Painting Air

[Ray C.]

I have just purchased a used DeVilibiss Clean Air filtering system. Has anyone cleaned or dried the moisture removing pellets and reused them?

Thanks for any information!

Ray

[Jim D.]

Re: Painting Air

I'm not familiar with your system but I've put silica pellets on a cookie sheet and into the oven at about 150 degrees for 30 mins. or so and they turn back to their original blue color.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Painting Air

If the desiccant pellets are like those in chemical process drier beds, repeated regeneration will, after some number of cycles, begin to deterioate the pellets. A good filter would then be required downstream to keep dust out of your paint.

I'm not sure it's worth the risk...if the desiccant won't last through a spraying, then you may want to look at the economics of a refrigerated drier.

[Jim D.]

Re: Painting Air

If the desiccant pellets are like those in chemical process drier beds, repeated regeneration will, after some number of cycles, begin to deterioate the pellets. A good filter would then be required downstream to keep dust out of your paint.

A good filter should always be used downstream from a desiccant dryer.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Painting Air

For that reason, I'm sure the DeVilbiss assembly has the filter on the downstream side.

The problem is that no filter is 100 percent effective...a micron rating is dependent on the cumulative removal of particles of certain size in microns and filtering efficiency for that micron size particle and larger is expressed in percent removal.

Rapid pressure drop across the filter would be your first clue that the dessicant was breaking down. The better strategy, in my opinion, would be to not introduce the particles in the first place.

[Donald O.]

Re: Painting Air

Have you thought of just getting a cylinder of either Nitrogen or Hydrocarbon free dry air? They are available in 2500 psi tanks and do not contain any water. One tank should be enough to paint a Vette, but I would monitor the usage. You buy the gas and rent the tank.

[Dick W.]

Re: Painting Air

I always used an inline filter, right before the gun, when I was painting.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Painting Air

I always used an inline filter, right before the gun, when I was painting.

Yep...the last line of defense. http://www.tooltopia.com/motorguard-d12-2.aspx

I've gotten "fisheye" using a gun filter, but I expect the filter was "overwhelmed" by oily water or I let the filter go too long. Air system design will also be a big factor.

I'll probably use this gun filter next time I paint.

http://www.tooltopia.com/motorguard-dd1008-2.aspx

It's supposed to remove moisture/5 micron particles that make it to the gun. When the color changes, you replace it. A little experience should reveal if these have to be changed every ten minutes.

[Dick W.]

Re: Painting Air

Always threw them away after each paint job. Old Indian trick, keep the filters in a warm place. I kept mine in an old refrigerator, with the compressor disabled, that I used for welding rods. A 25 watt bulb will keep the rods, and filters, dry.