regulator and hose questions...please help

Hi,

Forgive my ignorance in advance.

Im an old timer but have never used a compressor or air tools. Im in the scrap yard trade (cars). Now i have always used normal tools and grunt to open/dismantle cars. Few of the lads working for me have asked me for a compressor. So i obliged but have a few questions........

I have a compressor and bought some 3/8" id hose. I have a filter regulator with 1/4" inlet/outlet. Now the way i understand it is....

I attach a smaller length 3/8" id hose from the Compressor to the regulator then main air hose runs of the regulator onto my air tools.

My question is, i am led to believe best air hose for air tools is id 3/8". Now what i want to know is if i use a 3/8" hose from the compressor to the regulator with adaptors to go down to 1/4" to fit the regulator and then the same on the other side of the regulator, adaptors from 1/4" to 3/8" will i be suffocating the air supply? Will going down from 3/8" to 1/4" adaptors restric airflow. Its only the adaptors that will be 1/4" to make my air hose fit the regualtor but all the pipes im using will be 3/8 id".

By doing this am i defeating the object of using 3/8" hose by going down to 1/4" for the regulator then back up to 3/8". Will i be suffocating it by going down.

compressor -->3/8" hose--> 1/4" filter regulator-->3/8" hose --> air tools

Am i basically throttling the air supply where im going down to 1/4" using adaptors?

I hope this makes sense.

Any help appreciated.

Hi so1o,welcome to the forum ,you are quite right ,its not ideal to go from 3/8 hose through a 1/4 connector,depends on the compressor and its uses as to the best way around the problem .You can choose to change the connectors although often the regulator itself is too small,on some small compressors,people have removed the regulator altogether and run the hose from the receiver itself...Can you give us some more details ,how big is the compressor and what tools are you wanting to use....impact wrench's i assume?have you actually tried using the tools/compressor yet ....?

Thanks mate for the info. It's a three hp compressor 2.2kw 14cfm single phase. Mostly used for wrenches. I'm still. Setting up. Have not used it yet. Want to do it right first time. Thanks

Sorry few more questions ,how long is 3/8hose?.how many people to use ?1 at a time?...is it to be used inside ,outside ?.....The compressor should be capable of running an impact wrench,are the inlet and outlet of the regulator1/4bsp threaded or larger? some pics may be useful?.....i would be tempted to try wrench with and without reg in line ,it may not be ideal but may work.....is reg additional to the built in reg mounted on the compressor?.....for impact wrench's you could run without a reg at all.....i would have a valve screwed to tank so hose can be isolated ,sorry i can't be more definite ,but depends on how you will use set up ,ie could install a ring main etc if its inside ,or compressor, hose to gun will work if it needs to be more flexible etc ,there are ideal set ups and ones that work but not ideal..i'm sure a few other members will chip in as well....Gav

The correct way to configure the feed from the compressor is make that feed larger than any connection to a consumer (tool). So, if using 3/8" hose to tools, the feed from the compressor to reg must be 1/2" or more, the reg must be 1/2" all the way through, and the outlet must be 1/2". Actually, for impact guns and air ratchets the hose size should be 1/2" to get the best from them.

Thats ok.

I have two hoses, one to reach the middle of the yard and then another to extend it to get to the back of the yard. I have two 100 feet 3/8 air hoses.

1 at a time, compressor will only have one air tool running on it at any given time. This will mostly be an impact wrench to really get those rusted old frozen subframe bolts. Also from time to time a little 4" air grinder. The compressor is in a metal container but will be used be used outside in all weathers.

The inlet and out of the filter regulator is 1./4". The compressor does not have a regulator as far as i know. The compressor has a valve just before where the air hose will go in to isolate the air supply.

Is there any risk in not using a regulator or filter? Filter will just filter out the water correct? If i dont use a filter regulator at all is there any downsides/risks to this? All im really going to be using is an impact wrench, air blow gun and air grinder. How can i keep my air tools in good shape if i dont use a filter?

gavuk said:

Sorry few more questions ,how long is 3/8hose?.how many people to use ?1 at a time?...is it to be used inside ,outside ?.....The compressor should be capable of running an impact wrench,are the inlet and outlet of the regulator1/4bsp threaded or larger? some pics may be useful?.....i would be tempted to try wrench with and without reg in line ,it may not be ideal but may work.....is reg additional to the built in reg mounted on the compressor?.....for impact wrench's you could run without a reg at all.....i would have a valve screwed to tank so hose can be isolated ,sorry i can't be more definite ,but depends on how you will use set up ,ie could install a ring main etc if its inside ,or compressor, hose to gun will work if it needs to be more flexible etc ,there are ideal set ups and ones that work but not ideal..i'm sure a few other members will chip in as well....Gav

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Do yourself a favour and fit an FRL (filter, reg, lubricator) on the outlet from the compressor. You can get types with a port before the lubricator for use with airlines that need to be dry.

dont bother with a lubricator there a waste of time and money and u need second hose. just use 3 drops of oil in the air inet on tools when uve finished using them and a quick run then there ready for next use . ive had my airtools 30 years and still going strong

Tigler is right ,to do the job properly fit a filter, reg,lubricator.oversize will stop loses through the FRL...you may struggle if you connect the 2 hoses together ....before spending any cash though, i would connect without the reg fitted ,when up to pressure,blow some air through a blow gun to expell the worst of the water ,then try the impact wrench ,a couple of drops of oil in the inlet of the impact gun is fine ...then at least if you fit a FRL and it doesn't work you know its the FRL.....also use the drain on the bottom of the receiver to remove water in there once or twice a day depending on use its good practise to do after use on packing up for the day....

forgot ,do you already have the impact gun ?....don't believe the claimed torque on the cheaper guns,

I bought two guns an ingersoll rand 2135qtimax and a cp redipower rp8252. Hopefully a good choice. Both 1/2" impact wrenches.

Thanks everyone for your help.

I think i may have messed up. The cp redipower rp8252 impact wrench i bought has the following listed: Air Consumption: 13.6 l/s (28.8cfm). My compressor only manages 14cfm. Should i return this one before even opening it? I take it the ingersoll rand 2135qtimax one will work ok as it has a much lower air consumption rating.

28cfm is the air consumption under full load constant use .i run a 3/4 drive impact wrench of a 14 cfm compressor no problem. i also have an 28cfm setup the filter regulator is half inch bsp which is rated at 90cfm and i also use eurofittings and half inch bore hose for long ish distances otherwise u loose volume and pressure heres the diffrence between the 2 conector sizes the c coupling adaptor is 3 quarter bore of my 90cfm comp to run small items

The cp won't be any good unfortunatly,good kit ,i had no idea its consumption was so high !send it back ,in the light of Bright Sparks experience ,may be worth talking to the supplier ask if its ok to check it out,before returning it?

gavuk said:

The cp won't be any good unfortunatly,good kit ,i had no idea its consumption was so high !send it back ,in the light of Bright Sparks experience ,may be worth talking to the supplier ask if its ok to check it out,before returning it?

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as above have a word with supplier 1st. mine works ok but i got mine given so had nothing to loose. with a full tank and large bore pipes theres no restriction

With single phase comps in lowish cfm, does it really matter about the hose fittings much? Drapers say their 1/4 PCL fittings flow 43cfm. I can see hose dia having slight line loss effects. But the fittings seem more than OK (I've got 14cfm displacement, 9.5 FAD). Just curious.

i did a fair few tests with the small sandblasting pot i have. it has the 3mm jet. using 2 half inch water seperators restricted the flow .also using pcl conectors afected it as did the 3/8 th hose. the length of the hose made a diffrence as well. the outcome was take the supply straight from the tank using eurofittings and use half inch hose . then just the one seperator on the pot its self .full pressure was achieved and full volume smaller cfm requirements will probably be ok with the thinner pipe but id recomend the larger over longer lenghts .the 3mm jet small pot will run on 14cfm min and best at 28cfm 90psi constant. the larger runs on 90cfm with a 3/4 hose and a 6mm jet at 90psi

I agree with the previous posts, 200 ft of 3/8 hose you will have too much pressure drop, If you don't filter the air to remove moisture you might well have the tool freezing up on you as its getting winter.
Too late now but did you consider a petrol/diesel driven unit, just wheel it up to the job and no airlines running everywhere across the yard.

Interesting Brightspark, cheers. I've got a mix of Euro and PCL on diff areas. Got fed up with Euro, having some with a slightly different profile that don't interlock with the other type - either yet another standard or cheap crap bits. Must sort it all out.