Timed condensate drains TD

Timed TD

A timed drain opens on the clock, not on the level. You set how long it stays open and how long it waits, and the solenoid valve keeps to it. It is the simplest and cheapest answer — at the price that every opening lets some air out too.

Which TD you need

The pressure in your system decides — the series runs from 16 up to 420 bar. At the top pressure you also choose by the supply voltage.

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How the TD works

Electronics in the housing switch the solenoid valve on for the set time, then close it and wait. Both are set with two potentiometers. The opening is usually in seconds, the interval in minutes.

The valve cannot tell whether there is anything to let out. When the condensate has not had time to collect, air goes instead. That is why it is set by how much condensate you actually produce — and that changes with humidity, load and the season.

Fitting

It goes into the pipework or under a tank, wherever the condensate settles. Its versatility is the point — it needs no collecting chamber and no sensor, so it fits almost anywhere.

What to watch

The setting is not „once and for all". In summer there is more condensate, in winter less, and it shifts with how hard the compressor works. Too long an opening and you pay for escaping air; too short and the condensate builds up.

Ventilek says

A timer is cheap to buy, not to run.

It has one drawback that does not get talked about much: it opens blind. At night, at the weekend, when the compressor is idle and no condensate forms — and the air goes out anyway. If your machine runs shifts, do the sums and look at the zero-loss electronic ones. For occasional workshop use a timer is perfectly fine.

Frequently asked questions — timed td

How do I set a TD?

With two potentiometers — the opening time and the interval between cycles. Start with a shorter opening and lengthen it until each cycle brings condensate out with air right behind it. That is the right limit.

How much air does a timed drain lose?

It depends only on the setting. Every opening with nothing to let out is air gone. That is why the setting is checked after a change in operation or season.

Which unit should I take?

By the pressure in your system. The series covers 16 to 420 bar; at the top pressure you also choose by supply voltage (230 V or 24 V).

Is a timed drain worse than an electronic one?

Not worse, different. It has no sensor and no chamber, so it is simpler, cheaper and fits anywhere. You pay for that with the air lost on every empty opening.

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