Help with InLine Filters

[ctshooter]

Currently my setup is a small California Air compressor as a 1st stage hooked up to a ShoeBox F10 2nd/3rd stage compressor. In between the compressor and the Shoebox I have a moisture trap which does remove some water from the air but I'd like to clean and dry the air from the ShoeBox even more on it's way to filling the tank. I see a lot of options out there and all they are doing is making my head spin and leave me with more questions:

• Is there a difference between the Diablo, Omega and other filters that HPA Experts sell?
• All of these filters talk about be refillable but I don't get how that is done. There is never a mention of where to get the replacement media and how to put it into the filter properly. Do you just replace the whole plastic insert or the media in it?
• Will the knock off imports for under $100 work well for my application, are they better than nothing or are they just plain junk?

I've done enough trial and error purchases on my PCP journey so I'd rather make this a one time informed purchase.

 

[skeptic]

If you only want to dry the air, you should look for products with replaceable cartidges that contain molecular sieve. You typically replace the whole cartridge and there are several sources for refills depending on the filter. If you also want to clean the air, then you would use cartridges that also contain charcoal and other ingredients that remove oils and other gasses. This is usually not necessary for airgun use. I would not use any of the filters that only contain a cotton/polyester insert alone as these will not remove as much moisture. Also make sure that whatever filter you get is rated for a safe working pressure at/above the safe pressure of whatever you intend to fill. The SWP information sometimes takes some digging to determine.

With regard to differences, there are differences in price, function and quality. I have the Diablo Air Dryer filter, which I have used for about a year and a Chinese "gold filter" made by Tuxing which I recently purchased, mostly out of curiosity and as a possible backup. The Tuxing uses replaceable cartridges. The Diablo (which may not be available anymore) does not use a cartridge, you fill it with fresh molecular sieve or dry out the used sieve when the indicator beads change color. Without a cartridge, the molecular sieve beads come in direct contact with the walls of the cylinder, which it has been said can lead to corrosion. Although I have not used it yet, the Chinese Tuxing filter quality surprised me. It appears to be very well built with double o-rings sealing the cartridge and long threads on the end-caps. Replacement cartidges with various media types are available from most filter sellers.The weak link with some of these knockoffs seems to be with the hoses and fittings but those are easily replaced if necessary. I am sure others that use the gold filters will chime in with their experience, most of which seems to be positive. The biggest difference I have seen between the Diablo and Tuxing filters is the cylinder wall thickness. The Diablo filter walls are approximately 10mm thick and the Tuxing is 8mm. The Diablo was also double the price.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[far_shot]

Filter trap..good value

 

[Guest]

We have had some good success with this one:

 

[ctshooter]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look into those ebay items.

I still have a question regarding the media. The ads never say where to get the replacement media, so if it is cartridges how do you know where to find them?

 

[agnthooziast]

I recommend a vertical filter with purge valve and 13x molecular sieve. ebay or ali express. Bill

 

[Humdinger]

If you use a good desiccant filter like a Wilkerson X06-02-000 between the CAT and your Shoebox you don’t need an output filter. Shoeboxes fill so slowly that you are adding significant extra fill time if you use a typical full size filter like an Alpha, Diablo, or gold filter. If you insist on an output filter, then get the $28 black filter shown in this thread. It will suffice and not add nearly as much extra run time to pressurize it compared to the other filters.

 

[skeptic]

The filter media can usually be obtained from the store selling the filter.

https://www.aliexpress.com search for: Desiccant filter tube or White Cotton Filter Core

 

[be4meliz]

Or here:www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FPV3D80/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Humdinger]

The appropriate molecular sieve type is 13X. The most effective bead size is 8x12 which is smaller and packs more densely in either gold or black filters. 4X8 beads will also work but aren't as densely packed , especially in the $28 black filter housing There are many sellers in the U.S. that sell this desiccant. Ebay, Amazon, and Google all have multiple seller listings. The commercial replacement cartridges sold for compressors use 13X sieve. It filters out more types of impurities and vapor types than the smaller number desiccants such as 3A, 4A, etc.