Here is the difference and the question. A copper pipe cooler may not have the restrictions that a trans cooler will. With your setup your cooler is part of the tank because it is post check value.
The question is have you checked cycle times? You pump is not designed to push air through that many feet of pipe.
I put a trans cooler 5/8 bore between the tank and pump. A summary is it doubled the cycle time. There wasn’t a decrease in rpm of the pump. Which means the pump has enough back pressure the air was either bypassing the rings in the pump or the reed valves in the head.
Most definitely if one was to do a after cooler like that it needs to be post check valve…
Do you also have a check valve in the tank?
Then again I say the after cooler still will do the exact same thing post tank with no chance of back pressure on the pump. That is a benefit because unless you remove all moisture you still have a wet tank and your pump has to work harder to deliver . A ounce or a gallon it is still wet .
You might have misread my statement I made about the location of the check valve…
the pressure switch on the tank that regulates the tank pressure and on/off of the pump has a head pressure relase valve…so when the compressor stops it releases the pressure between the ckeck valve and the pump…same way as it was before…
In fact the 3/8" tube that orriganlly went between the pump and tank check valve is a fair bit bigger which allows the pump to run about 1/2 second more to build load before it pushed open the check valve.
As for a check valve…I have several check valves in the system…one, as stated between the pump and wall cooler…one between the wall cooler and the tank…one after my refrigerated dryer before I go into my second storage tank.
I get very little water from my tank yet manage to get a fair bit from my wall cooler drain lines…
Again…there is zero pressure between my wall cooler and my pump head…so there is no loading on the pump…as it was designed for.
I did miss read your quote my bad. I don’t think anyone’s compressor would start under a load. In my mind I could be wrong you still have extra back pressure on your pump. All compressors do just like engines. The thing is how much back pressure are they designed for. The longer the run is from the pump to the tank the higher the pressure must be to deliver. Imagine a 12 inp long water hose full of water you could physically blow water out of it with your mouth. Now can you do that with a 100 ft long water hose?
@toolboy I am not saying your setup is wrong if it works for you roll with it. I was just telling my experience and from that is what I give advice from. I just look at it as been there done that wrote a book on it. My book may be written in crayon but it’s still a coloring book.
I’m trying to find examples of aftercooler’s installed post tank, so far this is the only one I found and it’s made from copper pipe. Aftercooler placement - I don’t have a clue on how to sweat copper, so that option is likely out. Have folks bought an aftercooler like this: Amazon.com and then installed it post tank (like on a wall), then run it to a water trap and then on to the rest of the system?
It also seems like an easier option for someone who had never even run an air compressor before he bought his langmuir (me)?
I actually have a 5/8 bore and a 1/2 bore. You will need to change plumping a little. The work best with a fan. Some even us PEX pipe that is a option as well.
It is like a family reunion to discuss which type is best.
I came out of my tank into two of these. Why because I had them…they cool the air down my refrigerated dryer never sees temps above 70ish… you just have to covert to a 8an fitting.
I also have 2 extra(dry air tanks) so I don’t have to rely on all my air coming through them. People always have old compressor with bad pump you can get for near nothing. I said that because everything you do to dry your air can restrict volume.
Yes they are tied in with the system. Sometimes I have a high demand for air you may not need to do this just a thought. They help with pressure drops. My compressor has fewer cycles but they are longer.
I know how to sweat copper: plumbed my house with it. But I did not have the space nor the interest in spending that kind of money. As you see, I took a 100 foot coil of 1/2" PEX (perhaps 3/4" would be better) to give a chance to pre-cool before going into the transmission cooler. The fan that cools the PEX coil and transmission cooler is triggered to start when the charging tube from the compressor to the tank reaches 85 degrees.
The air then goes to the refrigerated air dryer and later, goes to the quart size desiccant filter that Phillip showed. It is mere feet from the plasma cutter. Prior to the plasma cutter is a particulate filter.
I live in a very humid area year round. I have not had any sign of moisture issues. I give much credit with removing moisture on the automatic drain that is on the bottom of the tank. It is triggered to open for 0.5 seconds everytime the compressor starts.
that’s awesome, thanks for sharing, the post tank aftercooler makes more sense. Is it safe to assume that “transmission cooler” is the same as “aftercooler”? Is the fan blowing on the cooler a must have or just a boost?
I did order one of those automatic drains for the bottom of my tank and was going to set it to open every 15 minutes when I’m using the tank
I wouldn’t say a must but much more effective. I just have a small high velocity fan. I also have a 20 inch high velocity tied to the squirrel cage on my compressor I turn on to help cool the compressor pump. @ChelanJim did put in a lot of thought and work into that set-up.
I use the terms equally. I am not certain but I believe that cooler is really meant for fluid and not air to run thru it so it is not designed for using the way most of us use it. A true air cooler unit would be more like a "heat exchanging unit like HVACs use to limit the loss of air temp when bringing in cold outside air in the winter.
I did another thing with my “after cooler/transmission cooler”: I set it at about a 45 degree angle. The air comes in at the top. At no point is there an upward turned leg that could trap any moisture.
I also have five self drain water collectors: three that I added at low points, one in the plasma cutter and one in the refrigerated drying unit. None of them have ever shown any moisture (don’t know if that is a good sign or a bad sign!)
Great stuff, thanks for sharing all the detail. So here’s what I’m thinking. I run a 3/4" maxline air system. I’ll integrate the aftercooler into that setup (likely after extending the run so it has more time to cool) and use the following fittings to connect the aftercooler to my Maxline system: https://cdn.zappy.app/5ff2e541f3eeef6efd8422c99a3b4262.png
So it will go from the tank, to 20-30ft run of maxline, through the aftercooler (which I’ll wall mount at a 45 degree angle, with a fan), then to a water trap, then it will integrate into my existing setup of filter, 1 gallon dessicant dryer, motor guard filter and then into the plasma.
Ill see how this was to remove water and then consider adding the harbor freight air dryer in the future.
