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bradley59dzl
03-30-2017, 12:19 PM
What is everyone running for shop air lines? I bought 3/4 steel but decided against it. Im leaning towards RapidAir 1" alum. pipe but not sure I like the compression fitting idea. Any input?

Signature600
03-30-2017, 12:26 PM
I've done rapid air in our little farm shop, but my big shop (aka, our business) is all 1" and 3/4" Copper...a little overkill for most...

Chris

06 DIESEL
03-30-2017, 01:03 PM
There are tons of people saying to do many different things over on Garage Journal. Black or galvanized steel is the most recommended, then copper, then rapid air, but never PVC.

I have enough 3/4" steel to do my entire garage, but have not had time to put it up. A friends dad has rapid air in his shop going on three years now and no issues and he always leaves it charged.

bradley59dzl
03-30-2017, 01:18 PM
I've done rapid air in our little farm shop, but my big shop (aka, our business) is all 1" and 3/4" Copper...a little overkill for most...

Chris

Hmm, Dont think I know of anyone running copper.

bradley59dzl
03-30-2017, 01:20 PM
There are tons of people saying to do many different things over on Garage Journal. Black or galvanized steel is the most recommended, then copper, then rapid air, but never PVC.

I have enough 3/4" steel to do my entire garage, but have not had time to put it up. A friends dad has rapid air in his shop going on three years now and no issues and he always leaves it charged.

Pvc... My uncle has had cpvc in his garage at home for 20+ yrs no issue. A buddy that owns a local well drilling company built a brand new shop 5ish yrs ago and they ran 1" shc 80 also no issues. Im kinda scared to do it though.

Exodus
03-30-2017, 01:23 PM
Black iron pipe is what used most over at garage journal. Next in line is PEX AL. It's very easy to work with. Buy a set of PEX crimpers and some fittings, and you're off.

Signature600
03-30-2017, 01:25 PM
Hmm, Dont think I know of anyone running copper.

Copper is expensive, and labor intensive...but I haven't had to mess with any of my shop air line for 16 years now.

Chris

bradley59dzl
03-30-2017, 01:28 PM
Black iron pipe is what used most over at garage journal. Next in line is PEX AL. It's very easy to work with. Buy a set of PEX crimpers and some fittings, and you're off.

I have experience in Pex and have the tools but the specs are worrisome.
PexAl
200 psi @73°F
160 psi @140°F
125 psi @ 180°F
Regular Pex ratings are lower yet. Also dealing with coiled pex is a pain and hard to make look nice and neat. IMO.

YoungDiesel27
03-30-2017, 01:28 PM
We have PVC in both garages and have never had any issues

bradley59dzl
03-30-2017, 01:29 PM
Copper is expensive, and labor intensive...but I haven't had to mess with any of my shop air line for 16 years now.

Chris

Good to know. This will be in my list of options for sure. After doing all the copper plumbing for boiler system running air should be a breeze!

chevota84
03-30-2017, 01:48 PM
We put the rapidair up in my buddies shop, it took us about 3 hours to do a 36x48 and it's had zero issues. I really like the billet drops

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

06 DIESEL
03-30-2017, 02:07 PM
The problem with PVC is that it is not rated for air pressure, it is rated for fluid pressure. If PVC is under pressure and breaks or something falls on it the results can be bad.

BRE
03-30-2017, 02:18 PM
Not saying it's right but I've worked out of several shops plumbed with pvc and never had an issue.

IdahoRob
03-30-2017, 02:31 PM
Rapid air here for years, fully pressurized at all times. Zero issues.

Exodus
03-30-2017, 04:40 PM
I have experience in Pex and have the tools but the specs are worrisome.
PexAl
200 psi @73°F
160 psi @140°F
125 psi @ 180°F
Regular Pex ratings are lower yet. Also dealing with coiled pex is a pain and hard to make look nice and neat. IMO.

I'm doing my shop with just regular pex. 1 inch with 3/4 drops. And yes, the sticks are much easier to work wwith. Also, what PSI is your compressor. Most 2 stage are only 175PSI.

bradley59dzl
03-31-2017, 08:26 AM
I'm doing my shop with just regular pex. 1 inch with 3/4 drops. And yes, the sticks are much easier to work wwith. Also, what PSI is your compressor. Most 2 stage are only 175PSI.

Correct 175psi but I will be running it through the attic and I imagine temps will be well over 100 in the summer months. Seems like you would be running on the edge of their safe zones. Id rather do it once and not have to worry.

zstroken
03-31-2017, 08:28 AM
What about CPVC?

bigstacks95
03-31-2017, 11:00 AM
Our main shop (built 1945) is all steel air lines. Our new shop (built 2009) is done with rapid air and took me, my dad, and one of our guys about 3 hours to do the whole 60x30 building, including installing four reels, and about 10 drops. Pretty nice setup, I would highly recommend it. The PVC scares me. I would never do that.

dixon700
03-31-2017, 11:14 AM
My neighbors 60'x40' shop built in '03 was done with all 3/4" pvc and the only issue was once or twice a glued joint failed going across the ceiling.

zfaylor
03-31-2017, 11:50 AM
My insurance company wouldn't allow pvc. Working with black pipe is a complete pita. We used something similar to rapid air. If you've ever used anything else to run air you won't go back. Crazy how much quicker you can plumb. Getting the lines to look halfway straight is a bit more difficult than the other ways though. The line wanted to coil on me everywhere.

Mopar440_6
03-31-2017, 12:09 PM
My only input on the PVC/CPVC discussion is, lots of people do lots of things that aren't recommended and have no issues but that doesn't mean its right or safe. Personally, I'll avoid even the possibility of having PVC shrapnel flying around my shop.

Black iron pipe is cheap and plentiful but the fittings, mounts, and labor to cut and rethread add up quickly. Also, rust. Even with dryers you'll still have some level of moisture in the lines and it will eventually rust. We have all black pipe at work and I'm constantly fixing/replacing components because rust particles have clogged or damaged it. That said black pipe is nearly indestructible even in a fire and I've seen it take hits from a forklift. If you have to mount the air lines low on the walls where they could take a hit, go with black pipe.

Black Pipe:
Pros - Cheap, plentiful, nearly indestructible
Cons - Slowest install, difficult to join, dirty air


Copper pipe is expensive but it is the gold standard for clean air supply. I've seen a few ISO9000 clean rooms and the air supplies were all plumbed with copper. I like copper because its easy to cut, solder, unsolder, and modify. However, some people have concerns with joints possibly becoming unsoldered in a fire and fanning the flames but the same could be said for any of PVC/CPVC/PEX/PexAlPex or Rapid-Air fittings.

Copper:
Pros - Cleanest air, easy to join, easy to modify, somewhat durable
Cons - Moderate installation time, most expensive, could be punctured, joints could fail in fire


Rapid-Air Fastpipe (or one of the competitors) is my personal choice and what will be going into the new shop I built last year. Stuff is high quality, somewhere in between black pipe and copper price wise, and the biggest thing for me is that it runs in quick. A friend and I plumbed his 4 bay shop with the big RapidAir 1" Fastpipe 235' master kit from Northern in a Saturday afternoon. Its somewhat modular with the saddle drops too and easy enough to change later because of the compression fittings. I'm going with the Fastpipe because my system will be all external to the walls and it will look better. If I could keep everything in the walls, I'd probably use the Maxline.

RapidAir:
Pros: Fastest install, clean air, easiest to join, easy to modify, somewhat durable
Cons: More expensive than black pipe, could be punctured, joints could fail in a fire


Just my $.02

Tate
03-31-2017, 12:20 PM
I used the Pex-Al-Pex stuff like rapid air. 300' coil, with a good amount left over. I put clips on the wall every four feet, so it all looks pretty good. I have 7 drops and a full halo around the garage. The nice thing with the coil is I only have joints at each drop, not every 8-12 feet like if you were using sticks. I looked at copper and black iron. Black iron would've been cheaper, but then I'd be renting a threader or buying pre-threaded pipes of every length, and so many joints. Copper was gonna cost about the same as the pex I used, and then I have to solder all the joints in place. The pex is easy to cut, and even without the compression fittings tight, they will hold 100 psi (found a fitting I missed tightening when I did the initial leak test) and makes future tie-ins a breeze.

cumminsman315
03-31-2017, 12:42 PM
If running copper and worried about fire situations, you'd just need to run it with crimp/press fittings instead of solder but down side being your never going to take get it apart and a bit more expensive

Red Sleeper
03-31-2017, 01:06 PM
I ran 3/4" sch 80 pvc in my biddies 40x100 machine shop about 8 years ago. Several drops and cross building runs for each machine. No issues to date.

He wanted to use sch 40 but I talked some sense into him.

Once I construct my shop, will be using rapid air aluminum tubing. More for OCD purposes than anything.

Signature600
03-31-2017, 01:22 PM
If running copper and worried about fire situations, you'd just need to run it with crimp/press fittings instead of solder but down side being your never going to take get it apart and a bit more expensive

If I'm worried about copper and it bursting/unsoldering and feeding a fire you boys must have way better compressors than me...and I have some good stuff.

I know I have stuff I'd be way more worried about feeding a fire than my air compressor/plumbing.


Chris

12vchevydually
03-31-2017, 03:02 PM
:redx:If I'm worried about copper and it bursting/unsoldering and feeding a fire you boys must have way better compressors than me...and I have some good stuff.

I know I have stuff I'd be way more worried about feeding a fire than my air compressor/plumbing.


Chris

97crewcab
03-31-2017, 04:17 PM
I have 2 rapid air 3/4" systems in a box ready to go into the shop when I am ready. Hopefully that is the right decision.
Looks like when running pex-al-pex a cooler should be used if the system is going to be used hard. I will be looking into a cooler setup when I do mine.

Signature600
03-31-2017, 04:18 PM
:redx:

LOL

I hate you.
Chris

RonA
03-31-2017, 11:35 PM
Kaeser SP11 with 3/4" copper lines, 26 years(just under 40,000 hrs) no problems. Shop next door to me had PVC lines, broke 2 times in the 4 years I was there. 1" line with a 25hp Quincy trying to overcome the split pipe was impressive.

wannabehero
04-01-2017, 10:30 AM
6 bay full scale shop with a big rotary compressor putting out 135PSI and a seperate heated air dryer and everything here is run in 1 1/4" black pipe.

Buildings been standing for 40+ years and we've never had any issues with air supply or rust.

Signature600
04-01-2017, 11:46 AM
Heated air dryer...why would you have any rust?

Chris

wideopen
04-03-2017, 08:11 AM
I ran 3/4" PVC in my shop....about 16 years ago...No issues

jedeka
04-03-2017, 11:43 PM
I ran copper years ago in the neighbor's shop. I pressure tested it before putting it into use. I don't think there has ever been an issue. His next two additions were with pvc and I tried to talk him out of it. I had nothing to do with installation. It has blown apart two or three times, that I know of. I'm scared of that stuff. My Dad had A relative install black iron pipe in the old shop, when I was a kid. It holds up fine, but can get condensation in the pipes and cause rust. I decided to go with Rapid Air in my current 60x75 shop. I sent them a diagram of the shop layout and they sent back a suggested layout. I modified it a little, then ordered the 20 ft hard sticks, fittings and quick coupler blocks from them. I ended up adding a few more drops and ran to Northern Tool to get a few extra fittings. I did buy a roll of the flexible tubing to bend and follow the ceiling that is above the overhead door.

bradley59dzl
10-31-2017, 08:21 AM
I finally opt'd for the Rapid Air Line
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171031/8f154f93495ef1d5671fe5509abf9c7b.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171031/349a00efffb73e8086f74c8eb23af853.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171031/2a3e36f42a155399d103cf20771eb971.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

oilburner97
03-14-2018, 08:56 PM
I'm running the same setup. No issues.