Excess moisture can lead to corrosion of your equipment. By using air dryers you can minimize this problem and save costs. Elimination of these costs by using air dryers offsets the cost of installing and operating the air dryers.

To select an air dryer, you must know the following three things:

1. The degree of dryness required in the air measured by dew point
2. Required air flow (in standard cubic feet per minute) called flow capacity of the air dryer
3. Inlet temperature, inlet pressure and ambient air temperature

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Analyze your requirements to choose the correct air dryer

Dew point is the most important parameter in choosing a good air dryer and by using this you can calculate flow capacity of a dryer. Understanding and analyzing specifications for your air dryer based on the above points will help you in finding an appropriate air dryer for your requirements.

I recommend: AirDryers.biz and Canipe Builders explain the method for the calculation of dew point. You can also look at the dew point calculator provided by IMA. Steven Engineering provides a method to calculate the flow capacity.

Research different types of air dryers to select an appropriate one

There are basically four types of compressed air dryers available in the market. These include deliquescent dryers, refrigerant dryers, regenerative dryers and membrane dryers. You need to select an air dryer based on your dew point requirement, flow capacity requirement, purchase costs and the operating costs of the air dryer.

I recommend: Hydraulics & Pneumatics provides a technical comparison of different types of air dryers. Sahara Air Products provides further comparison of these dryers and explains operating cost factors for these dryers. In addition, Energy Technologies is another good resource to find information on different types of air dryers.

Find the right air dryer manufacturers

Once you have selected a type of air dryer and its characteristics, you are ready to find an appropriate air dryer suppliers or air dryer distributors.

I recommend: You can buy air dryers online from C. H. Reed that provides all types of air dryers. Other suppliers of air dryers like Twin Tower Engineering provide a good selection of regenerative and membrane air dryers. Air Compressor provides refrigerant and regenerative types of air dryers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  While doing the cost analysis for your air dryers, do not forget to include the energy costs and the maintenance costs.
• •  Select an air dryer that does not cause an excessive drop in the air pressure.
• •  Select an air dryer supplier that has strong after-sales service and a spare parts distribution network.