# Pex for compressed air line



## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Anybody ever use any pex for a compresed air line?


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## leak1 (Mar 25, 2009)

nope!


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## uaplumber (Jun 16, 2008)

I have seen it, never done it.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

leak1 said:


> nope!


 The pressure is 80 psi.


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## para1 (Jun 17, 2008)

aww , why not........but be sure and use sharkbites for connections not crimps.:blink:


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## Christina (Jul 14, 2009)

N:no:T HERE!


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

I still waiting for a reason not to other than your scared. Will it blow up?


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

100 psi, in my garage attic, and exterior walls. (in NJ) 8 years now. Perfect:thumbup:

Commercial customer, 120 PSI, 24-7 (rotary screw compressor) (Needed it "RIGHT NOW, not in 2 minutes, "NOW" ) Threw some pex in there to get him on line. Told him we'll change it out to steel during your down time.
That was 3 years ago. Made me put more in last month


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## Tankless (Jun 12, 2008)

The only thing that could compromise it is indirect sunlight, for like a shop surface mount app. In wall......I'd do it. Holds water just fine, why not air?


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Tankless said:


> The only thing that could compromise it is indirect sunlight, for like a shop surface mount app. In wall......I'd do it. Holds water just fine, why not air?


Or, Strong UV Light in a welding shop.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

How about compressor oil in the line?


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

ILPlumber said:


> How about compressor oil in the line?


 The air connection would be after the filter and dryer......its super clean air.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

I did a little research.

Protect it from UV light including flourescent light.. Other than that it is OK for compressed air. 

If you are at the dentists office:

Run it in cleaned and capped copper.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

Can the pressure exceed 80 psi, can anyone get hurt or damage done by a failure, is pex code for air..is your insurance intact.......how would that situation fare in a lawsuit.


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## bartnc37 (Feb 24, 2009)

on the pex I've seen it gives a pressure and temperature rating but it never specifies what is being conveyed, whether it is water or air. As long as you stay within those number i don't see what the issue would be.Heck we air test lines to 120 psi all the time.


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

TheMaster said:


> Anybody ever use any pex for a compresed air line?


I piped my friend's millwork (cabinet) shop in pex. It's a business, not a hobby. He's very happy with it, and it's been probably 8 or 10 years. Still going strong.

Don't use PVC for air lines though. A company I worked for years ago piped a couple carwashes with PVC air lines. Big mistake. They were frightening. They'd explode at the drop of a hat.

There are companies making plastic pipe systems specifically for air lines. I'm sure it's expensive, but it's guaranteed to hold up properly and has the low flame-spread ratings necessary if you're doing it for a customer and have liability concerns.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

bartnc37 said:


> on the pex I've seen it gives a pressure and temperature rating but it never specifies what is being conveyed, whether it is water or air. As long as you stay within those number i don't see what the issue would be.Heck we air test lines to 120 psi all the time.


 Onliest thang..if its not code or specifically rated for compressed air..anything goes wrong..its on you.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

I used refrigeration tube and brazed it. Cleaned and capped. The air is not for patients...its for air actuated drawers...wave your hand past the sensor and the draw opens and closes. very cool!....I used pex in above attic space and strapped it literally every 12" over a 30' run...I also labeled it with warning stickers. The reason i used the pex is the electrician warned me of bad wiring that they are replacing and i couldn't turn the power off because they were working in a different part of the building and this work had to be done NOW NOW NOW....so i figured the danger of me getting electrocuted was greater than the danger of the pex blowing out and hitting sombody in the attic....Its all brazed copper in the occupied space and i tested it to 160 psi for 1 hr....thats double the working pressure. It now has a gauge on it set at 80 psi while the construction proceeds. I only have two crimp joints and i put 4 straps on each side of the crimp. The nitrous and the oxy lines didn't have stud guards nor did any of the other piping........I buttoned all that up for the crew 25 years ago that plumbed it.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

Default mode right material for the job as much as possible. I dont throw stones having repaired a car dealership air system 1/2 done in thinwall with sch 80. Everything else will go 1st but I dont feel so good about it.


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

TheMaster said:


> I used refrigeration tube and brazed it. Cleaned and capped. The air is not for patients...its for air actuated drawers...wave your hand past the sensor and the draw opens and closes. very cool!....I used pex in above attic space and strapped it literally every 12" over a 30' run...I also labeled it with warning stickers. The reason i used the pex is the electrician warned me of bad wiring that they are replacing and i couldn't turn the power off because they were working in a different part of the building and this work had to be done NOW NOW NOW....so i figured the danger of me getting electrocuted was greater than the danger of the pex blowing out and hitting sombody in the attic....Its all brazed copper in the occupied space and i tested it to 160 psi for 1 hr....thats double the working pressure. It now has a gauge on it set at 80 psi while the construction proceeds. I only have two crimp joints and i put 4 straps on each side of the crimp. The nitrous and the oxy lines didn't have stud guards nor did any of the other piping........I buttoned all that up for the crew 25 years ago that plumbed it.


 TM ,I have no doubt you would not half #$% anything..and Im sure it will work at those pressures..just a little balance ...Im not sure its rated...and I would do it too if I knew it worked and nothing could be a problem.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

stillaround said:


> TM ,I have no doubt you would not half #$% anything..and Im sure it will work at those pressures..just a little balance ...Im not sure its rated...and I would do it too if I knew it worked and nothing could be a problem.


I called the rep and he said the pipe is fine for compressed air...but would rather me had used the everloc fittings. I explained that i had two joints in the entire line and they where heavily strapped and hidden in the attic....MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS SOMBODY CUTTING THAT LINE AND IT FREAKING THEM OUT SO BAD THE FALL OUT FO THE ATTIC.....Does anybody know what color air is painted???? I want to hit it with some spray paint...That way i can add 100 bucks on this job.
The rep agreed its fine.....wasn't concerned about anybody cutting into the pipe by mistake


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

futz said:


> There are companies making plastic pipe systems specifically for air lines. I'm sure it's expensive, but it's guaranteed to hold up properly and has the low flame-spread ratings necessary if you're doing it for a customer and have liability concerns.


It isn't any more expensive than sch 80 PVC, I install a lot of it for running compressed nitrogen, but we thread it and screw it together as opposed to gluing it.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Killertoiletspider said:


> It isn't any more expensive than sch 80 PVC, I install a lot of it for running compressed nitrogen, but we thread it and screw it together as opposed to gluing it.


 What pressure and size...Are you nuts:blink:?


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Blue would be the right color


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

TheMaster said:


> What pressure and size...Are you nuts:blink:?



50 PSI mostly 2". I questioned it when I first started at this job too, but it works fine, and glued joints do not last in the environment that we install them in.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Redwood said:


> Blue would be the right color


We might hafta make a new color...down here that would be taken as water......theres already a red pex line up there:laughing:. I put warning stickers I made with a cheapo label maker.....and taped them on evry couple feet. That should have been done even with copper...theres all kinds of pipe runnign through that building and none is labeled...I know the building well so its not so bad for me. I'm trying to save a guy 20 years from now when I'm laying on a beach somwhere with a couple hotties I bought.:laughing:


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

http://www.pteinc.com/color.html


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Redwood said:


> http://www.pteinc.com/color.html


 Yeah things are more complicated now....just marking it blue is not gonna protect anyone here..infact it probably would get an inexperienced plumber hurt. I think I'm leave it like it is. Its tagged.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

You could always get a bunch of these to run up the tab...

http://www.seton.com/pipe-markers-v...deand-174-economy-pipe-markers-air-m9219.html


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## grandpa (Jul 13, 2008)

The reason that plastic, like PVC, is not allowed for air is the possiblity of fracture and slivers of plastic being thrown around, and of course solvent weld joints not really being suitable .

PEX would not be much worse than say copper in most respects, except the unrestrained end of a broken pex line might whip around more than copper. But typical plumbing type pex fittings are probably not suitable for the 125 PSI working pressure range, and the "hammer" caused by frequent ON/OFF of air tools, etc.

When I was in the Navy, we had 3" pipes @ 4500 PSI operating air pressure. Those babies where clamped down real good, because if something let go, you didn't want a 3" stainless steel pipe whipping around on you!


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

You'll be just fine with that pex:thumbup:

I know a guy that plumbed his garage air lines in poly b 25 years ago, 100 psi for 25 years, 24-7! No problems at all.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Pex is very chemical resistant, unlike PVC/CPVC.



ILPlumber said:


> How about compressor oil in the line?


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

PVC compressed air lines???

I don't think we want to go there...

http://www.osha.gov/dts/hib/hib_data/hib19880520.html


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