Rapid Air Compressed Air System For Your Shop

I've done my share of sweating copper pipe and fittings in years past. Don't really care to do anymore in my lifetime.

One of the reasons I'm thinking of using the Rapidair system, I have a bunch of EMT conduit up on the ceiling that this would be run in parallel with. I can strap it to the conduit and not worry about it. I don't have room to mount it next to the conduit either. Plus, there is a few places where it has to go around boxes and over the conduit.
 
firestopper said:
I used the rapid air "fast pipe" when I built the shop. It went in quick and has performed great for the past 3.5 years. The fast pipe I used came in 19' lengths and uses teflon fittings. The fast pipe is powder coated (blue) 1" extruded aluminum rated around 200psi. Mark (mksj) used the rapid air system to plumb air in his shop and likes it. If you use the rapid air, you'll need to pre straighten the coil if you want a clean install. I would also order extra wall clamps as it has a tendency to sag a little on long runs. They sell a straightening roller but I've seen guys push it through a section of conduit that works well.
Heres some pictures of the fast pipe system if your curious what it looks like.
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I used the same system (fast pipe) in our cleanroom at work. We’re running compressed nitrogen, so I was a little worried about the fittings leaking (and wasting a tank over the weekend if someone forgot to close the valve), but haven’t had any problems since it was installed 3 years ago.
 
Larger the better I say, I have some tools that use large volumes of air and restriction/pressure drop over long runs is fatal plus large volume lines act like another tank and if someone is helping me we can both run tools at the same time, even thinking of plumbing in a few old LPG tanks for extra volume. Mind you 2" sched. 40 doesn't have a nice smooth ID finish like extruded Aluminium.
 
Northern tool sells the kits in ½ and 1 inch along with individual pieces so you can customize your setup


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4gsr said:
Has anyone installed one of these systems in their shop? Pro's Con's?

It's on my radar and I'm thinking of installing one. Can't decide if I want to go with 3/8 or 1/2 air lines. The 3/4 is way too big for my needs.
What started this, is, needing some 1/4" tubing to connect up a couple of misters I bought. The more I looked for fittings to run the tubing from my compressor to make this work, bam! I stumbled across 3/8 air line fittings/system along with 1/2 system stuff, too.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0015A11U2/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=IF9UWCJEZQWT2&colid=2N1PWR8VSYL3O&psc=0

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01H633...liid=I2JM0000LIJDWQ&colid=2N1PWR8VSYL3O&psc=0

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073YD8K1M/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1PBMJ1G7Q8YBZ&colid=2N1PWR8VSYL3O&psc=1

I've also looked at several Youtube videos, too. Too many to list here.
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I had the 1/2" system in my shop for a while. I still have a few drop lines here and there, but if you plan to run an impact or other heavy air user you will want the 3/4" system with the triple layer ply/aluminum/poly air lines. At least for your main long runs. You start getting much distance and you start to run into air flow issues just like when you string two or three air hose together. With the 3/4 lines the only time I run into an issue is when I just use so much air the compressor can't keep up. My shop is 50x60 and I have air lines all the way around. Well, one wall doesn't have air, but there is air at both ends. Witht eh up line and the down lines I have a couple drops that are about 120-130 feet. The 3/4 main run lines make a difference. Especially when you still find yourself stringing out a couple airlines once in a while.

I would note, the 1/2" system was Christmas present from my Dad, and it was a huge improvement over dragging my roll around compressor around the shop as needed. I used the roll around for a while as the shop compressor with a whip tying it to the shop air lines for a while before I bought a larger 220V compressor and bolted it down on rubber pads in the corner of the shop.
 
Don't forget the moisture traps, and effective ones require a bit of thought. Also note that plastic does not conduct heat as well as metal does, so more moisture gets to the outlets. Probably not a deal killer, but something to keep in mind.
 
Bob Korves said:
Don't forget the moisture traps, and effective ones require a bit of thought. Also note that plastic does not conduct heat as well as metal does, so more moisture gets to the outlets. Probably not a deal killer, but something to keep in mind.
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I run air directly into CNC machine spindles for air seals. Moisture is a huge deal for me. Moisture traps (filter/separators) only really remove a small amount of the moisture. You either need a GOOD desiccant dryer or a refrigeration separator. I run a filter seperator on the input and output of my refrigeration separator. The input side should be drained daily. The plastic coffee can on the drain line of the refrigeration type air dryer still fills up to full about every two months most of the year, and during our humid season about once a month. The output side filter seperator never has any moisture in it if everything is working. I run it as a safety check and I check it at start up and shut down every day. I also bleed the mopisture of fthe bottom of my compressor tank everyday I am in the shop. If I blow a line (excedding the capacity of the refrigeration dryer) or forget to turn the refrigeration dryer on I still find some moisture in drain valves and in the filter separators on the machines. AND I LIVE IN THE DESERT.

For lab dry air they run multiple filter separators and a refrigeration style dryer like I do, but then they run an automatic switching and self drying dual stack desiccant dryer to feed the critical systems. Often they also run a check valved pressure tank after that point to feed monetary excess demands.
 
I did check out the PEX tubing and fittings at HD. They are proud of the price on the fittings. Tubing wasn't too bad. Ken
 
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