For those of you that think you don't need an air dryer / filter...

...I took a picture for you. This is what sprayed out of the bottom (wet side) of my Alpha after filling a tank yesterday. You can tell by where it hit the rim, I didn't get all of it either. And that doesn't include several tablespoons of rusty water that I drained from my 200psi primary compressor when I finished. The compressors are in the basement where it is about 65F and 40% humidity. Mmmmmmm I bet PCP bottles, valves, regulators, barrels, and moderators love wet stuff like that.



 
Sharroff. Your right. And most of us don't have that 2nd line of defense. I don't and it's just stupid. I have the little Omega super charger with the auto moisture purge and have it set to purge more then necessary. After a year and a half there is a discolored looking rust spot on the wall behind it where it purges. Haven't ever noticed moisture in the line, but when I do it will be to late. You've talked me into ordering one. Heck, they are a couple hundred dollars to protect thousands in guns.
 
Kitplanenut,

Do you mean a rust spot like this? That's the purge from my 200 psi stage 1 compressor which thankfully doesn't make it to my stage 2 compressor. My link from stage 1 to stage 2 drops it down to 125 psi so i don't get additional moisture fall out between stage 1 and 2. I know it doesn't make it past my Alpha as I just took my main 71 cu/ft tank valve off to swap it to a 97 cu/ft tank. The inside of the 71 was clean and dry with no sign moisture or damage.







 
I have a Shelden Compressor with a filter that gives breathable air. Even though the filter/dryer is a top quality unit, I still had concerns. After pulling apart all my guns and even checked my tanks, I had zero signs of moisture. I was very happy that the filter/dryer does its job extremely well.

On the flip side, I have worked on guns that were filled with unfiltered or dried air whether it was hand pumps or compressors that had alot of moisture and even damage in some cases. I always recommend that people use high quality filter/dryers.
 
If you didn't already know, there is a 6000 PSI visual moisture indicator that can let all compressor owners actually know their compressor and filters are removing enough moisture. It runs about $100 including shipping from August industries. Just go to their site and search for "visual moisture indicator)

Visual moisture indicator arrived and was easily added to my Bauer compressor fill whip. With different fittings, it could be attached to any compressor’s output to objectively measure moisture content. For $100 total including shipping, you can continually check that your air is dry enough. No more excuse for guessing or blind faith that your setup is working correctly.

I ordered mine with a 1/4 to 1/4” male fitting and 20/40/60 indicator disc. By positioning the indicator proximal to my whip’s bleed and shutoff valves, I can protect the disc from exposture to atmospheric moisture between fillings. Both ends of the whip are sealed between uses and the air should remain dry in the whip.

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If the indicator disc starts to turn pink, the air from the compressor output is too wet > 20%. This will warn if something is awry with my compressor’s air drying system. It’s less likely with a grade E air rated system, but on a home brew, setup with compressors lacking grade E moisture removal, this indicator can save you from tank and equipment damage. At this price, there is no excuse for not objectively knowing your final output moisture level

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i also pre-bleed my whip before each fill session in case a tiny amount of moisture is condensed in the whip, I may also add a bleed valve proximal (before) the moisture indicator. That would let me protect the indicator from potential moisture in the fill whip begin cleared by the pre-bleed. That amount should be very little because air in the whip should be very dry at the end of the prior fill episode. I suspect I won’t need an extra bleed valve to protect my indicator.

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One problem....

The fill whip's thermoplastic allows eventual seepage of humidity from room air into the system. The SCUBA guys said that might be an issue. After a week of storage, there is change in both 20 and 40% segments. Looks like I need to add at least another valve to isolate the moisture indicator between uses. 

Well, we know the indicator works, anyways.
 
Gee whiz. I received my new Omega TurboCharger about 10 days ago. I have only taken it out the box so far. My intention is to fill my Omega tank and fill my two PCPs and my son's one from the tank. This will save me 80 mile round trip to the dive shop.

I'm probably to new to all this to have bought that machine. My guess is the compressor I have isn't able to protect my equipment from the pictures above? I love shooting and squirrel hunting with these PCPs (Daystate and FX) but a lot to figure out. Overwhelming it seems.