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Hey Jim,...yea,.. from what I read, it looks like anything from 10'-30' ft is usually enough. Also, what brand and type of use drier do you use?

Jeff

-- Edited by Raystown Roof Cleaning Central PA 1-800-236-0322 on Thursday 3rd of July 2014 04:36:32 AM

Raystown Roof Cleaning Central PA 1-800-236-0322 wrote:

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This is for anyone using air pumps such as All-Flo, Yamada, Versa-Matic etc... These pumps tend to stall at times,..very irritating if it becomes persistent,..these pumps perform very well when operating and are also the most resilient pumps to S H. A big reason these pumps stall is due to water getting into the air motor. After doing some research I found that simply adding a water trap isn't the resolution,..most of the water traps are designed to catch liquid water,..not vapor.  
When these traps are placed at the compressor they will not work,..the vapor just passes on through. To solve this you need longer hose between the compressor outlet and the water trap,...the longer hose gives the vapor time to cool and turn into liquid water,..which the trap can now stop from getting to the air motor. I had my pump mounted right next to the compressor with a very short hose,..only about 2',..very neat and compact,..but a TERRIBLE design. Now I have added 50' ft of air hose between outlet and water trap,...And for me,..problem solved!

* My compressor and pump are mounted inside my wash trailer. It is an old Wash On Wheels from a million years ago,..but anyhow,..the tank inside has a big fill top,..so I was actually able to throw the hose down inside the tank for extra cooling,..just left it in a coil and run the ends out of two holes I drilled through the top of the tank and the to the compressor and pump. Confusing I know,Ha,Ha,...

Jeff

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 A very elegant solution to a common problem of air pump stalling. We have noticed that stalling is MUCH less with bigger air compressors.

@Chris,..You are correct,..bigger compressors with bigger tanks do work better,...the reason being,...the more volume there is the less the compressor has to run,..which in turn gives the air time to cool inside the tank before it even enters he air lines. And cool air create water rather than vapor,..so now the water trap can work.

@Marcus,...I am by no means an expert on this,..just learning myself,....but I think the air driers are the refrigeration units the cool the air way better than without a refrigeration unit. I think the desiccant filters are better than a water trap,..where they work like those little silica packs that are typically seen in packaging,..they soak up any moisture. Water traps are designed to catch water that is a certain size "droplet",..but they are not efficient enough to trap vapor. I tried the desiccant filters,..and they seem to really restrict my flow and and the pump sounded like it was working harder,...but,..they were the cheap Harbor Freight inline type,...so maybe that was it,..I don't know.

Marcus,..which brand of desiccant are you using?

* The setup I'm using as described in my first post,..is a very condensed version of a proper air system. I don't have the space to do it the proper way,...and also the proper way calls for copper or steel piping for better cooling,..to rigid for a flexing trailer,..so I did the best I could,.. and I seen where other homemade garage systems used a 55 gallon barrel of water,..with the copper coiled and immersed in the water for better cooling. My tank and compressor are right next to each other,..so I basically just had to buy a $10.00 PVC air hose from Tractor Supply,..and do about 15 minutes of work to try it,..and it seems to have helped greatly.

Jeff

Raystown Roof Cleaning Central PA 1-800-236-0322 wrote:

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@Chris,..You are correct,..bigger compressors with bigger tanks do work better,...the reason being,...the more volume there is the less the compressor has to run,..which in turn gives the air time to cool inside the tank before it even enters he air lines. And cool air create water rather than vapor,..so now the water trap can work.

@Marcus,...I am by no means an expert on this,..just learning myself,....but I think the air driers are the refrigeration units the cool the air way better than without a refrigeration unit. I think the desiccant filters are better than a water trap,..where they work like those little silica packs that are typically seen in packaging,..they soak up any moisture. Water traps are designed to catch water that is a certain size "droplet",..but they are not efficient enough to trap vapor. I tried the desiccant filters,..and they seem to really restrict my flow and and the pump sounded like it was working harder,...but,..they were the cheap Harbor Freight inline type,...so maybe that was it,..I don't know.

Marcus,..which brand of desiccant are you using?

* The setup I'm using as described in my first post,..is a very condensed version of a proper air system. I don't have the space to do it the proper way,...and also the proper way calls for copper or steel piping for better cooling,..to rigid for a flexing trailer,..so I did the best I could,.. and I seen where other homemade garage systems used a 55 gallon barrel of water,..with the copper coiled and immersed in the water for better cooling. My tank and compressor are right next to each other,..so I basically just had to buy a $10.00 PVC air hose from Tractor Supply,..and do about 15 minutes of work to try it,..and it seems to have helped greatly.

Jeff

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 Jeff, several have told me that when they added extra air tanks it also helped the stalling ?

Raystown Roof Cleaning Central PA 1-800-236-0322 wrote:

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Yea Chris,..I seen that as well. Simply gives the air a staging area to cool down,..and the water will settle to the bottom of the tank,....and any moisture in the air will be water, rather than water vapor. Basically doing the same thing the extra hose does,..but with much better volume than a 3/8" hose. But I don't have the space for a spare tank either,Ha,Ha,...

Jeff

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 The bigger air tanks do make a difference in stalling vs non stalling.  Yamada has a button you push, to acknowledge this well known problem. All that extra hose is acting sort of as a capacitor does, it stores air, just like an extra tank does  LOL, a flexible tank  ha ha

DAS wrote:

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I have been out of the air business for several years. But in a previous life I sold air compressors and nail guns. I remember a framing customer I had in New Hampshire, and he had an air filter that used a roll of toilet paper. When it was wet he would change the paper roll.

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 Yes! Toilet Paper Filters were common once

Got the pump going. I guess you just have to wait till it dries on its own? Now im going to work on adding more hose. Lets say 50' between compressor and dryer. Does the dryer mount right on the pump or should I add more hose In Between? Here are some pics of the current set up

JRA wrote:

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Ok. I just had my pump stall today. I was already done with the house wash so that was good. I see here how to prevent stalling. But what do you do once the pump stalls? Im going to try to get it going again now. 3/8 allflo.

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 Put an air ball valve in the air line at the pump, when it stalls, simnply turn the air off to allow the air valve to reseat

Ive had this happen a few times. I usually just add some WD40.. 

 

it also happens alot when the temps get colder out.