Air dryer/filter setup recommendations

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Aaronj

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I ordered a 5 stage Camair CT30. Is this enough or is it worth getting a refrigerated air dryer too? Im in the south and only paint a couple times a year. I have a 5hp 80 gal two stage compressor also.
 

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I was thinking of getting one of those. That would at least keep me from going through filters as fast.
 
Problem with the Devilbiss dessicant dryers is that you can't recycle your dessicant. When it gets saturated (won't take long) you have to buy their expensive refills.
Arrow makes a affordable one that you can recycle the dessicant and even a quart of replacement dessicant is under $25. There is a thread here about the Arrow. Search "Arrow dessicant". The other Cam Air filters in front of the dessicant work well. I've got them. Haven't ever replaced the filters in them. They are still doing their job.
The refrigerated dryer is the best option though.
 
Thanks for the info. I canceled my order for the CT30. The arrows are half the price for their 5 stage (same filtration) and they have a model with gallon desiccant dryer.
 
Chris_Hamilton said:
Problem with the Devilbiss dessicant dryers is that you can't recycle your dessicant. When it gets saturated (won't take long) you have to buy their expensive refills.
Arrow makes a affordable one that you can recycle the dessicant and even a quart of replacement dessicant is under $25. There is a thread here about the Arrow. Search "Arrow dessicant". The other Cam Air filters in front of the dessicant work well. I've got them. Haven't ever replaced the filters in them. They are still doing their job.
The refrigerated dryer is the best option though.
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Chris your talking about baking the saturated dessicant pellets? does that really work? i need to get some more, but will it last on the shelf?
 
Treeslayer said:
Chris your talking about baking the saturated dessicant pellets? does that really work? i need to get some more, but will it last on the shelf?
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Yep. With the Arrow I have, I just dump the dessicant into a large tray like a cookie tray. Then bake in the oven @250 degrees for several hours. I'll pull it out midway and carefully try to stir it to bring some of the covered beads to the top. I say carefully cause those beads make a mess if you spill them on the floor. :)
There is no odor or other issues. I have recycled the current batch I'm using multiple times. Arrow makes refills that you can get through Zoro for under $25 for a quart of product.
 
Chris_Hamilton said:
Yep. With the Arrow I have, I just dump the dessicant into a large tray like a cookie tray. Then bake in the oven @250 degrees for several hours. I'll pull it out midway and carefully try to stir it to bring some of the covered beads to the top. I say carefully cause those beads make a mess if you spill them on the floor. :)
There is no odor or other issues. I have recycled the current batch I'm using multiple times. Arrow makes refills that you can get through Zoro for under $25 for a quart of product.
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I've done that many times and it works great!
My wife would disagree with "no odor."
I just show her the $40k estimate for a restoration shop to do the paint, and all of a sudden it smells just fine.
 
Dean Jenkins said:
I've done that many times and it works great!
My wife would disagree with "no odor."
I just show her the $40k estimate for a restoration shop to do the paint, and all of a sudden it smells just fine.
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Interesting. There definitely was no odor with the stuff I'm using. Sticks in my mind because I was worried about it stinking the first time I did it. Maybe your nose is working better than mine. :)
 
I had a Hankinson refrigerated dryer for years on my Curtis Toledo compressor, but I still ran a desiccant Arrow dryer on my gun line. I am a belt and suspenders kind of guy, and a refrigerated dryer will only drop the dew point of your compressed air to about 38 degrees F. A desiccant dryer will drop the dew point to - 40 degrees! I only run my desiccant on the gun line, and even with the refrigerated dryer, I still have to regenerate my desiccant dryer every couple of months. Most people are not aware that the temperature of the air leaving the orifice of a spray gun can get below 38 degrees, and can condense water out of the air stream. I would rather be safe. A few months ago I stumbled into an Atlas Copco screw compressor with low hours and an integrated dryer, but I still use a desiccant dryer on the gun line.

Regards, John McGraw
 
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