Get my rental IR 185 this weekend!

[AceSprinkleRx]

With a number of accounts already lined up I'm still getting a few calls in the PM from a small newspaper ad.

It's coming with 100' of hose, but has the twist-on connector instead of a quick-coupler. Spoke with the guy today and he says they have an adaptor which allows a bib hookup. So I went and picked up a 3/4" ball valve, a couple of 3/4" pipe nipples, a couple of adaptors going from pipe thread to hose and back again. Also grabbed up 50' of 3/4" hose rated for a 500psi bursting point.

I'm basing the fact most residential systems have 3/4" hookups of one sort or another.

With the rental and additional items I picked up I hope to clear a little bit of profit but am mostly concerned with getting the experience right now.

I might pick up a reducer to 5/8" & 1/2" just to have. And I don't think I'll run into any 1" stuff.

Do you recommend anything else or something I missed?

~

[Wet_Boots]

If your compresser is set to connect to a standard faucet, you want to be able to adapt from any threaded pipe to garden hose threads. 1/2" 3/4" are most common, and I also carry bushings and couplers for one inch pipe, and even an adapter for 1/4" pipe, in case I need to connect the air at a backflow preventer.

Anyone ever need a 3/8" adapter to winterize?

[MikeK]

I know many here will disagree, but I strongly believe in using a pressure regulator when winterizing. No more than 40 PSI should be used to winterize

[Aran]

I know many here will disagree, but I strongly believe in using a pressure regulator when winterizing. No more than 40 PSI should be used to winterize
Totally agree MikeK, high volume low pressure. I run a max. of 50psi, and will increase that a bit only on very large flow commercial zones, but will increase the pressure only while the zone is already on and will reduce pressure before changing to the next zone. Using too high a pressure reduces the life expectancy of the system.

[Wet_Boots]

Most air compressors are already regulated, and what damage have you ever observed from a blowout pressure of 60 psi? Orbit spray heads don't count.

[PurpHaze]

Most air compressors are already regulated, and what damage have you ever observed from a blowout pressure of 60 psi? Orbit spray heads don't count.

Rotors are usually where the problem might occur with too high of pressure. The plastic gears are water cooled and the air (too high/too long) can damage the rotors.

[Wet_Boots]

I'll repeat - "what damage have you ever observed from a blowout pressure of 60 psi?" - Gear drive rotors don't fail at that pressure, not even the old Toro 300's that sometimes speed way up on air. And their life is not shortened. I do believe that the Rainbird imitation of the MP Rotaters may have blowout issues, from what I've read, but I think they're happening even at lower pressures. At higher pressures, the most common head failure in older systems was the Nelson impact head (the old two-piece case design)

[bicmudpuppy]

I'll repeat - "what damage have you ever observed from a blowout pressure of 60 psi?" - Gear drive rotors don't fail at that pressure, not even the old Toro 300's that sometimes speed way up on air. And their life is not shortened. I do believe that the Rainbird imitation of the MP Rotaters may have blowout issues, from what I've read, but I think they're happening even at lower pressures. At higher pressures, the most common head failure in older systems was the Nelson impact head (the old two-piece case design)
I will also maintain that 60psi is fine, but if you exceed that, I hope you don't have any Hunter PS04's in the ground. They make great rockets and the closer you get to 80psi+, the more launches you will experience. Nelson.....even sprays, I think you could launch them w/ 30psi, but then I'm a certified Nelson Hater.

[AceSprinkleRx]

I know many here will disagree, but I strongly believe in using a pressure regulator when winterizing. No more than 40 PSI should be used to winterize

If I need one I'll definitely grab one up. I've never operated a tow-behind and was under the impression you could regulate the pressure there at the source. We've had many compressors in the shops I've worked at, and I've run air tools off of truck compressors.

Even used an old Lincoln (car) AC compressor once and sidemounted it to a 351 windsor I dropped into a '69 Bronco to refill the 33" BFG's once I got off the trail and back onto the highway.

~

[PurpHaze]

I'll repeat - "what damage have you ever observed from a blowout pressure of 60 psi?"

NONE... because thank goodness I live in an area where we don't have to go through winterizing. :p

[bicmudpuppy]

If I need one I'll definitely grab one up. I've never operated a tow-behind and was under the impression you could regulate the pressure there at the source. We've had many compressors in the shops I've worked at, and I've run air tools off of truck compressors.

Even used an old Lincoln (car) AC compressor once and sidemounted it to a 351 windsor I dropped into a '69 Bronco to refill the 33" BFG's once I got off the trail and back onto the highway.

~
Every tow behind compressor I've ever seen has a regulator, and most have a pressure guage that works. It usually looks like a PRV. That means a bolt with a lock nut sticking out of the top. Losen the lock nut and then adjust the bolt to the desired pressure and tighten the lock nut back. The same principles we use for irrigation and water still apply to air. The differences are now we are dealing with a gas. You cannot compress a liquid, but you can compress a gas. Flow vs pressure still follow the same rules. To winterize, flow and volume are key. Pressure is what you use to break things :)

[AceSprinkleRx]

Every tow behind compressor I've ever seen has a regulator, and most have a pressure guage that works. It usually looks like a PRV. That means a bolt with a lock nut sticking out of the top. Losen the lock nut and then adjust the bolt to the desired pressure and tighten the lock nut back. The same principles we use for irrigation and water still apply to air. The differences are now we are dealing with a gas. You cannot compress a liquid, but you can compress a gas. Flow vs pressure still follow the same rules. To winterize, flow and volume are key. Pressure is what you use to break things :)

The AC I went to pick up last night, they wouldn't allow adjustment of the regulator. Said the machine was preset for optimum performance and it was bad for the machine to turn it down to far. Said to just open the valve "a crack" for the "adjustments".

Ended up leaving without it. No way was I wanting to replace any laterals or heads while practicing my "adjustments" with an air valve.

Later today I'll hit the Cat Machinery rental place and see what they have available.

~

[Wet_Boots]

You could always connect a pressure regulator at the end of the hose. A 3/4" regulator should do for the job. With a MPT x FHT adapter on the outlet of the regulator, and a short length of garden hose threaded on it, you'd be good to go.