27 replies to this topic

[Pablo]

My water trap developed an air leak, so I removed it from the system. For now.

Air is escaping through this hole in the little "air flow direction" triangle. No idea why there is a hole there

The plastic ring on the adjustment knob is broken anyway, so I'm not going to attempt a repair.

 

Before I buy a new one, please tell me again why it's so important to separate moisture from water based paints ?

Lacquers, of course, but acrylics, why bother ? Does my new compressor's tank really have that much impurities I need to filter ?

 

I'm betting somebody will say they've been spraying acrylics for years without a trap, sans problems.

If I'm wrong please tell me   Thanks

[Noose]

The moisture will come right up with the air and that beautiful paint job will all of a sudden get a water jet stream of squirts and ruin it.

[Pablo]

All at once ?  What does the moisture do, sit and build up until it senses the worst possible time to unload ?

I'm visualizing a constant, consistent amount of moisture in the air.  Maybe that's my mental block ?

[Noose]

It loads up.  The trap captures it. Usually there is a button of some sort on the bottom of the trap to release the accumulated moisture.

 

It does build up and just when you least expect it..or don't want it ..SPLAT

[Pablo]

Builds up in the trap ? That would support my theory that a trap isn't needed.......?

The trap accumulates water, then spits it all out suddenly ?

I don't want that. Can't I just have a slight amount of moisture flowing through all the time ?

[Noose]

The trap catches the moisture and holds it so it doesn't spit out.  You manually remove / release the water from the trap and it come out the bottom.

 

Without it is when the moisture attacks your work when you least expect it.

[Pablo]

OK I get ya now - it builds up and spits without a trap.

I'm a believer. Thanks Joe  

Move on folks, nothing left to see here........

[John Streisguth]

And all compressors put a bit of oil out too.

 

What has probably happened is the diapragm in the regulator is leaking.  Just go to harbor frieght and get a new one.  But don't paint without one.

 

At work, we have 40 hp compressors and refrigerated dryers to remove the moisture.  We get about 10 gallons of water per day this time of year.

[Pablo]

Thanks, Noose and John.

Will this work OK ?

http://www.lowes.com...R10JH_1z10r73__

[James Wendel]

This is what I use:

 

http://www.ebay.com/...=item2c81998a7e

 

It's $16 and has a built-in adjustable pressure gauge.  I have it mounted on the side of my painting bench.  The compressor is in another room.  Handy to be able to tweek the pressure at my bench. 

[Pablo]

Looks good, James, but my compressor already has a PSI gauge within easy reach - all I need is the trap / filter.

[John Streisguth]

Paul, if you don't have a pressure regulator (besides what turns the compressor on and off) then you need what James is suggesting.  Depending on the paint you use, you will need to reduce/adjust for best results.

 

Harbor Freight has a similar one for $14.  Also, make sure you keep it upright, so that the water collects in the bottom of the bowl.  If it gets upside down, the water will enter the air line.

[Booger]

Water will accumulate in the lines and gun.....At the moment of your best work,a giant "booger"    of water will spit out of the end of your gun,really pissing you off.....     The trap from Lowes should work OK.....Secondary line pressure is a GOOD thing if you don't have that already.

 

In a perfect world,you should have 2 ways to control pressure....1 for tank pressure(tank cutoff) and the second for line pressure,as close to your tool as possable....You don't want to use the tank cutoff as line pressure ,then your line pressure will go up and down as you use your tools or spray guns in this case.

 

You set your tank pressure at say 80lbs for a single stage pump,like yours....Then set your secondary pressure/water trap at say 30lbs (or whatever working pressure you run at) then your line pressure will stay constant no matter what the compressor is doing.....

 

Get your secondary water/pressure setup as far from the compressor as you can,that will help condense the water out of the air,letting the trap do it's job better.Remember to drain your compressor tank.....Could be lots of water inside,depending on weather and how much it gets used.Compressors compress air,not water,so some water drops out and sits in the bottom of the tank,the rest stays mixed with the air and tries to make it out of your tool or gun.

 

You want something like James said,water trap/pressure setup....Lowes if they have one or Harbour Fright (yes,I know how it's spelled.... ) will be fine for your setup.Don't worry about oil yet....when you start seeing "fish eyes"  in the paint,it's time to start worrying....

[Pablo]

I hear you saying I need another regulator on the trap, OK, will do.

[Pablo]

Lowes sells a regulated trap, but the reviews are bad, and they are expensive. So, I'm determined to fix this one.

 

I used JB Weld Plastic Bonder to band-aid the plastic ring, but the hole that suddenly started leaking air is a mystery. 

What was in it preventing a leak before ? 

Anyway, a Dynamic chassis screw with Bondo Plastic Metal threaded right in and hopefully will be airtight:

[Pablo]

James Wendell's eBay solution is starting to look good to me if my band aid repairs fail.

 

Thanks everybody for your help and patience.  

[James Wendel]

Pablo - I am a big fan of "making do with what you have", so I applaud you for fixing your current moisture trap.  That said, I am quite happy with mine.  The body of the unit is metal, unlike many of the other inexpensive ones on the market. 

 

The quick connects are handy and I had extras laying around anyway....

 

Since I was posting pictures, this is my compressor.  It's fairly quiet, but I still keep it in the next room.

 

- James

[Pablo]

Very cool, James, thanks

[Mike Patterson]

I'm betting somebody will say they've been spraying acrylics for years without a trap, sans problems.

If I'm wrong please tell me   Thanks

I've been spraying acrylics for over 7 years without a water trap. It can be done.

 

And if you saved the box that compressor came in, turn it upside down and put it back on. It will cut the noise considerably.

[James Wendel]

The need for a water trap depends on the humidity.  I work in a cool dry basement and could probably get by without one. at least in the summer.

 

Good idea about the cardboard box.  My compressor lives in a shop-vac box, open on top, with a furnace filter for a lid. 

[Booger]

If your water trap has a gauge on it,it's a combo water trap/regulator...No need for a gauge on a water trap only....The air coming out of the little hole means your diaphram in the regulator side has a pinhole in it/air leaking around it somehow.

[NSwanberg]

Not that I am any kind of a painter but when I was having water spritzing problems spraying with a oiless Binks diaphragm compressor I just hung it high up on the wall with the air hose pointing down so that the water came out right away. It never seemed to accumulate water this way.

[Phil Hackett]

The real reason you want to control water in *any* compressed air system is to protect the product you're working on. Consistent quality of air will yield consistent quality parts...

 

To really answer this question, go to the local body shops where they're not using solvent-based paints and ask them why they have water traps (more properly known as dryers) if they're using water borne paints. You'll get an education.

 

On last thing…. the picture I'm seeing of the "water traps" in this threads aren't… those are particulate filters. Water vapor will go through them. Only the water that condenses on the bowl will be caught…. Try this: take a a bag of ice and put your "water trap" in the ice. Use the air and see how much more water is in your trap. This will vary due to humidity and temperature (the hotter it is the more water in the air, even if both are 50% humidity the hotter temp will have more water in it). Ideally, the water should be out of the system before it arrives at the "filter": it should be dryed after the compressor and before the tank (receiver).

 

BTW, how often do you guys drain the tank (receiver)?

[Pablo]

My Dynamic screw repair is holding air, and apparently the plastic ring isn't a big deal because it's not leaking either.

So I'm back in the saddle again. Still don't understand what that hole is for, and why it never leaked before.....

 

Phil, my Porter Cable instructions say to drain the tank after each use.

[Phil Hackett]

Yes, drain the tank every time it's used!