Air leak

[jmpogue89]

If I didn’t dive the Growler for a week, i would find it squatting down and I would start it and air it up. I thought this was normal but I eventually found a small leak in the line from the compressor head to the air dryer.
this air hose was laying on top of the dryer and vibrated through. So I took off the entire hose and took itto Hydrodyne Houston to have a new one made
The black line is standard DOT 1913 J844 air brake hose. Im not sure why it is a two part hose with 5 possible leak points. Hydrodyne made me a nice stainless braided hose for $61. When I was testing and checking for leaks, i noticed the line was not just warm, but hot. The compressor head was really hot. Wondering if this was normal, I called Extreme Outdoors who make the extremeaire high output 24v compressor. The guy I talked to remembered making the compressor for the growler. He was really knowledgeable about the growler. When we got to the heat issue he said it was normal for the temp to reach 350 degrees. He said it was best to have at least 4 feet of hose to dissipate the heat before it enters another component. He also recommended a thermal check valve between the head and the hose. I told him i had a 40 inch braided hose made. He said it will be perfect. So check your hoses

 

[W427]

… Im not sure why it is a two part hose with 5 possible leak points. … it was normal for the temp to reach 350 degrees.

Cooling. Due to the high heat of compression, a metal section was used (common on most high-performance compressors) in order to allow cooling of the hot compressed air. Acting as a much more efficient radiator than rubber or plastic hose; the metal section lowers the compressed air temperature before entering the J844 3-layer flexible Nylon hose, rated at 200°F.

While we don't like the idea of 5 possible leak points, the benefits of the metal cooling section, combined with the benefits of the flexible hose section outweigh that potential. If you have an abrasion issue anywhere, it is common to use a standoff, or slip a small length of rubber hose over the spot for protection. I found J844-spec hose at the local truck stop for $1/foot, and rolls of it online. I hope that helps.

 

[jmpogue89]

As you can see, the improved one piece hose with three times the heat sync capabilities is slightly better