Thread: Using old compressor as feed tank

Sure, why not! It will take longer to fill but will work fine. Another way to increase capacity is to use larger diameter pipe.

Works a treat for dryer air.

I have a long hose between the 2.
I have a dryer/regulator on both.
I run the first one high, up around 90 to 100 PSI & the second low 40 to 50 PSI with a short 5M hose to my spray gun. (or higher for some of the tools)

Apart from the bonus of not having the compressor cycle on & off as often, the extra tank & the long run between them lets the air cool down so I don't get condensation in the delivery hose to my gun/tool.

HELL YEAH.
I have a similar arrangement to cliff.
I run out of the compressor & unto the second reciever (tank) with about 5M of hose in one end of the tank & out the other. first filter reg is after the second tank.
I run the first reg at about 90psi then into my piping system, I have a second filter reg for spraying.
I get heaps of warer out of the second tank & very little in the firts filter reg. I have never seen any moisture in the second reg.

befor the second tank came home. I used to get lots of water in my piping system. Air drills piddling water and other nastyness.

A second tank is the best thing.

It will be more effective if you strip all the compressor stuff off it and run in one end and out the other. Give the water an oportunity to cool and drop out.

Less starts & stops for the compressor too.

You will have no idea how much benefit this is till you do it.

cheers

Well it was not a stuipd idea after all....

What size hose should i run between the two.
can the hose just loop around or should it be stright.

Do it with dive tanks all the time to get more air to breath. In that application, we manifold the outlets of the two tanks together, and draw air from a fitting in the manifold.

I'm not keen on it being a flexible hose in this application- it has to continually hold the full tank pressure, which is not constant, and does incur surges when the compressor cuts in and out.

A lot of tanks have a screw fitting at the other end of the tank (part of the manufacturing, and also for inspections). This is a great place for running a hard-pipe manifold between the two (or more) tanks.

Come to think of it- have a look at greenhouses that use CO2- they often have 10-20 tanks all manifolded together.

I wouldn't be worried about the durability of flexible hose, its only running at 90psi and the surges are not great inreality. In fact most of the variations are down. You do need to make sure all your hoses are good quality and properly fitted off. And of course periodicaly inspected. I know of an installation done of hose that has been in for 15 years & stays up 24/7/365. no problems.
I would never come rigid straight out of a compressor unless there was some means of accounting for vibration.
Some things I have seen, a vertical lemght of GI pipe with a dog leg in it suspended only at the top of the run, or copper with a coil near the compressor.
For small shop use particulary wher it may be mooved hose should be fine

The length of the hose is not important, but the further it goes the cooler the air will be when it hits the second reciever.
The big difference I fand is the temperature of the two tanks. The one on the compressor can get quite warm with hard work but the second reciever is always stone cold.
As far as size of hose it isn't realy a problem. Whatever you use for your tools should be OK as long as it isnt piddly thin stuff.
The second reciever will supply the surges ans the first will top up. I can hear this happening with my rig. If you want to improve the surge capacity of your system locate the second reciever closer to the outlets.
My compressor is tucked away to save room and to controll noise, the second reciever is at the head of my piping system, hence the long hose.

manafolding in this case will only yeild some of the benefits. It is important to go on one end and out ( or at least in one hole & out another) the other of the second reciever