Air compressor expansion

[SAR Tracker]

I have my compressor in the garage, which is separated from my shop by about 4 feet of open space. I want to plumb an air line from the compressor to the shop. Question is, go thru the wall of the garage, then down and underground, and then up and thru the wall of the shop, ***or*** thru the wall of the garage, then up, across the space and thru the wall of the shop. Considering black iron pipe, or maybe galvanized due to the moisture here in Oregon. Don't want to use PVC or CPVC. Has PEX proven OK for compressed air? Moving the compressor to the shop is not an option.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I have my compressor in the garage, which is separated from my shop by about 4 feet of open space. I want to plumb an air line from the compressor to the shop. Question is, go thru the wall of the garage, then down and underground, and then up and thru the wall of the shop, ***or*** thru the wall of the garage, then up, across the space and thru the wall of the shop. Considering black iron pipe, or maybe galvanized due to the moisture here in Oregon. Don't want to use PVC or CPVC. Has PEX proven OK for compressed air? Moving the compressor to the shop is not an option.

All of my lines are PEX and it works flawlessly.
Just make sure that you don't leave it exposed to light.
I use brass fittings and copper composite compression rings.

 

[#40Fan]

If you don't have anything to worry about hitting the line, I'd run overhead.

If I had to bury it, I'd use a flexible line and run it in a PVC pipe.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

Always up, because if you go down you cannot drain condensation from the lowest point in the line.

 

[mcfarmall]

If you bury it, condensation WILL form in there and have no way to get out completely. Basically you will have created a thermal mass dryer. You could slope it to one end, put a tee at that point and run a blowdown line up on the wall somewhere. We did this intentionally on a 100hp air compressor using 4" copper run about 6 feet deep around the perimeter of the compressor building. Worked like a champ. Had an auto drain valve to get the condensate out.

 

[Ridger]

I used Rapidair Maxline in my shop. So far, it has held up well.

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[Runs With Scissors]

Although I like the idea of burying it to keep it out of the way, I agree that condensation could be an issue.

The other downside to burying it, is corrosion.

I had a natural gas line that is buried (for my BBQ grill) corrode thru once.

Although admittedly, it took 15 years to go bad, it was a PITA to dig it up and replace it with a SS one.

 

[chim]

At work we had an air line that ran from a heated building through the air for about 6'. That was enough to cause condensate.