Water Trap Location Help

So everytime I have done or seen an air ride set up we did Compressors>Water Trap>Tank with the idea of protecting the sensors tank from rusting. Well this time We have an Autopilot system we are using and an aluminium tank. Would you still put the water trap between the compressors and the tank or between the tank and the valve body. I noticed that transport trucks is post tank and a few diagrams online are the same way. It just goes against what I usually see.

Any opinions?

I have always run the between the tank and comp
Try try and stop water from getting in to any of the system at all
And as long as u keep it drained and the filters changed in them it seems to work well like this

I created an account just to answer this question, because I see this all the time in set ups.
This is just my theory and how I have always done it. Water traps should be located between the tank and the valves. They are designed to keep condensation out of the valve assemblies. Any tank filled with any amount of air pressure for an extended period of time is going to create condensation. If your water trap is between the compressor and the tank then how is it keeping the tanks condensation from entering the valve assembly? Not to mention, how much water is going to be coming out of your compressors leader hose into your tank? Yes, if you have yours mounted this way (between the comp and tank) there will be water in the trap, but it is from the the condensation of the air in the trap. Apologies for the over use of the word condensation. Again, this is just my thought and how I run them.

your tank works as a watertrap naturally. the air cools and the velocity slows causing moisture to drop out. thats why you need to drain the tank every day. the water trap needs to go after the tank to catch whats left.

Yea from the others I asked the only time you should run the water trap before the tank is if the valves are on the tank itself. I think draining this tank every day will be a challenge though. We are going to put the water trap between the tank and valves and IF we get another one in the future put it before the tank.

Thanks for the responses.

The funny thing about all this is that solenoid valves like ASCO, PARKER and SMC were originally created for use with water, gas and oil in industrial applications. That being said, a little moisture running through these valve is not a big deal and they will function just fine. Your main concern is keeping debris out of the system and traps help with that as well. As for draining off your tank everyday, that really is a pain in the ass. What I started doing a few years ago is running an elbow fitting (straight is fine too if you have the room) off the bottom port of the tank and running 1/4" line up to the front or rear of the vehicle somewhere. Put a small ball valve and an air nipple at the end of the line in an easily accessible location. This serves 2 purposes: It allows the moisture of the tank to collect in the line so you don't need to drain daily (or makes it much easier if you do) and you can use the line to fill off your shop air in a pinch if your on board compressor fails.

spend the money and buy an extra valve and run a seperate switch. everytime you get in hit that switch long enough to drain it. put a manual valve in incase the valve sticks.

The tank the guy got doesn't have a port on the bottom.

--------------------------------------------

garagebuilt said:

spend the money and buy an extra valve and run a seperate switch. everytime you get in hit that switch long enough to drain it. put a manual valve in incase the valve sticks.

--------------------------------------------

I've thought about trying this before, but was afraid the pressure of the tank would be too much for a valve with no pressure on the back side. The dump valves don't have any pressure on the backside of them, so I guess it would be fine as long as you use a good quality valve. Would be a nice option if it works.

No port on the bottom of the tank is going to make draining impossible. I'd get a different tank. It'll be worth the money spent.