Ingersoll-Rand Air Dryer

[hands]

Has anybody ever cleaned the air side of an Air Dryer with any success? I have a customer that told me that he has a 15 psi drop across the Ingersoll- Rand Air Dryer and this is causing the air compressor to surge. He wants me to clean it in hopes of improving the air flow. I have never cleaned the air side of a dryer before and don’t really know what to use on it. I was thinking that I could remove the piping and fill the dryer with some type of coil cleaner and let it set for awhile, then flush it out good with water. Any suggestions would be great.

[absrbrtek]

Is the pressure drop from ice buildup in the drier?

[double bubble]

You can contact I&R or most air dryer companies they will sell you yhe chemical . It's probably similer to what we use but better to be safe .

[txhvac]

Is there a coalascing filter after the air drier? Do you know if the guy took his drop before/ after the filter? It could just be a plugged filter. I don't think I'd flush it out w/ water. Use a good solvent like 10+1, something that will dislove w/out leaving a residue, or risk leaving a residual liquid, you don't want any air pressure pushing any chemical (or water) further down stream.

[hands]

There is no ice buildup in the dryer and the pressure drop is caused by the dryer, not the filter. The Air Compressor and filter is new and the Dryer was moved from another line. If it is by-passed, there is no more pressure drop. The air lines going to the dryer are 6”pipe, but I think the actual inlet and outlet of the dryer are smaller. There may be welding slag from the pipe that has stopped up the dryer, but I can’t shut it down at this time due to production.