Shop Air Lines

[Jon B]

Mine is in regular ole PVC. My uncle who is a master plumber saw it and threw a fit. Said it was very dangerous and is just asking for trouble.

That was 4 years ago. I really should do it right.

[bboswell]

One of my shops was plumbed years ago with plain old sched 40 PVC, when we added the second shop the plumber refused to do that and instead went with some gray schedule 80 pipe rated for airlines.


Want to guess which shop gives me all the airline problems?


I will go either PEX or sched 40 PVC when I plumb my home shop.

[Arrowthreat]

Unless your shop is over 100'X100' IMO there is no need to run air lines. I looked into going this route and ended up just buying a 75' automatic hose reel from TSC and placing my air compressor in the center of the shop between the two bay doors. I have yet to run out of hose going from any direction inside the shop (45'x60'). I know they make even longer hose reels if your shop is bigger.

[175gr7.62]

PVC...you are running at 20% of the MOWP....

you will be fine

Until you aren’t....


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[CJ776]

Mine is in regular ole PVC. My uncle who is a master plumber saw it and threw a fit. Said it was very dangerous and is just asking for trouble.

That was 4 years ago. I really should do it right.

the master plumber probably doesn't know what he's doing. lol!


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[WRasco]

Multiple shops with PVC over the years, never had a problem.
Ran Paint booths, Head shops and Tire stalls and various pressures.
Wore out a couple of compressors but never had any issue with the lines.

[scarecrow]

If there is a ? at all with putting anyone in possibly harms way I’m going with overkill every time. I like the price and ease of installation but I’m not taking a chance for a few extra dollars.

[Atfulldraw]

If there is a ? at all with putting anyone in possibly harms way I’m going with overkill every time. I like the price and ease of installation but I’m not taking a chance for a few extra dollars.

this. right. here.

I've seen pvc blow, and it isn't pretty, lots of little shards are produced.

My barn has a single hose reel mounted on the ceiling right in the middle. I ran a regular air line up to it from the compressor and can reach anywhere in the shop from the reel. If I need more hose, I just grab another one hanging on the wall.

[Uncle Saggy]

Use black steel, copper or something specific for air

PVC is a bad choice. In addition to some of the reasons stated above, airlines will accumulate oil over time which will break down pvc.
If memory serves me right pvc air lines above ground is an OSHA violation that’s in place for employee safety


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[Big Lee]

Whatever you end up going with, make sure you have a great filter/dryer. Do not cheap out on the filter/dryer. As stated above, your air tools are not cheap. If treated properly they’ll last a lifetime. Drain the main tank regularly. Fix any leaks when they occur as it becomes the source of moisture buildup. Make the lowest point of all downward piping a ball valve to blow out lines. I tend to over kill things.... But, in my shop I ran a larger than needed black pipe to all the hose drops. My thinking was it also acted as a storage tank for the compressor and when using some of the larger equipment the initial pressure drop was less affected. I have no idea if there’s any validity to that or not. I like copper/steel simply because I see it as a one time fix. PVC leads me to believe I will have to repair it one day. Probably on a day most convenient for you, when you have nothing else better to do. I sealed all my threaded ends. I hate walking in a shop and hearing a hissing noise. Make sure your connection to the tank can be shutoff and disconnected easily Incase of compressor failures or upgrades. I put accessible ball valves near each hose drop. To simply “Kill The Line” when your air hose needs repairs or replaced. Buy a ferrule crimper and the ferrules needed for your air hose ends. Do not go the route of hose clamps. The air chuck side takes the most abuse and the hose will typically leak there first. I would not buy 1/4 hose.

[txpitdog]

Whatever you end up going with, make sure you have a great filter/dryer. Do not cheap out on the filter/dryer. As stated above, your air tools are not cheap. If treated properly they’ll last a lifetime. Drain the main tank regularly. Fix any leaks when they occur as it becomes the source of moisture buildup. Make the lowest point of all downward piping a ball valve to blow out lines. I tend to over kill things.... But, in my shop I ran a larger than needed black pipe to all the hose drops. My thinking was it also acted as a storage tank for the compressor and when using some of the larger equipment the initial pressure drop was less affected. I have no idea if there’s any validity to that or not. I like copper/steel simply because I see it as a one time fix. PVC leads me to believe I will have to repair it one day. Probably on a day most convenient for you, when you have nothing else better to do. I sealed all my threaded ends. I hate walking in a shop and hearing a hissing noise. Make sure your connection to the tank can be shutoff and disconnected easily Incase of compressor failures or upgrades. I put accessible ball valves near each hose drop. To simply “Kill The Line” when your air hose needs repairs or replaced. Buy a ferrule crimper and the ferrules needed for your air hose ends. Do not go the route of hose clamps. The air chuck side takes the most abuse and the hose will typically leak there first. I would not buy 1/4 hose.

Could you please recommend a good quality inline dryer? I am just using a harbor freight one as an additional one prior to my plasma cutter, which has its own condenser.


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[Big Lee]

Could you please recommend a good quality inline dryer? I am just using a harbor freight one as an additional one prior to my plasma cutter, which has its own condenser.


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I use a desiccant system from Sharpe. I do not paint, but it is designed for paint booth setups. I use my plasma quiet often. Amongst other air tools. There are setups that cost less. But again I tend to over kill and like the one time purchase aspect and will spend freely on certain items that I feel are important.

[cva34]

PEX piping is highly susceptible to damage by sunlight. If exposed to sunlight, the molecular structure disintegrates. This causes the piping to become brittle and rupture. ... Most manufacturers put UV stabilizers in PEX tubing to provide at least 30 to 60 days UV protection.Jul 27, 2010

[Atfulldraw]

Use black steel, copper or something specific for air

PVC is a bad choice. In addition to some of the reasons stated above, airlines will accumulate oil over time which will break down pvc.
If memory serves me right pvc air lines above ground is an OSHA violation that’s in place for employee safety


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I've heard stories of OSHA shutting places down over this issue, but have no way to say if they are true or not.

[Chad74]

I've heard stories of OSHA shutting places down over this issue, but have no way to say if they are true or not.