Condensation in your compressed air system will cause mechanical, timely and monetary damage and should not be underestimated. Moisture washes away lubrication leading to inconsistent tool performance, downtime and maintenance. Water leads to the formation of solid contaminates such as rust and scale. Filters get overloaded and water may back up into the compressor. As the weather gets increasingly warmer and more humid, the condensation increases in volume. Take preventative steps now to avoid problems down the road.
First, set up your compressed air system so that the water collected in drip legs and drained at all low points of the piping system as well as where the air line enters the building from outdoors. When running an air line out, the air should be taken from the top of the pipe to minimize the amount of condensation traveling to the end equipment.
 Eliminizer "Application Dryer"
RTI's Elimizer "Application Dryer" uses centrifugal force (1) to spin bulk contaminates (water, oil, dirt) to the outside of the bowl to drain in the sump area. The air moves downward but with RTI's inverse-flow technology (2) it changes directions. Moving upward without the bulk contaminates, the air passes through a stainless steel mesh filter (3) to remove any remaining aerosols and liquid droplets. The last filtering process dries the air to 1 micron absolute so it enters the air stream as a harmless vapor (4). The element spins on and off for easy replacement (5). Includes automatic float drain (6).
Choose The Right Drain
Manual drains need to be opened to allow drainage. Requiring constant attention, they should not be left partially open as air leaks waste several hundred dollars in energy costs. The compressor will compensate for the air loss shortening its service life. Map out all manual drains in to avoid forgetting those at low volume drain points.
Float operated drains use a float mechanism that automatically dumps the condensation at a preset point. The float and housing should be cleaned on a regular basis. The particulate contaminate causes the float to stick in the open or closed position leading to an air leak or water back up throughout the system.
Electric timer drains are inexpensive and popular. Drain cycles can be programmed by the number of cycles per hour and by the amount of time the drain is open. Settings should be adjusted to the changes in temperature and humidity as the condensation levels will fluctuate.
Electronic sensor drains have an electronic sensor in each housing. The outlet opens to release the liquid and closes prior to being completely drained to avoid air loss. These are more expensive and the sensors and housings need to be cleaned on a regular basis.
Choosing the proper components will save you time and money. Please contact Zenmar at 410-785-5790 or click here if you have any questions or if you would like an application specialist to review your system. |
