Excess Water in Filter.......?

[sntech]

Just repaired a blocked HP Auto drain on MCH16 that was used for 5 hours unknowingly with it not functioning... The filter was completely saturated with visable water droplets on filter cartridge.

However, after rebuilding the HP drain solenoid, we still get excess water in filter...

Things i've tried already:
*Cleaned Seperator,
*Checked auto drain timers,
*Ran tests on LP and HP auto drains - dumping ok,
*Pressure Maintenance Valve - Correctly set,
*Run comprssor for 10mins with all drains open.

The compressor is being run in a tropical climate, was recently overhauled and it is only excess water in the filter - not oil, and the air intake is adequate.

Any ideas anyone??

 

[CraigAClark]

How many hours are you running the filter? What is the manufacturers stated processing capacity of the filter and at what inlet temperature? What is the ambient operating temp and relative humidity? What is the drain interval and duration?

Craig

 

[sntech]

Filters are being run for 20hours, ambient temp is 30 degrees C (manufacturers recommended is 23hrs at 30degrees.C) Drains are set to open every 3mins for 6seconds which is twice as frequent as manufacturer recommends.
The compressor has 1800 hours useage in this current set-up, the excess water began when the HP Auto drain Solenoid failed 5hours use ago... Now is fixed and firing correctly but still we have water coming through...
Also forgot to mention I installed a new filter the same time as sorting the drain...

 

[CraigAClark]

Try a little test. After the unit goes through a drain cycle, manually open the drains. If you still have water in the separators, the drain duration isn't long enough. A little liquid "held back" each drain cycle, adds up to a lot of liquid, eventually allowing liquid to be passed on through. When you say you cleaned the separator, are you including the interstages as well? Are you using coltri filters or an after market?

 

[sntech]

The filter (SC000430) and seperator are standard coltri... The seperator is one unit but split - bottom half is 1st to 2nd stage and top half post 3rd stage. Today I stripped the pump unit down, cleaned and re-built, found a couple of water droplets in the 2nd stage cylinder and a bit of moisture in the 3rd.
Just got the whole unit plumbed back in - after drain cycle there is no noticable amount of condensate flowing from manual drains - good idea to test drain times ). On 2nd set of cylinders now, will run for an hour or so and check filter for saturation...
Will keep you updated....

 

[rcontrera]

If the auto drain is the stock one supplied by Coltri, you may have some water blowing backward up the filter housing hose for a half a second or so since the 3rd stage and the filter housing drains both tap off the same valve. I usually put a check valve on the filter drain so that water cannot be blown back up into the housing.

 

[sntech]

Genius! Ok, everything all good now, one way valve/check valve fitted and now perfect...
Thanks Craig and Rcontrera for you tips, feeling a bit stupid for not thinking a little outside the 'coltri box' when it came to the check valve idea...
Thanks again, now off to fit this little mod to the rest of our MCH32s / 16's...!
THANKS!!!!