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1/2" vs 3/4" air lines. Any regrets?

F

FowlShot76

Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2023
Messages
15
Location
Four Oaks, NC
My current 30 yr old 11.5 cfm 60 gallon air compressor is well past its servicable life and being replaced. It's served me well except for sanding and painting and I've been running it off a hose straight from the tank (not ideal). My new compressor is a 16.5 cfm 80 gallon single stage. I'll have 25-50 ft of copper line for cooling, water separation/reguator, then 100 ft of looped Pex-AL to drops. A DA sander and painting will be the biggest air draws but I'll be runing them individually. My biggest concern is air quality/heat/moisture for painting, but I also want to ensure that the set up is reasonably suffiecient for the sander. I'm debating 1/2" vs 3/4" air lines, and most of what I see is theoretical. Has anyone actually regretted 1/2 lines? The 1/2" will fit much better into my space, be easier to work with and cheaper. 3/4' won't fit nearly as clean and I want be able to conceal them inside my access panels. Will I regret going with the 1/2" or notice a real world drop in performance given the use case and setup?
 
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sparky 1971

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Joined
Oct 9, 2018
Messages
7,951
Location
Central Iowa
I have about 50' of 1/2" black iron gas pipe run through my shop with 50' of 3/8 hose at each end and have never wished I had larger lines but have never run a sander. The 3/4 impact has a dedicated 50' 1/2" hose tapped into the iron pipe about 6' from the compressor and it does fine as well.
 
D

dr_clyde

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Joined
Jan 7, 2009
Messages
6,415
Location
Holland, MI
For a home shop you probably will never notice a difference.

Line diameter really comes into play when you need to deliver large VOLUMES of air to tool. This is most noticeable with a sandblasting setup or some huge air hog like big air grinders.
 
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imagineer

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Joined
Dec 13, 2015
Messages
998
Location
Ohio
Whereas the 1/2" loop I have in my workshop is fine, I could have installed 3/4" for about the same price and gained the extra volume.
 
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welder4956

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Apr 8, 2010
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3,046
Location
Birmingham, AL USA
FowlShot76 said:
My current 30 yr old 11.5 cfm 60 gallon air compressor is well past its servicable life and being replaced. It's served me well except for sanding and painting and I've been running it off a hose straight from the tank (not ideal). My new compressor is a 16.5 cfm 80 gallon single stage. I'll have 25-50 ft of copper line for cooling, water separation/reguator, then 100 ft of looped Pex-AL to drops. A DA sander and painting will be the biggest air draws but I'll be runing them individually. My biggest concern is air quality/heat/moisture for painting, but I also want to ensure that the set up is reasonably suffiecient for the sander. I'm debating 1/2" vs 3/4" air lines, and most of what I see is theoretical. Has anyone actually regretted 1/2 lines? The 1/2" will fit much better into my space, be easier to work with and cheaper. 3/4' won't fit nearly as clean and I want be able to conceal them inside my access panels. Will I regret going with the 1/2" or notice a real world drop in performance given the use case and setup?
Click to expand...
I think you'll be happy with either size. Going with 3/4" will provide more surface area for heat dissipation, so you might go with that if the additional cost is not an issue. I used 3/4" copper run around the shop with 1/2" drops and have been pleased with it.
 
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Lwel9226

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 7, 2014
Messages
762
Location
So Oregon
If you are a one man shop, then 1/2" will be fine.... If you have 3 or 4 guys working, then you would want more air flow, 3/4" or maybe 1"....

LynnW
 
C

Citation

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Joined
Jan 20, 2016
Messages
3,199
Location
Indy
FS76, you say you have copper line for cooling. Is that between the pump and receiver/tank or after the tank? If keeping water out is the goal, you want some type of cooler + water trap between the pump and tank. A lot of people, my brother included, use an oil cooler between the two. The air going into the cooler is burn you hot. The air coming out is cool enough you can hold the outlet. Once you cool the air, you need to trap the water before it goes into the tank. Hence, a water trap just after the cooler. With that setup my brother has been quite happy with using his compressor for painting.
 
M

M.Brane

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Feb 11, 2024
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1,693
Location
1 hr N/W of LA LA Land
I used 3/4 from the comp up to the ridge. There it reduces to 1/2 with a sharp down turn for the 2 drops one in the middle for my reel, and another on the wall by the bench. I've yet to get any moisture at the drip legs.
 
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