air went backwards through water separator?

[Travis Conner]

I have two quick connect fittings on my water separator so make it easier to install it. Ive done it where you just spin the existing hose fitting on there and all it did was cause the hose to leak after that, so now I just use the quick connect fittings and I don't have to twist the hose around 50 times either. Anyways, I unhookd the inlet side of the hose and it drained all the air in the compressor, oops next time i'll shut the ball valve. Anyways I noticed I still had pressure showing on the regulator gauge and it went to zero once I reconnected the hose. I was just trying to re route my hoses a little bit neater, so I think the pressurized hose on the outlet side of the water separator backflowed back into the tank. How does that even happen? Does that mean I just transferred all the water in the separator back into the compressor?

[John Lanciani]

Sounds like you have all of your connectors backwards. The hose should not remain pressurized , nor should the receiver empty, when disconnected. Female connector goes on the compressor, male goes on the tool.

[David Buchhauser]

So that explains your "water leak".
David

[Travis Conner]

The female quick connect is on the compressor, then a male on the hose that connects to the quick connect, then on the other side of the hose I have another male connector. Now that connects to the water separator which has two female quick connects on each side, then the hose that connects to the hose reel on the out flow side of the separator has a male.

[John Lanciani]

The female quick connect is on the compressor, then a male on the hose that connects to the quick connect, then on the other side of the hose I have another male connector. Now that connects to the water separator which has two female quick connects on each side, then the hose that connects to the hose reel on the out flow side of the separator has a male.

A double male air hose is almost as dangerous as a double male generator cord. Each detachable component should have one male and one female with the female on the downstream side.

[Travis Conner]

The fact that the air hose disconnects and releases all the pressure in the tank? Usually I don't disconnect lines from the compressor unless all the pressure has been released first.

[Travis Conner]

I dont think so. I never disconnect the airline going to the compressor, I was just tidying up the hose that I had zip tied along the wall.

[Adam Herman]

your female connectors have valves in them. if you start at the compressor, you should always have a female on the compressor side of the system. all your tools should be male connectors. this way the pressure is contained on the compressor side of the system. every time you unplug a tool, it should depressurize the tool. same with the air hose, when you un plug it from the compressor, you should have a hose with no pressure in it.
It is super unsafe the other way around. you could, for example trap pressure in a hose that is still connected to a nail gun, and have enough air to fire it, even though it is not connected to the compressor. then you try to clear a jam, and BAM you have a nail in your face/hand/leg etc.

[Adam Herman]

The female quick connect is on the compressor correct, then a male on the hose that connects to the quick connect correct, then on the other side of the hose I have another male connector. WRONG should be female Now that connects to the water separator which has two female quick connects on each side WRONG should be a male on the compressor side, female on the tool side, then the hose that connects to the hose reel on the out flow side of the separator has a male. the tail on the hose reel should be male plugging into a female on the water separator or hose between the separator and reel.

read above for more clarity.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

It is super unsafe the other way around. you could, for example trap pressure in a hose that is still connected to a nail gun, and have enough air to fire it, even though it is not connected to the compressor. then you try to clear a jam, and BAM you have a nail in your face/hand/leg etc.

This is it........
Be careful.
Everyone is saying the same thing. If you get in the above situation, every time you disconnect, the only way to get the pressure out of the hose is to fire the gun. Or run the tool. I guess you could get a male without a hose and connect it to bleed out the air......

[John Lanciani]

This is it........
Be careful.
Everyone is saying the same thing. If you get in the above situation, every time you disconnect, the only way to get the pressure out of the hose is to fire the gun. Or run the tool. I guess you could get a male without a hose and connect it to bleed out the air......

Not to mention the excitement of connecting a hose with male fittings on both ends to a charged tank. You’d better be holding on tight...

[Travis Conner]

I'll change it around.

[Travis Conner]

I know the female quick connects hold the pressure in the hose when you disconnect the tool, but do they prevent air flowing backwards too?

[Donald G. Burns]

With zero pressure in the tank, open the drain plug on the bottom of the air tank and see if water comes out. Might be there if its not been drained in some time too.

[Clint Baxter]

I know the female quick connects hold the pressure in the hose when you disconnect the tool, but do they prevent air flowing backwards too?

They do not. They are only shutoff valves, not a one-way valve. They will allow air to flow freely through the connection when male and female are joined, but that air is going to flow from whichever side has a higher pressure to the low(er) pressure side

Clint

[Travis Conner]

I got the fittings switched around now.

[David Buchhauser]

Good for you!!
David

[Travis Conner]

So that explains your "water leak".
David


I think the "water leak" is because I have the hose routed 15ft above the compressor so it flows back into the tank. I'll Probably change that since I'd prefer it to flow into the water separator where its supposed to go and not rust out the bottom of my tank.

[Alan Lightstone]

Just sayin, I have seen this happen:
433872

Made for a lot of work on a Friday night. Didn't end terribly well.

[David Buchhauser]

Doesn't make sense!! Get with the program.
David