Just getting started with an air compressor and want to know where is the best place to install the moisture filter?
Close to the compressor as you can, trap the moisture sooner. Having it close to the airbrush can be annoying too, as the inline ones can get in the way.
Bob Boudreau
Good question. When I was at the body shop the moisture trap was before the regulator but the painter had a small filter at right at the inlet to his gun. What is the best set up with only one filter/moisture trap?
For a small hobby compressor, a moisture trap is often placed close (within 12"). One catch, you get what you pay for. Moisture traps range in price. The really cheap ones are o.k for hobbyists that spray sporadically and usually small items like HO locomotives or weathering a car, here and there.
For those of us that perform a lot of spraying (frequent weathering, painting cars, locos, structures, painting models for customers, etc) the higher quality traps from 3M or its competitors perform well and last a long time. They are equipped with replaceable cartridges. These range from $20 to $90. Don’t buy these at a hobby store as they are often overpriced. Go to an automotive body supply store as they sell loads of oil/moisture traps as well as airbrushes and paint guns. The counter rep should have catalogs with pictures.
Friction from compressed air running through a rubber or nylon line produces moisture. Add to that, a running compressor produces heat. Hence, the moisture. When I worked in a body shop for some years, we often had to put an additional trap in line with our paint guns because our arrogant boss would not heed our suggestions. He installed a very cheap moisture trap in our spray booth, so water still came through our spray guns and job quality went downhill.
Thankfully, he was transferred out of our department.