b'FEATURECompressed Air Systems, Part ThreeBy Bruce Grossman, EZ Timers Manufacturing INMYLONGCAREERTROUBLESHOOTINGAND along using the accompanying illustration.MAINTAINING DRYCLEANING AND LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT, 1. GRAVITY- Notice first that the large pipe called aBY FAR THE LARGEST CAUSE OF MACHINE FAILURE HAS header is connected at each machine by branchesBEEN THE CONDITION OF THE COMPRESSED AIR REACHING which are called drops (these supply compressed airTHE MACHINERY. Valves and regulators directing the toeachindividualmachine).Whendesignedflowofcompressedairarewondersofmodern properlythedropsaretakenoffthetopofthemanufacturingtechnology,withclosetolerances headers. Since water is much heavier than air it runsrequiringthecompressedairtobeasfreefrom along the bottom of the header, pushed along by theparticulates and moisture as possible. During the air flow of the air while the air flows along the top. Thus,compression process, moisture, compressor oil, debris, gravity provides a very effective additional stage ofandothermaterials(whichfromnowonIllcall separation. Ive seen many installations where thecontaminants)areblownintothecompressortank drops were taken off at the bottom of the headers,(sometimes called the receiver). To prevent most of literallycapturingandforcingwaterandotherthesecontaminantsfromreachingthemachinery, contaminantsdownintothemachinery(averyseveral methods are used. The first of these methods, unhappy situation, causing machine performanceand the subject of this article, is the piping itself (and nightmares). At the end of the airline it is alwaysany installed components). beneficial to have what is known as a drip leg. AThis issues article will address two physical forces drip leg in its simplest form is nothing but a verticalemployed to aid in removing water and debris from the piece of pipe used to collect and retain water andcompressed air stream. Gravity (we all know what that debris trapped in the compressed air system.is), and inertia, which is the tendency of objects to keepmoving in a straight line at constant velocity. Follow 2.INERTIA- Any remaining contaminants entrainedcontinued on page 22THIRD QUARTER 2020 21'