Chris:
Moisture in the air supply doesn't usually INITIALLY cause
clogging. The moisture accumulates on the media and that
gradually become damp. This causes the media to not flow to the
pickup tube.
Another problem I've had with my home built unit is the walls of
the pit aren't steep enough. That's my fault. I built it with
the chute walls at 45 degrees to the vertical. They need to be
steeper: about 30 degrees from the vertical.
Jeff's suggestion does help, but if the media is damp it still
doesn't completely cure the problem. You'll blast for 10-20
seconds until the loose media around the pickup is used up and
then it quits again.
To ensure dry air you need a water separator in the line. These
do help, but they don't work on vapor, just the water mist.
That's why commercial installations use iron pipe before the
separator. This cools the air enough so the moisture changes
from a vapor to droplets which the separator will remove. As I
have just a home system without the iron pipes I did the
following.
1) Purchase a moisture separator $20-30.
2) Purchase another air hose. A plastic coil type works fine.
3) Find a 5 gallon plastic bucket.
4) Connect the plastic air hose between the air tank and the
water separator.
5) Wrap the coil of plastic hose around a brick or other object
that will sink.
6) Place the brick with the hose around it in the 5 gallon
bucket filled with water.
7) You will now have dry air. Guaranteed as long as you empty
the separator which will very often.
Blake
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