Thread: Air Compressor Temps

Hello, I need to replace some after-cooler finned lines(4). The original 4 are finned copper. I found an oil field service shop close by that has finned aluminum. The outside diameter is bigger and rubs on the fly wheel. If I go to a refrigerated cooler can I use a non finned line instead? This is an old Gardner Denver 10 Hp.

If you have the space, how about running the lines up and out of the way of the flywheel? Those lines carry the air between stages and if you change them you will reduce the output of the compressor. The air going into the second stage will be hotter and therefore less of it will be crammed in and your cfm will be reduced some.

That would work, but the lines are cooled by the air flow of the fly wheel.

Could you route the cooler to the other side of the flywheel? Might make changing belts a bit more difficult, but you could run a larger cooler setup.

Can you have the copper lines repaired? A welding shop with TIG welding equipment can use that to do a good silver solder/braze job on copper. It isn't as easy to repair aluminum fin tubes. Second idea is to put the aluminum tubes in a lathe and cut the fin diameter down to fit. The difference in thermal conductivity of aluminum isn't enough different from copper to make much difference. If the pitch of the fins is the same as the copper you will get about the same amount of cooling. If the pitch of the aluminum fins is finer you will get more cooling. If you can cut the OD of the fin tube down and then do the bends and fittings you should have a nice installation. Be sure the wall thickness/pressure rating of the aluminum fin tube is at least as high as the copper.

The belt guard was pushed into and crushed at least one line. The aluminum line has more fins and is harder to bend. I want to replace them all and have the new lines. Bending the 90 degree ends where the fittings are is a challange. I'll post a picture of the new material Thursday.I believe the aluminum has a thicker wall diameter. Thanks

The photo above shows one of my three compressors, all have a copper tube intercooler instead of the finned aluminum intercooler. It isn't as compact as the finned aluminum, but it is effective, the longer the better (mine are 25'). Inlet air temp, directly at the pump head, is just over 300°F ... outlet temp going into the tank is 150°F.

If I go to a refrigerated cooler can I use a non finned line instead?

Yes & no. The tubing that connects the head to the tank is an intercooler, the refrigerated dryer is an aftercooler. The intercooler serves to drop the charge air temp so that moisture will condense in the tank where it's easily drained. This puts less load on the aftercooler, so the intercooler + aftercooler combination is more efficient at removing water vapor.

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Barry Milton

Thanks Barry,I had a fluid hose shop bend the lines. They used the old lines as a template. They had some trouble making the short 90 elbow bends. It looks like the ends need to be shorter so they don't hit the flywheel. This will make the lines to short and the finned line is expensive. I think the line is 5/8 ,not sure if I could coil this like you did(times 4).Out on business will look when I get home. Thank you Shawn

Just to make sure were on the same page.
An "intercooler" line directs half compressed air from the first piston chamber to the second piston chamber in a 2 stage air compressor.
An "aftercooler" line directs fully compressed air from the piston chamber into the storage tank.
Intercooler lines should be finned for cooling, aftercooler lines need not be.

Cheers, YV

Originally Posted by precisionworks

The photo above shows one of my three compressors, all have a copper tube intercooler instead of the finned aluminum intercooler. It isn't as compact as the finned aluminum, but it is effective, the longer the better (mine are 25'). Inlet air temp, directly at the pump head, is just over 300°F ... outlet temp going into the tank is 150°F.

Yes & no. The tubing that connects the head to the tank is an intercooler, the refrigerated dryer is an aftercooler. The intercooler serves to drop the charge air temp so that moisture will condense in the tank where it's easily drained. This puts less load on the aftercooler, so the intercooler + aftercooler combination is more efficient at removing water vapor.

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Barry Milton

The loops are vertical and at the bottom of each loop is a place for moisture to be trapped. Then comes
mold/mildew. It would have been better if the loops are horizontal, a smaller diameter, and held with
together with a frame that has a fan blowing across the coils. This design could be made better with
a tubing bender.

I am considering something of the same sort with 10 inch diameter loops. Ten loops would
yield about 26 feet.

I think someone found my first post?

I have two compressors in my shop one is an IR 10hp but its a older industreal with the larger pump slowed down and I only use this for my blast cabinet but it never gets super hot just warm you can touch any part of it

My shop compressor is a hole nother story. I havee a Emglo pump its a v4 2 stage 3 cylinders make low pressure and run it into the 4th high pressure. This pump is the quitest compressor Iv ever hurd you can stand next to it and talk on the phone. But it gets hot hot so hot you cant touch. It has fend intercooers line but the air coming out is hot still so I came across some new scatched radiant basebords I took the 1/2 coper lines that ar finned with aluminum and made two 2' long cooler and mounted them on the out side of the flywheel makes a big diferences .

Originally Posted by ford 460

I have two compressors in my shop one is an IR 10hp but its a older industreal with the larger pump slowed down and I only use this for my blast cabinet but it never gets super hot just warm you can touch any part of it

My shop compressor is a hole nother story. I havee a Emglo pump its a v4 2 stage 3 cylinders make low pressure and run it into the 4th high pressure. This pump is the quitest compressor Iv ever hurd you can stand next to it and talk on the phone. But it gets hot hot so hot you cant touch. It has fend intercooers line but the air coming out is hot still so I came across some new scatched radiant basebords I took the 1/2 coper lines that ar finned with aluminum and made two 2' long cooler and mounted them on the out side of the flywheel makes a big diferences .

Our compressor goes to a wall mount intercooler from mc-master which has a decent sized 220v fan on it... It's connected to the tank and compressor with teflon lined SS braid hose and swedged fittings... We pull 95% of the water out of the tank, the other 5% out of the inline driers and refer drier on the way to the mills. I used to have a 80 foot copper coil setup before which was wall mounted but this is way smaller and more effective... It was about $350.

Works quite nicely I will say, even in the summer with the evaporative cooler running.

This is the way to do it.

Originally Posted by rons

This is the way to do it.

Looks like a good start to a 'still...