What diameter fixed air hose?

[toomany2cvs]

The new garage is soon going up, so I'm starting to think about fitting it out. I've got an Aldidl pikeymarket compressor, and was planning to sit that in one corner hooked up to some fixed pipework distributing to a handful of quick-releases around all three bays, with one outlet outside the front. I'm not going to be running it particularly hard - domestic-grade blowgun, tyre inflation, schutz/wax spraying, a bit of rattlegun, maybe once in a blue moon low-rent media blasting.

Bearing in mind the relative lack of oomph of the compressor, what sort of diameter pipework would you be using? A quick look at various suppliers finds everything from weeny to damn near drainpipe... and no suggestion of what's appropriate.

Ta!

 

[Maker]

I've seen people online use 15mm soldered copper pipe but I don't know how safe soldered fittings are at such pressures.

 

[brightspark]

15mm coppers fine. a good bore good heat disipation and soldered joints are ok and u can use compression fittings

 

[rtbcomp]

+1 for 15mm. It will be future proof for when you get a bigger compressor. I've used end-feed soldered joints and compression fittings with success.

I use washing machine taps to connect flexible hoses to the fixed pipe work, cut the end off a washing machine hose and connect it to 10mm air hose.

 

[Wallace]

I'm using 15mm copper with Yorkshire fittings as once done properly there's less chance of leaks. I've had a brass compression fitting nut burst with air so I avoid them now, took me ages to find all the bits!

 

[Daz1968]

I used john guest push in fittings also the blue plastic air pipe, but the fittings also work fine with copper and aluminium pipe and at least you can dismantle and move it around if needed

 

[waldershelf]

15mm copper pipe to EN 1057 has a safe working pressure of over 800psi, not many home workshops need this kind of rating especially if you have an Aldi compressor, or a Clarke like mine.

 

[optima21]

if you're using a fixed air hose dont forget to use filters at the take off points, I never get any condensate in the clarke mini filter on my aldi compressor,but if I use one on the end of an airline, it can be filled in less than an hour.

 

[andeep]

How much cfm can a 15mm pipe flow? Would it be able to handle a 4hp 18cfm compressor and a 3hp 14cfm compressor connected together?

 

[brightspark]

How much cfm can a 15mm pipe flow? Would it be able to handle a 4hp 18cfm compressor and a 3hp 14cfm compressor connected together?

it depends on the length of pipe and what u are using on the end . if its blasting or a large windy gun 3/4 hose and larger bore fittings would be the best and drop down to half inch pipe and water seperator at the end a half inch bore water seperator can run 80cfm no bother

 

[rtbcomp]

^^ and the pressure