Compressed air treatment equipment
Dryers, filters and condensate equipment to get water, oil and dirt out of your compressed air. We look at the whole system: pressure, temperature, flow and how clean the air needs to be.
Dryers
Water in the air damages tools, upsets controls and can ruin product. Pick a dryer by the pressure dew point you need, airflow, inlet temperature and working pressure, not just compressor horsepower. Not sure which type? Compare refrigerated and desiccant.
General industrial moisture removal
Cool the air, condense the water and drain it off. A typical target is around +37°F / +3°C pressure dew point, but actual ratings and conditions vary by model.
Right for most indoor plant air that doesn’t need very dry air.
Price a refrigerated dryerLow pressure dew point applications
Desiccant beds soak up water vapor for very dry air, down to −40°F / −40°C or another target you need.
Heatless, heated and blower-purge designs differ in purge-air use, maintenance and energy. We size the whole package for your application.
Price a desiccant dryerSpecialized or point-of-use
Membrane dryers pull water vapor out through a membrane and can suit point-of-use or low-flow jobs. Results depend on inlet conditions, how much drying you need, purge use and pressure drop.
We’ll tell you whether membrane or another type fits.
Ask about a membrane dryerUse this to narrow down the type. We still check the exact pressure, inlet temperature, dew point and manufacturer correction factors for the dryer we quote.
Swipe or scroll the comparison table sideways on small screens.
| Selection factor | Refrigerated dryer | Desiccant dryer |
|---|---|---|
| Typical pressure dew point | Near +37°F / +3°C for many standard units | Low pressure dew points such as −40°F / −40°C depending on model |
| Common fit | General indoor industrial air and moisture control | Very dry air requirements, some cold-exposed lines or sensitive processes |
| Energy considerations | Refrigeration/compressor and control energy; cycling technology may vary with load | Regeneration energy and/or purge-air losses depend on design |
| Upstream requirements | Bulk water control and conditions within manufacturer limits | Inlet water and oil aerosol prefiltration per OEM specification |
| Selection must verify | Flow corrections, inlet temperature, ambient temperature, pressure, power and dew point | Delivered flow, purge requirement, PDP, pressure drop, control system and filtration |
Typical values for reference, not an ISO 8573-1 certification or a promise that your system meets a regulated standard. For corrected capacity, purge air and running costs, see the refrigerated vs desiccant air dryer selection guide.
For a recommendation, send how dry the air needs to be, peak flow, lowest pressure, inlet temperature and your ZIP. Ask for a dryer recommendation
Filters
No one filter catches everything. We pick the right stages for water, dirt, oil aerosols and vapor based on your equipment and how clean the air needs to be at the point of use.
Particulate filters catch solids. Coalescing filters catch liquid aerosols like water and compressor oil, as long as bulk water is removed first. Where pre- and after-filters go depends on the dryer and the manufacturer’s instructions.
For replacements, send the housing or element model, rated flow, pressure and filter grade.
Replacement filters and service elementsActivated carbon removes some vapors and odors when the filters ahead of it are right. It doesn’t replace a properly sized coalescing or particulate filter, and it doesn’t certify air for food contact, breathing or medical use.
Define how clean the air must be at the point of use and how you’ll check it.
Evaluate an air quality concernDrains and separators
Remove bulk liquid water before it reaches the dryer and filters. Placement and size depend on your compressor, aftercooler, tank and dryer layout.
Float, timer and electronic demand drains dump collected water. Pick for reliability, easy service, air loss and how much condensate you make.
Clean oily condensate before disposal or discharge. What’s required depends on your site and local regulations; buying a separator alone doesn’t make you compliant.
How the pieces line up. A full setup might run in this order. It’s an example, not a universal diagram; your equipment instructions and site decide the order.
Water problems
Tell us where the water shows up and when it started. A dryer fault, changed conditions or a piping problem can look the same at the tool, and the pattern tells us whether you need service, an assessment or different equipment.
To start, send the dryer model, ZIP, where the water is, when it happens, any alarm or reading, and whether production is affected. Add pressure, flow and temperature if you have them; unknowns can be measured in an assessment.
Note any dryer alarms, drain problems and recent maintenance or layout changes. A technician can check the separator, drains, bypass and dryer before recommending parts or a replacement.
Note when it happens compared with production load and room temperature. Ask for a capacity check using real inlet temperature, pressure and flow; nameplate capacity may not match those conditions.
Find the wet drop, hose and any cold piping or recently moved equipment. Compare the dryer outlet with that point of use. A local problem may need a piping change or point-of-use treatment, not a new plant dryer.
Write down the reading, units, measurement pressure and sensor location. Ask for a check with a proper instrument and a calibration check. A steady display doesn’t prove dry air is reaching the process.
Pressure dew point is measured at a stated pressure. It’s the temperature where water starts condensing at that pressure. An atmospheric reading after the air expands isn’t the same as a line-pressure reading, so note where and at what pressure you measured.
Do not open pressurized equipment or change dryer controls to investigate. Leave internal checks, isolation and instruments to qualified service technicians following the equipment instructions.
Compressed Air Best Practices: Selecting the Right Compressed Air Dryer, Fundamentals of Dew Point Measurement and Desiccant Air Dryer Control.
What to send
A dryer’s catalog CFM may not be what you get at your conditions, and how dry the air ends up matters as much as the flow.
How much air you use at what pressure, including peaks, future growth and backup equipment.
Target dew point, acceptable dirt, oil and vapor, what each point of use needs, and how you’ll check it.
Inlet and room temperature, elevation, line pressure, pressure drop, purge losses, power and where condensate goes.
Send your ZIP, what you need or the application, the existing model and serial number, compressor model and CFM at PSI, voltage, the current dew point or water problem, how clean the air needs to be, and any maintenance records.
Request equipment pricingAir treatment preventive maintenanceSend the compressor’s rated flow at your pressure, shifts, what the air is used for, the current compressor, dryer and tank layout, dryer location, filter level, timeline and any shutdown window. Don’t know your demand? An assessment can measure it.
Discuss treatment installationCompressed air system installationOur staffed team covers Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. We also supply equipment and do scheduled service in the Las Vegas metro. Arizona equipment requests and on-site work are quoted job by job. Which manufacturers we quote depends on your site and region, and we confirm dryer capacity, filters and condensate handling before quoting. See California service areas, Southern Nevada coverage and industrial compressor systems.
Guides: the refrigerated vs desiccant dryer worksheet (corrected capacity, purge air and operating cost), the compressor installation readiness checklist (room, utilities, condensate routing and startup) and the maintenance planning guide (dryer, drain and filter tasks with the rest of the air system).
Refrigerated dryers typically get to around +37°F pressure dew point. Desiccant dryers go much lower, with different purge-air and energy costs. Actual performance depends on the equipment and your site.
Most systems have a prefilter before the dryer and an afterfilter after it, but the right setup depends on the dryer type, compressor oil carryover, how clean the air must be and the manufacturer’s instructions.
A dryer that’s sized, installed and maintained right cuts moisture a lot. You can still get water from hot inlet air, an undersized dryer, failed drains, a bypass or conditions downstream, so look at the whole system.
Oily condensate has to be handled under your site’s discharge and disposal rules. An oil-water separator may be part of that, but your site’s requirements decide what’s needed.
Yes. We quote standalone dryers, filter elements and condensate equipment. Send the existing model and your real operating conditions.
Tell us about your compressor, how clean and dry the air needs to be, and your flow and pressure, and we’ll quote options. Call (844) 310-8665 or email service@toolyticsind.com.
Drawings or a long equipment schedule? Put a link in your request or tell us what you have, and we’ll set up a way to get the files. Please don’t send confidential or restricted plans through the form.
