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Copper air lines

79bonanza

79bonanza

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Georgetown, Kentucky
I'm considering running copper air lines in my garage. I was wondering if anyone on here has plumbed their shop with copper lines. Anything to watch for or avoid.

My shop is only 32x22 so it shouldn't be super expensive. I was thinking 1" copper lines around the top of the walls with T fittings to have two drops on three of the walls. I won't be able to do a full loop like is recommended. But I think it'll be okay, I'm not running any super high flow air tools.

Any advice will be much appreciated!
 
Yeah I've looked at those 3/4 rapid air kits, they look nice but for what I want it'd be around 450-500 dollars for the brakets, clips, and air flanges.

If I go with 1" copper, all the lines are about 400 dollars, It will cost more after I add the air hose flanges.
 
I've ran copper at a couple different houses, it's pretty straight forward if you've ran copper (plumbing) before.
 
no just reg old pex water line from hardware store . . . no fancy kits.

I couldn't believe it my self and it showed 150psi max on the line he was using .

he did it up just like water but used air . . . 5-6 day a week reg auto shop .
 
79bonanza said:
Yeah I've done a very short copper line patch before so I don't have a ton of experience with it.
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It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Keep a wet rag handy or a squirt bottle :D

If you're making any runs from the ceiling down a wall that's usually a good place to add a drain.
 
skunked said:
It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Keep a wet rag handy or a squirt bottle :D

If you're making any runs from the ceiling down a wall that's usually a good place to add a drain.
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Yeah I'm going around 3 walls, two drops on each wall, I'll probably put a ball valve at the bottom of each drop for draining moisture.
 
79bonanza said:
Yeah I'm going around 3 walls, two drops on each wall, I'll WILL put a ball valve at the bottom of each drop for draining moisture.
Click to expand...

fixed it for ya .

and put a 3-4inch length of pipe then the ball valve last . this gives the water a place to collect .
 
79bonanza said:
How much water could collect in the lines? 12-18 makes it sound like you have a water pump or live in a swamp land lol
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depends on the time of year and how well I was keeping up with maintenance (draining the compressor and filters) but never a whole lot. This was a design we had at the cabinet shop I worked at and I've replicated a few times since.
 
also best to do up high and good slope to end line so it dosnt give water or junk a place to sit .

1 thing I wish my shop had was high lines . . . . it was already black iron pipe plumbed when I got it . and its down low and has risers to couplers . but they did put in ball valves at the end of each run to let you blast the line out .
 
That's good advice, I was going to run my lines about 12" off the ceiling with T fittings for my drops on the wall so hopefully the moisture will flow down them to the ball valves.

It looks like 1" type L drawn copper pipe is rated at 770 psi, I'm assuming that's fluid pressure so idk if that is equal to air pressure but it'll only have 90psi in it so I think it'll be fine.
 
Last edited:
Surely it will explode and kill you to death
Wahahaaa
I've ran copper a couple times now and have no issues with it.
Pressure test your fittings for leaks with soapy water and run it high with slope and moisture separators w/ blow offs below your air chucks
 
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