Harbor Freight #97686 Desiccant Air Drier

[platypus20]

I just bought the Harbor Freight model #97686 desiccant air drier, $40, that uses #97924 desiccant media, $5 for 2.2# (1 kilo). Its a 34" long piece of 2" pipe, it has 2 screw on caps and 2 media support baffles. When assembled there is about 24" of desiccant supported in a vertically mounted tube, with build in water trap. I bought this to be used with the (3) Hypertherm plasma cutters, to ensure clean dry air to the machine to prolong consumable life. The air enters the bottom, into the water trap, the goes thru the bottom support baffle, thru the media and the upper support baffle, then out the drier to the equipment being used. I have been using the much smaller inline version of the desiccant drier, they work great, but don't last long, hopefully they will be better.

jack

 

[platypus20]

5 - top of baffles
6 - bottom of baffle
7 - close fit of baffle to tube body
8 - both mounted, ready to use

The driers are piped with new Apollo ball valves and air line quick-connects, to allow quick change over.

jack

 

[shred]

Thanks for posting those. I made a half-size one from a length of pipe and a couple end caps drilled 1/4-NPT for quick-releases and the HF refill for media for my micro-blasterbecause I was getting sick of replacing the small ones all the time. It works pretty well, but has no indicator on it so you have to open it up to look at the dessicant every so often. Does that one have a viewport to the beads?

I've not tried refreshing the beads, but I believe a warm oven will do it.