Where Should I Install my Air Dryer
Why shouldn't you store it on your air compressor?
Your company purchased an air dryer for your compressor, now where should you install it? One of the most common things we see in the industry are air dryers being stored on top of the compressors. Seems like a wasted space not being used on top of the compressor, right? Wrong.
Below are a few reasons why you shouldn't store your air dryer on your compressor and installation suggestions to help extend the life of your dryer.
- Vibration: Even the healthiest and most robust air compressors will not be free of vibrations. By placing the air dryer on top of the compressor, the dryer will be absorbing those vibrations. Overtime, the air dryer will begin to show those effects.
- Compressor Serviceability: When your air dryer is set up on top of your enclosed air compressor, you will have to unassemble the dryer to get into your air compressor. That means, more labor time from your technician to just get into the compressor.
- Temperature: More often than not, air compressors are designed to enhaust the after cooler out from the top of the machine. This creates a higher ambient temperature around the top of the air compressor, which is exactly where the dryer would sit. The dryer needs cooler air across the heat exchanger to work efficiently and drop the most moisture out of the air. If the hot air from the air compressor is being exhausted into the same ambient air that the dryer is using, the cool air passing through the heat exchanger, the dryer will now be less efficient and create moisture issues.
- Moisture: The key reason you get a dryer is to remove moisture from the air. The moisture is removed via a drain usually located at the back of the dryer. Now let's say that drain shifts and leaks directly on the compressor instead? Seems like a headache.
Why do you need a dryer? Air dryers remove the moisture following the compressed air process. Dry compressed air is a concept with a wide range of meanings and dew point is an indication of how dry the compressed air is or needs to be. While air can be compressed, water cannot be compressed.
Installation suggestions & tips:
Now that you confidently know that your air dryer should not be stored on your air compressor, here are a few helpful suggestions when installing.
Never place your dryer on the floor: Avoid placing it directly on the floor. The floor is often filled with dirt, debris and dust that your air dryer will pull air directly from. One of the most common reasons a dryer shuts down is due to a dirty environment.
Consider a shelf for your air dryer: Save yourself the headache and build (or buy) a stand to place your dryer on.
Give the dryer its own space: Air dryers are designed to have certain clearances around them to allow cooler ambient air for head dissipation.
