home garage compressor: how many CFMs?

[cobram at juno.com]

Huw Powell <audi at humanspeakers.com> writes:

As long as we're rambling, I'll chime in.

> Speaking as someone who has had on more than a few occasions opened
> up copper house plumbing and played with (and someone who has seen
> copper building roofs...) copper *does* corrode.  In fact, that house
> copper piping can have a pretty thick layer of oodge inside it.

Copper corrodes, but that very corrosion is what protects the uncorroded
copper.  The thin patina that copper develops keeps the oxygen and other
elements from eating the rest of it.  IF you find "oodge" inside an
active water supply copper pipe, you'd find that same "oodge" inside any
type of pipe used at the same location, that stuff isn't from the copper.
 Get your water tested.  I've removed copper and brass plumbing that had
been in service for 50-100 years, no "oodge".

> There is another potential disadvantage to copper, if it is
> solderer together, one we bring up to John next door at Carworks about
once
> a year or so.  In case of a fire, the solder could melt, and then
> what heppens?  Your compressed air does a great job of fanning the
> flames, and keeps going as long as the electricity (or belt...) holds
out.

If it gets hot enough to melt the solder joints, fanning the flames is
the least of your worries.  Not much air would escape, as the solder
joint would develop a small leak,  the compressed air being released
would cool the solder and copper at the leak point.  I would hope that
John at Carworks doesn't leave his compressor on when he leaves the shop.
 I don't know any shop that leaves the compressor on after closing.

> I used a bunch of 3/4" black pipe, not terribly expensive and
> fairly easy to work with (except if you need to add threads at home -
but
> Home Depot does it for free...).  Anywhere I ran the pipe outside, I
> switched to galvanized pipe and fittings.

Lots harder to work with or modify.  Watch the pitch too, loose support
etc. could make a low spot for water to accumulate and freeze.

Either material is just fine for compressed air, the added work and
lessened flexibility of steel are definite disadvantages, with no
advantage over copper in this application.

If, as some have suggested (and I use), you go with the flexible hose,
disconnect or shut it off at the compressor when you're not using it.
Should it get cut, or have a catastrophic failure, it will whip around
pretty good.  Compressor can put out some serious heat if it runs for
hours due to a leak,  keep combustibles at a reasonable distance.



BCNU,
http://www.geocities.com/cobramsri/

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