I am old enough to be your grandfather, I remember when a 1957 Chevy was a brand new car. I was a flat rate mechanic in Tampa Florida in 1973. You taught me something Sonny and I just wanted to thank you for it. You're a smart young man, your Daddy should be proud of you.

My dad had a PVC airline system in the garage and kennel for the last 28 years still no issues

Great planning and execution of the shop air system. Gave me some ideas I'll be implementing.

I ran 1inch schedule 80 gray pvc 18 years ago. No problem yet. And surprisingly it has not rusted. It’s rated at 630psi at 75f and 140psi at 140f. I have a hydraulic oil cooler with an electric fan cooling the air prior to the tank. All my condensation is now drained at the tank drain.

Interesting, I like it. I mounted a couple of used vehicle AC condenser coils up in the overhead then followed with a condensate drain to cool and dehumidify my shop air. I lucked into 4, 50 foot rolls of 1/2" copper tubing at a garage sale one time so used that for plumbing my shop.

Run the air from the compressor, to the exchanger, then to an auto drain, then to the tank.. Nice system!

Nice setup, thanks for sharing. :-)

Another great video, thanks Garrett. One other suggestion, I learned first hand, from a whip line blow-out (a couple of times), the cheezy whips you buy dry-rot and crack, always use a hydraulic line from a farm supply store to isolate your compressors vibration/movement to the run lines. These never dry and crack, plus they're rated for 4000 psi and they're not really all that expensive, plus, you'll only do it once.

At my garage door I have a hole poked through to the outside and an air outlet on the outside of my garage - protected by a utility box like my outlets. I have a leg down and a dump valve inside at that point so I can dump any moisture. I have a drop in the middle of my garage to a reel in the ceiling too so I don't have to drag the hose around much.

One thing to keep in mind, copper pipe won't rust, but it will build a patina, and that patina can break off and cause the same problems as rust breaking off. You mentioned the rapidair system which is great, but what I like even better is Infinity pipe, which is a powder coated rigid aluminum pipe system. Definitely more expensive than PEX, but worth it in my opinion.

i would put a pressure regulator/filter on a quick connect nipple on the input and a coupler on the output that way you only have to have one regulator / filter you can move it wherever you need regulated air i do like the dedicated regulator /filter on the sandblaster great vid

I have used an air cooled system in the past, they work ok, better than nothing. I now use water cooled system and it just works much better. Mine has 50 foot of 1/2 copper coiled into a 10 gallon barrel with a relief valve at the bottom in the water where water inside the line will collect and is pushed out automatically every time the compressor airs up. You just hear bubbles for 2 or 3 seconds or so after the compressor shuts off. The line from the compressor runs out in copper to a short high pressure/high temp stainless jacketed hose back to the copper tubing in the water barrel, back out to another short air hose and into my tank. I use 1 duel dryer for good measure but it has never shown any signs of moisture where when I ran air cooled the dryer still got a bit of moisture in it. Runs from the dryer uphill to my 1 regulator then T's out to 2 copper lines going to hose reels on each side of my shop. I have run this for about 5 years now and have never had any moisture at all in my tank. I actually scoped inside the tank last summer, it looks shiny and new inside, no rust whatsoever and I open the valve at the bottom of my tank periodically just to check, but have never seen a single drop of water come out. As for the water in the barrel, it has a nice sealing screw on top with slightly loose seals on the copper lines to allow a little air out of the barrel and I generally end up putting in about a gallon or 2 of water a month.

And for a heat exchanger i just used a power steering/ transmission cooler that had 3/8” tube.. works awesome.. right after i put a water/oil separator and its the lowest point on the compressor.. never had any water in the tanks..

great video

Ive used ppr pipe for the last 6 yrs. No problem ever since

An alternative idea that worked for me was using commercial truck air line. It was a much cheaper solution here in Ontario Canada. Great points on the heat exchanger and filters, often over looked.

Happy new year! What can you teach us about drilling/building irrigation wells? Mind you, I'm in Florida, so my ground is sand, maybe clay, and limestone. Mostly sand.

Hey Garrett, I'm going to be setting up my own pneumatic system in my house soon and I am doing background research. One of the things I am looking at connecting up is a sand blasting cabinet. I was looking at FRLs, would it be bad to pre-lubricate air prior to entering the Sand blaster? I noticed yours went in prior to a regulator and filter but did not have a lubricator. Also, is lubricated air not good when you are filling up tires? I'm wondering if its better to just have a regulator and then pre-lubricate at the points where you are connecting up pneumatic tools, OR will the lubricated air work fine when filling up car tires

Hockey Pucks work great for compressor feet/vibration dampers

Hey Garrett, Like your videos. But, may I suggest you consider a couple things. A very old school way, used in countless auto body paint booths, for decades, was to take 3/4" copper coil water pipe and submerge it into a water bath. These are new construction service lines and generally come in 60' rolls. Then, create a blow down tee-connection just past the water bath. Now you have a cheap and efficient water cooled compressed air dryer. And frankly the best air dryers ain't worth a hoot if they are closer than 50' to the compressor. A dryer next to a compressor passes wet and hot air on thru. Second reason this solution should be considered is because each tight 90 deg. ell results in a 25% pressure drop on your air line. If you put a pressure gage at the front and another at the end of your apparatus the results will astound you. So always avoid ells if humanly possible. Hey, your production quality is outstanding.

thank you for sharing this video. I am setting up my system, but on a smaller scale than yours, and I learned a bit more on what and what not to do when constructing an air system. Others have also recommended PEX with the same cautions. If you would comment, what do you think of heat exchangers (basically automobile heaters) that are mounted to the air compressor itself. I have seen these on some DIY projects and the owners claim they do a good job of cooling the compressed air. Thank you.

Nice set up. Also curious on what regulator/ dryer your using ??

An air compressor after cooler might be a more efficient way to cool and dry air before hitting PEX lines. Planning a fan cooled radiator between the compressor and tank with a water separator. Should remove 80%+ of the moisture and nearly all the heat before air enters the tank.

Gave it a like as soon as you mentioned to never use PVC. Another thing to stay away from is CPVC. It suffers the same dangers as PVC, with the added concern that it is very susceptible to cracking when it is exposed to oils, such as might be included in air from an oil lubricated compressor.

Do you drain the air compressor of air after each day of use or just shut it off but leave the air in the system?

A simple almost no cost solution to protect the pex from uv, is the foil tape you use on HVAC systems, no need to wrap it, just run the tape down the length of the pipe. The aluminum foil blocks 100% of the UV

Heat exchanger brilliant idea, I'm thinking that using a copper pipe with aluminum fins made for baseboard heating would be a neat alternative to your neat exchanger.

This is insane. Just searching for shop ideas here... Hey, Garrett.

I used pvc in a 2400 s ft machine shop . This was 1977. no rust or galvanize particles in my nose. All air tools last longer. Just used it the other day. Minor breaks, but would do it again. More dangerous in the craft of compressing air is rusty exploding air tanks. Be cautious of old compressors. Some never drain the tank. You should learn how.

I used cpvc pipe works great 👍

I have been airbrushing with my air compressor, and put a 12ft 1/4 inch coiled line between the air compressor and the filter/pressure regulator. The air compressor has about a 5% duty cycle, and after a few hours I fill the filter twice. We get high humidity along the gulf coast. When the filter was on the air compressor it gathered no water.

Have you measured the temperature delta in your heat exchanger? How did you calculate the length for your system?

Cool setup. One question, why not have a regulator at the tank and set it to 90 or so, then the rest of system is under less stress?

The main drawbacks to PEX in compressed air systems are its highest-rated burst rating is 200psi and the variability of manufacture. Frankly PEX is not uniform over a test batch even. with the PSI rating bouncing between 125-200. For me Lcopper is the best choice as its minimum PSI is 300. Easy choice.

I spy a nice C10 project in your shop!

Installing a 60 gallon air compressor. Using it to power a 4 post vehicle lift, impact wrench, and potentially other handheld tools. No painting, sand blasting, plasma table, etc. Would you even worry about copper after cooler given my application? Would Pex alone be good enough? Thanks for your video and feedback. I really appreciate it.

I thought pex was for water, and maxline piping was for air? Thanks Mate☺👍

I just worry about using pex for a compressed air just because of the uv exposure making them brittle. But i guess if one did blow out it wouldnt be that big of a deal , ive had air hoses blow on me and itll make ya jump but isnt as bad as youd think itd be..

I've used blk iron pipe for yrs..for air..dad's shop built in 1959 had blk iron for air..never did we any issues in 45 yrs..in the automobile repair shop...with plex..tubbing..after about 10 yrs I've noticed it starts peeling from the inside out nearest to the comprsoir..from the heat..as u said heat not good ..copper is good , but vary expensive..to run ..lasty any time u run air lines ..you need to ad a drip leg with a ball valve to remove water build up..near the comprsoir, and any air plug in couper..also if u have an inground lift..air over oil.. use a drip leg..too ..befor air go,s into lift casing..il never use plex..only for water.use.. great video

I like your air system! Interesting shop trusses! It looks like the vertical upright framing is installed backwards?

Next time use HEAT PEX (for heating system work not the red for hot water lines) it has a higher burst rating and is much better than the reg water line pex

Yep I have seen pvc pipe explode bet it looks kind like it is being cut on a power saw

Gary question: Did you do a blower door test on your home?

if i have a refrigerated air dryer for my rotary screw compressor do I need to worry about the heat?

The drop legs should be before the regulators/quick connects (using a T and 12 inches of pipe running to a purge valve/cock. You designed your system for the water to drop into your regulator /tools.

Did you solder or braze the copper tube?

Is 3/4 inch really required . Can 1/2 inch copper pipe be used i have alot of those .

Not sure if I missed it, but the copper is 3/4", so is all the pex 3/4" too? Was not sure about regulator inlet size as well. Thanks!!

On the radiator section , is that really that useful? The compressed air in the big tank will give off its heat via the tank body as it sits there, so most of it is already at ambient. For what ends in the pipe, it cannot cool further than just above the temp up there under the garage roof , which is likely warm especially in summer. So what is it getting you in reality? Is the compressor heating up the air that much?

Isn’t your heat exchanger in the wrong place? The air coming out of the compressor is hot and full of water, but the way you’ve got it configured that hot wet air is going straight into the tank. In the tank the air cools and the water falls to the bottom of the tank. The air coming out of the tank when the compressor isn’t actively running has already cooled and there’s not heat to exchange. It makes a lot more sense to have the hot, wet air coming out of the compressor plumbed into the heat exchanger first so it can do it’s job, then send that dried air into the tank. That way you’ve pulled all of the water out of the system before it ever gets to the tank.

Could you share more about your 3/4" whip hose please? I am having a heck of a time finding one rated for the proper pressure. Thanks!

3/4" PVC has a 400psi rating. Tjis has not failed in 9 years running 4 hoses in the shop

If you are wanting to use iron/steel pipes and worried about the rust I personally wouldn't. Either your compressor requires oil abd you can add inline oilers for your tools or it's going to rust as fast as your tank will. I'd rather see the pipe go before having a huge tank explode.

Cool idea, but don't true aftercoolers take the air directly off the compressor head, before entering (and expanding) inside the tank? It would be my understanding that this is how condensation begins. Probably more effective to go compressor to cooler, to tank, then feed the air lines that run thru the shop. Just my 2¢.

I own a millwork shop with many machines including a large cnc router, several 80 gallon compressors, spray rig, etc. When I first moved into the building the previous tenant had already installed 3/4” pvc airlines with about 8 ports around the entire perimeter of the building, about 400 feet of line. I could tell by looking at them they were very old and had been installed in the building for many years already. I was skeptical about using them as I thought the same thing as you. I am not advocating installing them. However I will say there has not been a single problem or blow out since I have been in the building now which has been about 5 years. The pvc lines had been there at least 10 years prior to that. I’ve had way more tires blow out on my car in that time (and potentially far more dangerous than an air line break). Based on your recommendation I shouldn’t drive on tires since it’s not a matter of if a tire will blow, but when. I keep the air compressor pressure at/below 115 psi, which is plenty for 99% of any shop applications. So don’t be stupid. But don’t talk like you are an expert either since clearly a shop with our capacity using pvc airlines without a single problem seems to contradict your premise. I’m not saying this is ideal. Just that there are valid opinions.

One thing no one realize is your heat exchanger will work a lot better if it's between the pump and tank.

Why does no one plumb the heat exchanger before the tank? The pressure switch is mounted in the tank, or another mounted to the exchanger line. With a soft whip and the tank mounted after the exchanger, the tank should never see moist air at all as the temperature will be lower, and lower air temp is at less pressure for given volume than hot air. Something to think about

Someone explain this air cooling idea please. Iv never seen it before in any setup and can only think of a few rare ocations that could happen or even would be a problem. 1. The tank is under preasure right? so the air in there cools down quickly.. meaning whenever you go to use the air you are using cold air unless you empty the whole tank = not often 2. Worring about condensation in the air system is solved by emptying the tank once every 6 months, at most.. or having a water bleed valve that does this autoatically.. 3. what system is damaged by this "hot air" ? where would you use air that could damage the thing u are blowin on or into that takes damage from hot air? or marginally condenced air? Honestly I hope someone can explain this

Why didn't you just use maxline piping so you don't have to worry about UV, its dirt cheap. Better safe than sorry. and you could have used a electrical timer water and condensation auto drain. Instead of make that huge manifold. Thanks Mate👍

Apologies if covered as I didn't listen to whole video, but in your intro you mentioned some PEX downsides, however - the most important one and the reason our local AHJ told me he will not approve ANY plastic air lines is fire. PEX and others will soften and fail really quickly, then the compressor is just a nice oxygen source feeding your fire locally and accelerating it (try it, it's fun with 150 cfm at 135 psi). If this is not enough for you, polyethylene, even cross-linked, is susceptible to creep (exacerbated by temp). Heavy use of air tools will lead to lines warming up and creep at the higher pressures (125-135 psi), failing more quickly than copper. Go stainless or copper only (shut-down chemical plants or food processors typically have SS available for salvage fairly inexpensively.)

How many comments have pointed out that your Heat Exchanger needs to be hooked up between your compressor and tank? Unless you're using it to cool your shop I mean.

Where can I get the CRT with VHS and DVD combo? I can re-sell it to a museum as a dinosaur so I can afford to plumb my entire shop in copper.

What size pipe do you use buddy?

Your cooler setup would work better if you use it as a after cooler before it goes in your tank. Look it up I promise you won’t regret it

You should of sheeted your wall before putting your air line up first. It will be hard now.

PEX is good up to 200psi. That heat exchanger is a little unnecessary

You need a bigger compressor.😂

Why didn't you put a transmission cooler in between the air compressor pump and your tank? Most ppl try and cool down the air before the tank. Holly hell, talk about over thinking something and placing the cart after the horse. I cool my air down right away straight out of the air compressor pump before it hits the tank. I also have a coper manifold vertical with only 2 runs with moisture catches and ball valves at the bottom of each. Lastly, at the end of my air lines at the bottom a ball valve drain. 6 inches higher is a T that goes to air outlets for my retractable hoses. This has proven to be extremely dry air for many years and no need for cheap drier beads. Tip use 1 size larger pipe than your flexible shop hoses.... that's really the trick. Hope this helps you. PEX is cool idea but understanding air volume versus air friction is hilariously over looked. Old timers cry lol at set ups these days.

$150 in copper or a $40 oil cooler.

you could have just used rhe run of copper the whole way as your radiator

Spend the money on covering those walls before the place burns down.

Never use PEX for air supply! Same as using PVC. The pressure holding capability of PEX drops significantly as the temperature rises. Hot air from a compressor in use can raise the temp of the supply line to or above it's failure point.

😁✌🖖👌👍 😎

I’ve had PVC in my shops for over 30 years. Zero problems. I understand the risk, but the probability is low.

Nope. Copper and pex plumbing fittings are not designed to carry compressed air like this. Best just to stick to air hoses and fittings. If I had to use pipe, I would keep to threaded pipe fittings. I've seen copper solder joints crack and blow off, and pex for compressed air sounds like a bad idea.

I keep seeing this copper pipe and all those $150 double dryer things... think yall waste $ ....I work on large yachts, the painter has it down with a simple solution.....if your pushing 150 lbs just use 100 to 150 ft of 1" PVC (sch40 good to 270 lbs, if above 75 degrees might go to 215 bursts at 1450) and use a Motor Guard filter. even better the filters are cheap, sounds weird but just use a roll of toilet paper and rip off about 20 layers and use that in the filter..... Think about this....the guys been doing this for well over 30 years, using high end ( AwlGrip) paint spraying 1 or 2 million dollar yachts no problems !!! the filter case is $80 on Amazon, 1" PVC is less than by an easy 80%... you can use 3/4" pvc just ran a little more. has a just less than 10% more pressure and burst factor. My opinion is just too much hype over this whole thing, the yacht paint is no fool and a smart man and well quality is his key to success.

The moment I saw 90 degrees bends at multiple places, I said Nah! this video is not for me. Good luck.

black pipe is cheap man the cheapest one besides plastic

Seems excessive