Hi all,

New here and from the UK, and just need some advice!

In the 'everything has to be perfect' world of paintwork there's always something causing a problem, and at the moment it seems to some occasional water-in-air issues and I would be grateful if anyone who specialises in paintwork can tell me what their air supply setup is please? And if you are happy with the quality of air reaching the gun.

We use a Kaeser SXC8 compressor system, screw crompressor and refrigeration air dryer in one unit. It's only done 120 hours (making air, not including standby/idle) but recently I've noticed there is quite a lot of yellow water (water and some oil?) being blown out of the bottom of the receiver tank when doing the weekly blow-out. I did it today and probably got a half a mug full after about 10 days running.

Should there be anything in the tank when it is blown out?

The air receiver tank is plumbed directly to our air ring main which feeds a Devilbiss 3 stage 'Finish Line' filter bank just before it goes into the booth and to the gun. This model here: http://www.spraygunsdirect.co.uk/index. ... 4LnrS.dpbs

The glass bowls of the Devilbiss filters have started filling with water and needing drained daily, and I now suspect a few drops are sneaking past the final stage filtration and coming out the gun, leaving the odd bleb in the lacquer which needs touched in.

It's really annoying!

Someone told me that I might have to have the air dryer re-gassed or the dew-point adjusted if water is coming down the lines? Others say that screw compressors always put a bit of oil and water down the lines and there's nothing you can do...

Any advice? What is your setup and filters?

Thanks!

I think the amount of "stuff" that you got in your mug there for that much run time is pretty normal however I do think you guys might need service on that dryer. They do operate in a critical "band" of performance. Also, how many meters of pipe do you have AFTER the dryer going to that main gun station? If it would be an exceptionally long run and dryer is misadjusted you could indeed be getting a further cool down which is sending more moisture forward in your system. Actual shop temperatures would play into that as well. It sounds like you've got a great system there and your filter tech. is fine. As most of us say around here moisture management really needs to be managed "upstream" and not simply addressed with filtration at the point of use.

Thanks for the reply.

There is probably a run of about 15 metres (about 55 feet) of pipework from the compressor/dryer to where it Tees off into the Devilbiss filters at the spraybooth. The airline continues on after the Tee to supply wall points for air tools.

The air piping in our shop is all the new style self sealing plastic pipe.

The shop is unheated and this means the airline will get quite cool most of the time.

One guy mentioned that the 'Dew point' needs constantly adjusted on the dryer unit as the weather changes. I've noticed there is a small guage hidden down on the dryer behind a grill that goes from blue to green to red, and at present the needle is just into the red.

Well, you found your problem.... if that dryer isn't adjusted "just right" and you've got that much piping to the first station...... and an unheated shop.... that's what's giving you moisture downstream. Entire shop is acting as a further "condensor" because the room temp.s are making more moisture drop out of that piped air.