Condensate Drain – Compact (Kaptiv-MD-A)

About Condensate Drains

Anyone that owns and operates a compressed air system knows they generate vast amounts of condensate. Managing this moisture load is critical to the long term reliability and operation of the entire system and all the related equipment. Failure to do so results in downstream moisture events that can contaminate products, cause significant damage and creates long term reliability issues through corrosion and contamination.

Why install a condensate drain?

Contaminants can enter a compressed air system at the compressor intake or be introduced into the airstream by the system itself. Lubricant, metal particles, rust, and pipe scale are all separated and filtered out, but it’s the drains that have to operate properly for the filters and separators to be successful in completing their task.

Condensate drains are possibly the least glamorous and most ignored component of a compressed air system but nevertheless, a most important part. No matter how much money you spend on that fancy new compressed air system, not spending a little effort with your drain choice could cause you no end of headaches and increased operating costs for years to come.

Condensate Drain Types

Drains come in many types and variants from no drain (yes, that is a drain choice), to manually operated, timed and Zero Loss/Level Sensor drains.

It is common to see timed drains used to remove condensate at critical points on the supply side of the system. As these operate on a set timer, they are adjusted for the worst case scenario and never looked at again, unless there is a moisture event downstream. Valuable compressed air is dumped every time these types of drains operate resulting in increased operating costs and losses in system efficiency.

Zero loss drains are far more effective at removing condensate from compressed air systems while maintaining system efficiency. The level sensing ability of these drains means they automatically adjust to the amount of condensate being generated at any point in time. The alarm functionality alerts the appropriate personnel to a potential failure before the system becomes overwhelmed with condensate.

Where to install a condensate drain?

The most critical areas requiring a condensate drain are:

• Compressors – Depending on the model, your compressor can have anywhere from zero to four condensate drains.
• Refrigerant Dryers – These are often the most neglected of drains, a typical refrigerant dryer will have up to three condensate drains.
• Receivers – One of the most important locations is the wet receiver. Most receivers only have a single condensate drain, its failure can cause catastrophic downstream issues.
• Filters – Like receivers, filters only have a single condensate drain. Flooding a wet side filter will cause premature failure. Most dry side filters have a very small if any liquid loading capability so its important to keep them dry.
• Drip Legs – These are often the last line of defence before condensate reaches your equipment. As these are only operated when there has been a failure upstream, they are often neglected until it is too late.

What to look for in a condensate drain

Compressed air condensate contains particles that contaminate compressed air systems and potentially cause valve blockages. It is important to choose a drain that offers a large enough orifice. Avoid drains that have diaphragm type valve constructions, the diaphragm has a very small hole in it, that once blocked, the complete drain fails to operate.
Drains are also installed outdoors. IP65 (NEMA 4) insulation protection is therefore a minimum requirement. Avoid drains that do not comply to this minimum specification.

For long life expectations select drains that have FPM seals. FPM is the best suited for the aggressive make up of compressor condensate.

Servicing a drain must be straight forward and quick. Avoid drains that are not service friendly as this will cost more time during the maintenance interval.

Compressed Air Alliance’s condensate drains

Compressed Air Alliance is a proud supplier of JORC drains. JORC drains are robust and designed for long life heavy duty applications.

Our electronic zero loss condensate drains automatically detect the level of condensate in the system and open /close accordingly.

Direct acting valve construction has proven to be the most reliable option for condensate draining applications. Combined with stainless steel moving parts, our drains offer a long life guarantee and are less sensitive to aggressive particles found in condensate.

The drain housings are constructed from robust coated aluminum and not from plastic. This ensures that no damage is occurring during transport, installation, functional operation and the subsequent maintenance moments throughout the drain’s working life.

High grade coil insulation protect the copper wire from overheating and top brand PCB components are applied on our electronic modules.

The FPM seals have been specifically selected based on their high and low temperature operation characteristics. In addition, FPM is the best choice for compressed air condensate as it is often quite aggressive.

The alarm contact allows connection of an indicator light or siren to immediately alert personnel of a condensate drain failure.

Servicing the drains is quick and simple. Maintenance can be performed on site without any special tooling or equipment. Low cost service kit packages are available for all drains.

Our condensate drains can be applied in both oil lubricated and oil free compressor applications.