanized part....

as don said use galvanized pipe it wont rust.you know what they say if you are blowing yourself off with a blow nozzle and a piece of rust comes out. air in the bloodstream lights out for ever.

Man, I should've been dead long ago....lol....seriously....I don't usually blow off my clothing too often...I wear coveralls..(I know...hokey, the kids get a laugh out of dad in is jumpsuit as they call it..) anyway, I usually just get out of them and shake them outside....have a friend that works at a uniform company and he gets me the ones that have been sewed too often to keep in service...work fine for me and I always have 3 or 4 spares....sorry...I ramble..

 

[lampare]

Black pipe!!! Black pipe!!!. No PVC ever.

 

[Torch]

[P

​

Good thing you tried it out before you did the whole shop [P


I changed the tanks out in my 86 chevy truck once.
The factory puts the rubber fuel lines in with the box removed, I used long pieces to make the connection because there is no way to get at the top of those tanks without removing the box or by installing the rubber lines when the tanks are dropped...
I didn't check to see the lines were not kinked before I filled the tanks.. oops
She died halfway down the block at the filling station after 16" of snow, I had to drag my tools down there and drop the full tank to fix the kink and get it back in the garage.

 

[sawzall]

what?????

2 rules in my junkyard
1. proper shoes (real men don't wear flip flops)
2. you show up with orange or metric tools, you go home.

oldtindealer

umm,.....what?

 

[Neverdone]

umm,.....what?

yup he lost me too....... I was alright with the flip flop thing, but sometimes metrics work well when pounded on to rusty standard bolts.... [S

back to the original conversation..... black is the more correct way to go, but, I have seen many folk using PVC including the farm I used to work for and my dad in his garage. The PVC in his garage has been there since before I can remember and has never had an issue. Then again he is only running a small 20gal compressor regulated at 120PSI

 

[sgtpontiac]

not sure I ever posted these of how I ran my black pipe..

got this done last and working about March last year.....funny, thought I had posted these.....[S

I have the tank drain, a drop down just after the flex line, and 3 more drop downs along the full run....covers the shop from end to end and even goes thru the wall and into the storage area .....get a tad of water from the first and second.....nothing from the others along the route.....seems to work well... really need a larger compressor....

 

[plazanewt]

shop air lines

I work in industrial maintance field. was always told to use black steel pipe. Galvanize pipe can flake off and clogg things up. put your first drop about 20 feet of pipe away from compressor to allow air to cool (less moisture) at your drops use a t fitting with the t facing straight up and then make a L shaped drop it will help keep water out of the drop.