My compressor seems to be producing a lot of moisture. I have a couple cheaper desiccant air dryers.
When I purchased them I noticed that there were other desiccant dryers that were two or three times the price. Some even more. Some of the expensive ones were smaller than the ones I already have.
What is the difference with them? Are they built differently? Am I better off to get an expensive one?
I’d like a refrigerated air dryer … but it’s not in the budget right now
They’re pretty simple devices. As long as they hold desiccant beads and don’t leak or explode, they should work the same.
Thanks. That’s what I thought. But I don’t understand the price differences
When I was looking for mine I saw prices were all over the place too.
can you post an example cheap and an expensive desiccant drier that you were/are looking at.
I am sure we can point out the differences .
None of those look large enough to last longer than a couple of cutting sessions. This was the best value I could find for a quart sized unit. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HY4Q1U8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
well here is a quick comparison.
the cfm is all over the place because they don t use the same measure stick.
I d go will the one that has the most volume . I bet even with the biggest one on your list you would get about 3-5 hours of running time before a bead change. ( that is at a favorable inlet RH and temp)
Myself I prefer I larger cell dryer.
@ds690 is right the Tru-Flate 56-081 Dessicant Dryer is a great choice. a quart is good for about 5 hours under favorable inlet air conditions. in the winter you can likely double that time.
@gardner1031 a high inlet temperature and humidity will vastly reduce the run time of the beads.
I don’t have the best bead cell dryers. I actually run two smaller ones back to back. That is what I had I do plan to make that upgrade. Like @TinWhisperer said inlet temps can affect how long they last. I would do small upgrades as you can afford. A after cooler is a great way to bring temps down. Some people build them out of copper pipe others use transmission coolers. Just make sure whatever can handle your cfm demands.
This is the dryer I currently use is smaller then I would like but I have several bead cartridges . I switch out cartridges every other cutting session.
@ds690 , is the sight port locked to be inline with the outlet or can it be positioned to be perpendicular to the plumbing?
You can put it anywhere you want it. The canister and threaded ring, that holds it on, are separate.
The sight glass requires you to open it and put beads into it, though. I’ve never used it. I dry the beads in the oven wherever the mood strikes and I’ve never found it to be completely exhausted down to the sight glass level.
So those beads are separate from the bulk of the drying beads? Like it’s the last stage in the air flow?
This is the last time we talked about this drier.
there is a cross section of the canister in this link. the slight glass is about 70% through the bead pack.
at 5 cfm @ 50% duty cycle you get about 4 hours of run time before a bead change is needed. but that under favorable air entering conditions.
desiccant does not last as long as most people think .
if I bought again I d get the bigger version of the drier the @ds690 recommended whish hold twice the beads, XL model.
Here is a good price on the big boy ,
and here is the XXL for even a better price.
I want to buy this XXL now. 1 GAL of desiccant
I had built this back in 2021 and still in use to this day. basically a water filter with a few extra components inside to keep the beads from falling out. It’s rated at 125 psi but have never went over 100psi from the compressor.
this is after a few months of moderate cutting.
Try a different type of air dryer.
@Gort another great video. I like the cake pan corners on the galvanized pan that adapts the duct to the coils.
the title of your video “passive compressed air dryer system” should really read "active compressed air dryer system " As soon as you added a fan to move air through the coil it became an active system.
Anyone who purchased the Arrow D12-04XXL dryer, did yours come with a mounting bracket or were you able to find one? I might just need to make one. Does not appear the holes are tapped on top either.
