PEX for shop air lines?

[FTG-05]

RapidAir MaxLine 3/4in., 3ft. Master Kit, Model# M758 | Northern Tool + Equipment

This kit looks interesting. Anybody tried it?

Andy

That's the 300' kit. I bought he 100' kit (M7500) and couldn't be happier.

My son and I planned to spend half a day installing the 75' down the side of my shop. Once we had it set up - it took us 10 minutes! We spent the rest of the day drinking beer and hanging out.

Best pics I have of it:

The end:

 

[Oldoak]

I also started with the 3/4", 100' kit and added more to it. Individual fittings (Tees and unions) are a little on the expensive side, but well worth it for a nice neat air line plumbing job.

Not difficult at all, just takes a little finesse uncoiling the tubing for straight runs. But with a helper there's nothing to it.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

As a retired pipe fitter I would not be satisfied with that appearance. Hard to take the mechanic out of an old phart, so I do it the hard way; pipe and fittings level and plumb with adequate hangers to prevent sagging. To each his own. I admit, my approach does not make it work better. I am leery of plastics of any type for air service based on bad experiences.

Worked on a Navy aircraft parking apron job where we replaced a mile of 6" EXH HDPE welded and buried air line at 200 PSI. It blew up one night underneath a parked fighter. Virtually destroyed it and damaged 4 others badly. Mega millions damage. Replacement was schd 40 SS. Luckily no one was around. Pieces of HDPE and aircraft pieces were found by FOD crews for a week after. HDPE was sold by the previous project engineers as the answer to all their corrosion problems with steel piping. Th Navy does a poor job of maintaining passive cathodic protection. Well, they got their answer the hard way.

Ron

 

[charlton289]

I have my compressor just inside my big shop door my shop is only 16 by 26 but 16' ceiling so a standard 50' hose is fine I reach outside and all the way to the back of the shop and I also have a extra section I can add to it for more length.it works just fine for me as it is.

 

[radios1]

you have to consider that oil contamination will degrade the plastic, making it unsafe, and any dips in the tubing will collect water..

 

[BLSXJ]

I considered pex and iron and then went with RapidAir Maxline 3/4" kit from northern tool.

I'm cheap. so 1st I ball parked the cost. Rapid air was the most expensive (about $100 more then iron) Pex was the cheapest ($100 cheaper then iron)

2nd I looked at air quality, Iron was the worst (eventually you will have rust inside and out) and pex and rapid air where clean (aka better)

3rd durability I weld and grind in my shop, Iron pipe would be the most durable, pex degrades when exposed to daylight and cant take any real heat, rapid air is in the middle some where

4th ease of installation Iron pipe would be a pita for me to install, pex is easy as it gets, and rapid air is pretty easy two.

if you search you will find my air compressor install thread which details everything. I went with rapid air and have no regrets

 

[EddieWalker]

Problem with using rubber air hose to plumb a shop is it's short lifespan.

When I moved here to TX in 2002, I bought two used 100 foot air hoses from my brother that he used to use back in the 80's when he worked construction. They are still working fine today. They are both stored on a garden hose hanger, outside my shop in full afternoon sun. I also have two newer hoses that are about a dozen years old, giver or take a little, that are the newer non kinking type of hose. One is a Home Depot brand that is bright orange, the other is lime green. In my life, I have not had an air hose fail on me. For what they cost, I don't understand why anything else is used.

 

[Ortimber]

I installed Rapidair in my home shop and it's been in place for about 2 years. So far it has been great. I don't have too many pictures to share, but you can see it hanging on the wall.

At work I will only use iron pipe for the simple reason that it's under pressure 20+ hours a day and break down's are costly. I think Rapidair would work, but iron is the king for industrial applications.

 

[PILOON]

Problem with using PEX for air lines was obtaining (locally) fittings that married 1/2" PEX to 1/4" NPT that most air line couplers use.
Might just be a local thing., consequently each connection involved a multitude of hardware and not the most efficient or economical solution.
Otherwise PEX is a nice way to go.

 

[ovrszd]

When I moved here to TX in 2002, I bought two used 100 foot air hoses from my brother that he used to use back in the 80's when he worked construction. They are still working fine today. They are both stored on a garden hose hanger, outside my shop in full afternoon sun. I also have two newer hoses that are about a dozen years old, giver or take a little, that are the newer non kinking type of hose. One is a Home Depot brand that is bright orange, the other is lime green. In my life, I have not had an air hose fail on me. For what they cost, I don't understand why anything else is used.

I must use mine more. I can get 4 years, maybe 5 at the most out of a hose. I buy high quality hose. Beats me.