"Alden Hackmann" wrote in message
...
Hey, folks:

We got a new compressor, a 5HP IR upright - way bigger than the one I
inherited from my father-in-law. It will be installed late this month in
a small addition next to our shop. I have some questions:

1) I'd like to have it drain automatically. This description of
installing an automatic drain seems fairly straightforward:
http://www.paragoncode.com/shop/compressor/
Is there a better product? Comments on this product or the procedure he
describes?

2) IR sent it without oil, logically enough, but our nearest IR dealer is
50 miles and a large body of water away. IR's website is not really
helpful for picking which oil to use, and the manual (yes, I read it) is
quite vague. Suggestions? I order from MSC regularly, if they are a good
source.

3) The manual suggests a clear 1' space on each side of the unit. Can I
get away with less? It's a tight space to start with, but I can clear
some more stuff if I have to.

Thank you!

Alden

What would you think will be the duty-cycle? Your requirements will depend
on how much air you're using. Use a non-detergent oil, I prefer Dayton's
synthetic if only because it's a phone call away. I'm not a fan of auto
drains...learn some discipline. A dryer is pretty costly. Just change the
oil once in a while, clean the filters, drain the tank often and if it gets
too hot give it more room and/or aim a fan at it. If it starts making a lot
of noise or dancing across the floor...fix it. Happy air!