compressors, water trap, tank plumbing help

[hollywood68]

Rookie here trying to plan out airbag installation. I have all the parts, trying to get everything mocked up for install. I have a question regarding plumbing the air lines from the compressors to the tank. My setup consists of two Vi-Air 380's to a 5 gallon tank with 8 ports. I have a single water trap and am not sure how to plumb the two compressors to the single tank with 8 ports and a single water trap. From Vi-Air's instructions it is better to have each compressor have its own inlet to the tank. In my head this means I need two water traps and will then have no port for a drain.

Heres my thought process so far....4 ports for bags, one for pressure switch, and one for tank gauge. So this leaves me with two ports and two compressors....but one water trap. I also would think that a drain off the tank would be helpful and handy to drain water from tank on occasion.

Not to drag this out but right now I am thinking of putting a "T" off one of the bag ports and tapping that for the tank gauge. Right now my plan is to NOT attach the valves directly to the tank as I have a LWB and will be putting the tank at the very rear and want to be able to move the gas tank to the rear as well at some point. This would free up a port for a drain...but then I still need another water trap.

Any help would be appreciated. I did try to search but could not find what I was looking for.

thanks

[copperchevy]

Watertraps have a drain valve on the bottom of them to keep the water out of the tank. Each compressor should have its own watertrap. One 380 is enough to fill up a 5 gallon tank unless you plan to play with it alot.

[hollywood68]

Understood water traps have a drain, a drain for the water trap, not the tank itself. To me a drain for the tank would be very beneficial, there is no way for the water trap to keep all moisture out of the tank. Living in Colorado it can be 70 degrees one day and 20 the next...when you have temperature changes you have moisture.

I could be over analyzing the situation/problem but just want to set this up right the first time and not have to worry about it again. I went with the two 380's for the same reason, easier to put them both in now then add one down the road when I get tired of waiting for one compressor to fill the system. It seems like I have been reading a lot of posts where people say no water trap is needed, and Im assuming most are also not using a drain on the tank....so I'm confused.

[johnboyon20s]

ive always put my water trap between the compressor and tank, but i only use 1 compressor, ive been told by a few old wise men that the correct way to use a water trap is to use it between the tank and valve, example if u have a big home compressor u will notice it has no trap between the motor and tank, but the trap is between ur tank and hose, and it also has a drain on the bottom of the tank


this is how im gonna be doin it on my truck compressor-tank-water trap-valve

hope that makes sence

[hollywood68]

thanks jonboy, that does make sense. The only problem is I assume you would need a manifold to make it work (otherwise 4 water traps, one for each bag). The way I see it most commonly done on this site, and was hoping to do mine the same, uses the tank as the manifold...

[bedsled71]

when i was living in CO. i didnt seem to have any problem with water in my valves or bags but i did get alot of build up in the tank without a water trap, you can plumb the comps. to a "T" and then put the trap after that.. the comps into one line will slow it down alittle but your tank is only 5 gal and with those 2 comps it will still fill it up fast enough. another thing.. dont get all worried about not having enough ports.. you have plenty. you could use 1 and then "T" it to do to the fronts and same wiht the rears.

[hollywood68]

thanks to everyone for their responses, this has my head working and I think putting the compressors to a "T" will be the best solution for me. The slight loss in fill time would be worth it. It will give me the drain on the tank and also a port for each bag.