Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - Air supply in shop

Wanted to get some opinions about plumbing my shop for air.Was thinking about using pvc but i have heard that can get dangerous.My question is what should i use that i can get at lowes?Do they make a pvc pipe that will handle 150 psi max?Usually around 60-120 psi.

Although black iron handles the pressure with no problems, I have had no issues with using CPVC. The only problem is the weakness of the pipe itself. When you casually hook up a hose, and pull on it inadvertently, it can snap. Black iron is rigid. You can get by using 3/8 or 1/2" pipe and be sure to use a drip leg to collect water, and install a water separator.

I always heard never to use PVC because it can explode and send sharp shrapnel all over you. Galvanized is a good choice but if you are good at sweating copper pipe I would go with that. It looks good and is quite solid. That is what they use in machine shops all over.

Another option is PEX but I don't know if that is good for air and its a bit spendy.

Ya, many people use plastic pipe for air but the only one safe to use is specifically designed for air but is way more expensive than copper.
There most definitely is a shattering problem with PVC and CPVC and should not be used.

Black iron is commonly used and copper is good too but only types L and M are rated at a high enough pressure for air.
Type K which is the cheaper copper tubing is too thin.

If you are piping your shop you would do well to research the proper methods of piping air.
The basic idea is to slope the main line back to the compressor with a drip leg and drain on the drop.

Iron pipe. Besides being safe and cheap, it also acts as an excellent heat dissipator. Just the thing you need to cool down the hot air and condense most of the water out of it, so you can then trap it and drain it.

I'll just add that moisture is a common problem in any air distribution system.
Short of a refrigerated air drier there are a few other things you can do.

One of the leading causes of moisture is an undersized compressor.
The excess running time causes the air tank and piping or hose to increase in temperature, preventing the moisture from condensing in the tank or hose as markiz pointed out.
In addition to sloping a fixed line backwards and drip legs with drains on drops it is also good to tee into the top of a horizontal run for drops to slow down the movement of water.
Quick connectors should be mounted horizontally on a drop with a drip leg and drain beneath it.

In addition, you can step down your pipe on the drip leg to accept a petcock, so that draining is much easier and can be done with the line pressurized.

I agree with the black iron comments. If you are doing it yourself it's a good, cheap solution. You can also check out stuff like Transair, built by a company called Legris, it's an aluminum air system, looks really nice. A bit pricey but takes about half the time to install and is very easy to add drops and remove if you move your shop, not trying to plug a product but it's what i enjoy working with especially on larger jobs. Also a drain **** and drip leg is a great way to go, make sure you have drip legs on all your drops, throw a mainline filter/water sep. at the valve of your compressor and you shouldnt have to worry too much about water unless you have sensitive equipment (will be more then adequate for shop air) Kyle

Hard pipe is nice and permanent. It is the best for busy shops. I however change my shop around so much that hard pipe would be a full time job. I installed flexible pvc air brake tubing , the type used on tractor trailers. Install time is maybe a hour or so. Its UV rated to 150 lbs and has worked for 12 years for me. I installed 3/8 size with regular brass fittings and brass ferrules so that when changes are wanted I could extend or change it however I want. I used a standard air jack and since the tubing is flexible can be unplugged from compressor without the need of valves . Its never given me a problem. It cost about 45 to 50 bucks for 100 ft at most truck supply places and online. The fittings are standard brass fittings with ferrules from home depot.