"gray_wolf" wrote in message ...

On 7/10/2019 6:11 AM, Pete Keillor wrote:
On Tue, 9 Jul 2019 19:53:19 -0700, Bob La Londe
wrote:

On 7/9/2019 7:07 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
I seem to have the darnedest time with air pressure regulators.
Particularly at the compressor. I have my compressor set at 155PSI and
the regular set at 125 (I have a machine that requires 125). I know
that isn't much spread, but its the compressor I could afford at the
time. I quit using 20-30 dollar cheap regulators some time ago, but my
last two were name brands running within their range. Coil Hose
Pneumatic was the previous one and the one that just failed was an
Ingersol Rand. I think before that I had a Parker on it. I can't get a
year out of them. If Harbor Freight had a 1/2" that wasn't an all in
one I'd start buying those and just keep spares on the shelf. No my
regulators are not getting shaken apart by the compressor either. They
get mounted to my air dryer with a filter separator in front of it and
the refrigeration dryer after. The filter separator is connected to the
compressor with a flexible line.

Seems like the $75-80 dollar name brands don't last any better than the
$30 cheaper ones.

I just bought a regulator from McMaster Carr, but it won't get here
until Thursday. This evening or in the morning I guess I make a trip to
some local hardware store to get a regulator to get up and running so
I'm not sitting idle for two days. All my CNC mills require air for
something these days. Tool change, air brake, air seal, etc...



I FIXED IT - Maybe temporary, but I fixed it. The diaphragm is pinched
in place around the edge with a hard plastic ring held in place by the
adjuster assembly. It had slipped out from under it and was massively
leaking. I figured it was blown. I put the diaphragm back in place,
place the ring on it, tightened everything down and hit it with some
air. Adjusted it back up to 125PSI and no leak. Don't know how long it
will last, but if it lasts until Thursday I will be thrilled.

I wonder why it got loose. That's weird. Maybe use loktite? I've
used a lot of regulators, on the farm when I was a boy, in the plant,
on my rigs I designed, and now at home. I've actually never
experienced a failure. At the plant and in r&d, they were mostly to
supply instrument air.

One thing I found out when I built the belt grinder for my son was
that the leakage flow can be significant. I got an instrument
regulator from McMaster to control the belt tension, and since we were
using the pipe frame as a tank with not much volume, the pressure
dropped too quickly, within a few hours. I called the manufacturer
who explained it to me, and offered a regulator on the same frame with
significantly less leakage, and a little less accurate regulation. The
frame will hold enough pressure now to stay operational all day, with
multiple belt changes.

Pete Keillor


In the rare event I needed a pressure regulator I've used an oxygen
regulator
from the welding shop. I never had one fail.

****

I have had welding gas regulators fail, but admittedly they were all being
used for high pressure welding gas. I would bet one used for relatively low
150-175 PSI air would last a long time. Its a good idea, and it wouldn't
be too hard to change the fittings. My only concern would be volume since
the one that keeps failing is the primary. Not the point regulators at the
machines. Those sometimes have failures, but its usually from their
integrated separators Not the regulators.