Hello How do you guys keep from freezing up air tools in cold weather? Yes I know drain water from air tank. Is there any other ideas that will help? Thanks Jerry
That's a good question - something you don't think about till this time of year. I have never had an issue with my truck & there are some days where it will sit for 6 or 7hrs. at a time here in the yard. I have heard of guys putting a little oil in the tanks, but that would create a mess if you drain the tanks I suppose.
Depends on how cold it is, down to 10 degrees I have little trouble, below that the quick coupler on the end of the hose freezes up so I stick it in the exhaust pipe every now and then and thaw it out, I also add some air guard antifreeze to the tank, not sure if that helps but cannot hurt. FWIW, Lee
Yup... Lee's dead on.... Air guard...
Why would it freeze? Maybe the little bit of water in the bottom of the tank, but how would that get into the air tools? My air compressor is out back in my shed and I have a line run underground to my garage. The only issue I've had is when it's about -10* or colder the compressor will sometimes trip the breaker when going to start. The starting amperage with everything being cold is just a bit more than the breaker.
I think he's talking about service truck type compressors where the tank and hose are both in the cold. An air dryer helped mine a bunch, I used to fight it all the time under 15 degrees. It was -1 last weekend and mine worked fine. Just plumbed in AD9 type air dryer that semi trucks use. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
PS, it freezes because once air starts flowing through the hose it pulls moisture out of the air then freezes in the hose and couplers or air tool valves. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
Don't know, he didn't say and it's in "shop talk" so I figured he was talking about shop air.
Yes, I was referring to my service truck. Used to have lots of trouble with my IR 3/4 gun, the air valve would freeze open, picked up a composite Air Cat 3/4, no problems with that. Lee
I'll second the problem with IR 3/4's! Lol. I've got a Matco now and it does fine. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
Is it possible to put my shop air compressor outside? It is inside the main part of my shop, and makes a hellova noise running. It would be great to move it just outside the wall, but i always figured it had to be kept warm???
Huh? I was referring to Jerry's question. I hadn't even read the other posts in this thread. Watglen, that is why mine is out back in the shed. Plus I didn't want it to take up space in the garage. My Dad set his up similar, his garage is 2 stories and it's upstairs. The upstairs is just for storage and isn't heated. I'm not sure why it would need to keep warm? It doesn't get all that cold here, about -25* is the coldest I have seen.
Lol,,, yup, everybody thinks cause your in Alaska its brutally cold... but the coldest I've seen here in Minnesota is 60 below...and its been 25 below for a week now.... fftopic getting back on topic air compressor's in the cold are the same as an engine, you have to have the proper oil in the compressor for the temperature other than that, good to go.
I'd build a utility room inside the shop and put the compressor in there rather thsn put it out in the elements if it were mine, but that's just my 2 cents. I don't even leave my bbq grill out at night, lol Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
Local driller/dynamite man gave me some oil they they use in the drills in the winter and we put it in the inline oilers. Thank for the reminder to call and get more . I'll post the brand when it comes.
Thankfully we don't see anything near that cold here but for years we have had the compressor outside until we built a new shop with its own sound insulated compressor room the biggest thing that helped was by building a spring suspended bed mat for it to keep it from rattling the concrete. But back to the OP we had a little problems until we went to a synthetic oil, I use synthetic automatic transmission fluid (snow plow oil) in it and it cured all the problems. Pj
Sorry for not replying sooner for sum reason my email not workn correctly but yes it is on the service truck and I was using it today with a snap on 1/2 gun and it wud just go bout half speed and I sprayed brake cleaner in it and run it then it worked for 15 sec and did the same thing again and the tank had been draind a wk ago or so and I checked it again today and it didn't have much more than I spit in it so don't know why that would be clogging it! I also ordered an air drier for it just hasn't come in yet! would air brake antifreeze for trucks work? Thanks Jerry Forgot to add its ben in the teens and lower 20s here so not as cold as some of you guys sum mornings they say wind chill round zero but I havnt had to work that early in the morning on equip
Having the same problem with the snap on guns, they always do it in the winter. The snappy guy says they swell the vains with the moisture but it only seems to happen in the winter so I'm skeptical on that. Latest rebuild was six months ago. Im on a truck also and have an auto drain on my tank. I aim my exhaust of my welder to the air tank. If you find a solution let me know.
Just an FYI, wind chill doesn't effect inanimate objects. In simple terms it is a measure of the human skin being cooled off by wind. Unless the air dryer you have is heated or you have methyl hydrate in the system it won't really help pulling moisture out. Whatever moisture it will collect will freeze up and the dryer will stop working. As far as the shop compressor being out in the cold, mine has been like that for several years. The only issue I've had is it will occasionally trip the breaker when first starting up if it hasn't been run for a few days and it's below about -10*. I have a 20amp breaker on it and it's listed at 13 amps, but I guess the extra drag of the thick oil is a bit over the breaker rating. The "fix" is just going out in the shed and holding the breaker on for a second or so while the motor spins up. I could swap to a 25 or 30 amp breaker but I'd rather it trip the breaker vs stalling the motor and killing it.
Wind chill is increased heat transfer from turbulence, it affects anything that isn't at the same temperature, whether that is bare human skin or an engine block. Any machine will cool off faster with more wind. Of course by morning they'll both be cold so the wind chill doesn't have any affect on starting dead cold. Back to OP, is this even an issue of water/ice, or is this the oil gumming up from cold? When it's below freezing there's just not much humidity in the air. But I'd imagine that a gun could easily reach -40 or colder from use and you'd need a thin oil to work then.
Still learn'n- I went to use my gun yesterday and it wasn't working again, grabbed my Sioux gun and same thing. I pulled the air fitting out the bottom and found the screen in the inlet plugged with gelled something, cleaned both of them out and they are working good for now. Maybe check that.
Right... that is what I was referring to, I guess I didn't explain it well enough. If it's 10* and no wind or 400mph wind the equipment will still be 10*
Andrew do you have air drier filter on your truck? I just got mine from store today havnt had time to install it! Jerry
No I don't, just an auto drain. What did you get for a drier I cant seem to find anything I like. Did you check your inlet screen on your gun?
I got one from parker what they recommended I havnt opened it yet so not sure! no I havnt will hafta do that see what I find out! Jerry