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Chris
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Location: Coos Bay Oregon
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Filter setup

Sat Jan 16, 2016 3:17 pm

When setting up a bulk filter, does the incoming air pass through the sieve first or the carbon. Want to make sure I understand the link correctly.
Formerly tripplec. Decided to use my real name since you guys aren't a bunch of flaky internet trolls.

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antique diver
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Re: Filter setup

Sat Jan 16, 2016 6:45 pm

tripplec wrote:When setting up a bulk filter, does the incoming air pass through the sieve first or the carbon. Want to make sure I understand the link correctly.
Sieve gets the air first. Generally recommended to use more Sieve than Carbon, generally about 2/3 to 3/4 of the filter housing devoted to Sieve. Don't let the Sieve get saturated with moisture, or the oil and other impurities, odors, etc that were captured in it and the Carbon will be displaced by the water and end up right back in your breathing air in high concentration. Inspect often, and if you have an hour meter you can begin to get a feel for your filter life.

Keep in mind that there is more moisture held in the atmospheric air when it is warm and hot weather than during cold weather. One filter manufacturer has published data indicating that useful filter life at 92 degree ambient air is only about 52% of life at 68 degrees!

I have developed a chart to help compressor operators estimate optimum filter life based on filter tower size and ambient temperature. Be glad to email upon request or it could be added to the Manuals and Catalogs section if VDH would like have it. It was originally based on Bauer Compressor filter size codes, but I can modify the chart to cover the two most common filter tower exterior sizes of about 4X15 and 4X33 inches if anyone is interested.
The older I get the better I was.

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Chris
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Re: Filter setup

Sat Jan 16, 2016 7:52 pm

Email me! [email protected]. During inspection can you tell by looks if its close to the end of life? Everything is home made and I have no info on the compressor so its all guess work at this point. My filter setup will be like the diagram in the link posted and I have the eye glass with h2o/co indicator but dont know that I will trust it.
Formerly tripplec. Decided to use my real name since you guys aren't a bunch of flaky internet trolls.

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antique diver
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Re: Filter setup

Sat Jan 16, 2016 8:20 pm

tripplec wrote:Email me! [email protected]. During inspection can you tell by looks if its close to the end of life? Everything is home made and I have no info on the compressor so its all guess work at this point. My filter setup will be like the diagram in the link posted and I have the eye glass with h2o/co indicator but dont know that I will trust it.
Easy visual inspection of filter media is really only convenient with the Lawrence Factor brand filter cartridges which are clear plastic cylinders packed with media and a moisture indicator strip. You external indicator will probably give you a blue outer ring when moisture levels are low and normal in the filtered air. If it's like the ones I am familiar with, the blue will fade to off-white or tan when the filter media is getting too moist. The CO indication will probably darken with presence of CO (and possibly also with time), but please read any instructions you may have with that item for details.

Are you using a re-packable metal cartridge in a filter tower, or filling media directly into the filter tower (housing)?

Also, for me to calculate an approximate filter life chart, I need to know length and diameter of you cartridge (or or the inside of your tower if filling it directly... not a good idea, by the way!)

A photo of your setup might help too. Post here or to my email.
The older I get the better I was.

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Chris
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First Name: Chris
Location: Coos Bay Oregon
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Re: Filter setup

Thu Feb 04, 2016 4:03 am

Antique diver, i apreciate your help, but Im going to think about it for a while. Havent come up with an idea Im happy with on building a tower. As far as using a liner, thats why Im in this mess. The compressor was stored in a garage for twenty years with charcoal in one canister and desicant in the other. On startup it blew a pin hole around 1000 psi in one of the aluminum canisters. The other canister I saved for a low pressure huka filter.
Formerly tripplec. Decided to use my real name since you guys aren't a bunch of flaky internet trolls.

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