My Rix SA-6 Diesel

[rob.mwpropane]

I have to echo @rjack321 on this: you’ve created a fairly ugly duckling, when, in your own words, 99% of the time there is no reason for you to have done so. But maybe, just in case, on the off chance of an unlikely activity, you’ve added a great deal of… weirdness.

For example, you’re adding tees and caps and other fittings for the possibility of dealing with pure oxygen down the road, just to save the purchase price of a single gauge. That causes me to cringe badly for two reasons: one, when you’re dealing with pure oxygen, it’s a really good idea to be careful and rigorous in how you’re doing so, not just adding pure 02 to a random collection of fittings. And two, you’re making some thing that you’re hoping to use regularly a great deal more cumbersome to use, because of something you’re not even certain exactly what or how you will use.

You’ve told us in the past, you’re a long-time expert with high pressure gas, so you do you. I am the opposite of an expert in dealing with high-pressure gas. Maybe that’s why I tend to try to aim for a higher standard: I don’t know what risks can be taken safely, so I tend to take fewer risks.

But that is not a collection of fittings that I would be proud of, nor would it be something I would be targeting as a a usable result. Not because it can’t work: it probably will work. I just don’t like a lot of “probably“ when dealing with high-pressure gas. Let alone the idea of then extending that with pure oxygen.

I appreciate you taking the time to respond and your insight.

The T and plug under the digital gauge is for O2 later.... not a big deal to remove. The T with caps on the other side of the PMV is for 2 separate whips that are not installed yet, just easier to work without hoses for now. I have caps hand tight to avoid damaging the threads on the fittings. They will get tied directly to each. I wanted 2 whips so I can leave the compressor running and swap between tanks and keep things moving.

Each gauge has JIC fittings to be easily removed. The digital gauge and the gauge at the tower will most likely stay, the other gauges will most likely be removed and capped (I believe Ian had mentioned to do it this way? Someone earlier in this thread did). I just needed a baseline for when the compressor starts to act up later down the road.

No Sir, never did I say I'm an expert on high pressure gases, not once, not ever. My first post and many in this thread state my lack of experience. The only thing that I have any knowledge of is propane and I don't consider myself an expert, always learning, and I wouldn't even consider propane a high pressure gas. This is my fist attempt at a compressor, my first attempt with high pressure fittings. I'm really just learning.

 

[rjack321]

I like that idea. For right now it doesn't really matter what I come up with as it's not moving for the immediate future. I was just curious if all the fittings (besides the visual indicator) looked correct. I think everything else is squared away, yes?

Will it work? I guess so, time will tell. I think you are going to have compression fittings leaking after about the 3rd time attaching and detaching them.

Does it look professional, tidy, and built to a high standard? Not at all. It looks like a random collection of Ts and extensions cobbled to together.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Will it work? I guess so, time will tell. I think you are going to have compression fittings leaking after about the 3rd time attaching and detaching them.

Does it look professional, tidy, and built to a high standard? Not at all. It looks like a random collection of Ts and extensions cobbled to together.

Ok... let's start here; besides the JIC fittings, is there anything wrong with this?;

 

[rjack321]

Some examples

Frame mounted gauge panel (on a booster but same idea)

Frame mounted filters with a wall panel

 

[rjack321]

Ok... let's start here; besides the JIC fittings, is there anything wrong with this?;

View attachment 656983

Why do you have a gauge before your final separator?

Why do you have a check valve or PMV after your final separator but before your actual filters? You only need one PMV and it goes after your final filter.

Why the pressure relief valve downstream of the PMV/check valve? That relief should be on your final separator , immediately downstream of the compressor and upstream of ANYTHING that could fail closed (the PMV/check valve probably won't fail closed but stranger things have happened)

Does that QD have a valve in it? If you were to accidentally start the compressor without the male side attached (maybe its inserted but fails to fully click in and open the valve) it will pressurize and you'll be screwed because you have no way to vent the space between the PMV and the QD - I guess unscrew the pressure relief and pray.

I can't tell what is the right side is doing.

You keep adding stuff all over the place that either isn't actually required, or is in the wrong part of the flow path, in the wrong order, or is just superfluous. Do you own stock in Parker or McMaster?

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Why do you have a gauge before your final separator?

Why do you have a check valve or PMV after your final separator but before your actual filters? You only need one PMV and it goes after your final filter.

Why the pressure relief valve downstream of the PMV/check valve? That relief should be on your final separator , immediately downstream of the compressor and upstream of ANYTHING that could fail closed (the PMV/check valve probably won't fail closed but stranger things have happened)

Does that QD have a valve in it? If you were to accidentally start the compressor without the male side attached (maybe its inserted but fails to fully click in and open the valve) it will pressurize and you'll be screwed because you have no way to vent the space between the PMV and the QD - I guess unscrew the pressure relief and pray.

I can't tell what is the right side is doing.

You keep adding stuff all over the place that either isn't actually required, or is in the wrong part of the flow path, in the wrong order, or is just superfluous. Do you own stock in Parker or McMaster?

The gauge is measuring the final stage pressure.

I bought this Rix used and a lot of your questions would have to be asked to the original owner. The only thing that I did to the compressor side was add the gauges. The QD, PMV, pressure relief valve were all plumbed exactly how you see it beforehand. I posted pictures in the beginning of this thread, I looked around and asked questions. Not once did anyone mention anything about the way the original setup was, I was told to add gauges on the 2nd and 3rd stages to monitor baseline and make the gauges easy to remove and reinstall to periodically check the pressures to monitor 2nd and 3rd stage health.

The QD does have a valve in it, and you're right. I would be screwed if the compressor was started without it connected. For now I can switch around the M/F sides.

I've attached a better picture of the right side (all I added from the original setup was the gauges);

I ordered exactly what I was told to order, or at least how I interpreted what I was told to order.

I'm glad that you're here trying to help, I appreciate your time to type all that out. I have a lot of thinking / reading to do. Your examples also help.

 

[rjack321]

The gauge is measuring the final stage pressure.

I bought this Rix used and a lot of your questions would have to be asked to the original owner. The only thing that I did to the compressor side was add the gauges. The QD, PMV, pressure relief valve were all plumbed exactly how you see it beforehand. I posted pictures in the beginning of this thread, I looked around and asked questions. Not once did anyone mention anything about the way the original setup was, I was told to add gauges on the 2nd and 3rd stages to monitor baseline and make the gauges easy to remove and reinstall to periodically check the pressures to monitor 2nd and 3rd stage health.

The QD does have a valve in it, and you're right. I would be screwed if the compressor was started without it connected. For now I can switch around the M/F sides.

I've attached a better picture of the right side (all I added from the original setup was the gauges);

View attachment 657042


I ordered exactly what I was told to order, or at least how I interpreted what I was told to order.

I'm glad that you're here trying to help, I appreciate your time to type all that out. I have a lot of thinking / reading to do. Your examples also help.

Just because it came to you this way doesnt mean its correct.

Your final filter tower is going to fall over the second you start your pump

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Just because it came to you this way doesnt mean its correct.

Your final filter tower is going to fall over the second you start your pump

Which is why I came here in Nov of 2020 and posted pictures looking for insight. The pictures of how this was received were posted on page 1 and not one person including yourself ever said anything about how wrong it was.

My final filter tower isn't done, the picture is just test fitting where it would look good mounted / attached to the side of the frame. If it's hard mounted to the frame as you have in one of your pictures how will that fall over?

Question; is there a problem / issue mounting the PMV on a 90 like in this picture. Should it be straight? I can start moving things around with that answer.

 

[grf88]

Why do you have a gauge before your final separator?

Why do you have a check valve or PMV after your final separator but before your actual filters? You only need one PMV and it goes after your final filter. SNIP
?

I have a check valve before the tower and a PMV after it. I am sure I am not the only one as it ensures that the tower remains pressurized.

 

[Couv]

I have a check valve before the tower and a PMV after it. I am sure I am not the only one as it ensures that the tower remains pressurized.

Same here. In fact my setup is like this (I'm not saying it's correct; it just seems to make sense to my uneducated self):
Compressor -->check valve--> moisture separator -->check valve-->MS only tower-->check valve-->main filter tower-->PMV

I wanted a setup that maintained most of the pressure in the system while I drain the separator. Also, I can open the separator petcock and let the compressor run unloaded during startup and shutdown.