Our farm shop design blog series, written by Dan Nyberg, the Sales Training Manager at Morton Buildings, focuses on a variety of farm shop design ideas to help you in planning your next agricultural building.
Whether used for tires, painting or finishing, air lines are an important part of any shop. If you have an office area, put the air compressor on the other end of the shop to decrease noise. Some farmers have built a ‘room’ to house the compressor simply to reduce the noise factor in the shop. Positioning the compressor on the mezzanine in a corner allows a simple enclosure to be constructed. Allow for adequate intake air with an external louver. Put an air hose and reel outside somewhere convenient, so when you need to air up tires, it’s easy to drive right up to the hose. Put in more 110/220 outlets than you think you are ever going to use, such as every 10-15 feet.
Schedule 40–type black pipe, copper pipe and aluminum pipe are options for delivery piping. Black pipe is low-cost but requires cutting and threading for installation. Copper is a more expensive option up front, and joints must be "sweated” during installation. Aluminum air piping is less expensive than copper and uses compression fittings for quick and easy installation
The key to routing of the piping is trying to complete the supply line in a complete circle. This assures an equal system of airflow through the system. Allow for 4 inches of drop for every 50 feet of the horizontal supply line to allow moisture that accumulates in the air line to run down the line to vertical supply lines for draining valves. Alternatively, some farmers place air lines in 4” tile under the concrete floor to keep everything off the walls.
In wider shops some areas requiring compressed air may not be adjacent to the walls. Consider ceiling mounted retractable air lines to support these areas.
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About Dan Nyberg, Sales Training Manager, Morton Buildings
Dan Nyberg has been employed with Morton Buildings for 28 years, where he held a variety of positions such as sales consultant, regional manager, and director of sales. He has also served as a board member of the National Frame Building Association for nine years. Dan has been involved with farming most of his life, from living on a dairy farm as a child, moving back to a mixed livestock and grain farm in high school, to managing a personal farm in Colorado focused on horse-drawn events. He has experience with beef cattle, dairy cattle, bison, pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, horses and mules. Dan currently farms 72 acres with a herd of 23 Devon/Hereford cattle and owns three Morton buildings.
