Compressed Air CouplersCompressed air couplers; Compressed air couplers are part of the compressed air user tag team, couplers & connectors. One is not much good without the other. If you have threaded a connector into the supply port of eachof your air tools, which is what you want to do to be able to supply compressed air to them, then what do you use this connector for? The connectors allow quick connection of an air tool (or any other air component, for that matter) to a mating coupler on an air supply hose. In the photo below, all of the couplers are from the same manufacturer, each has a different method of being connected to an air hose or air appliance.
In the photo above, items 1-3 show various methods by which the coupler can be connected to an air supply line or appliance. Item 1 shows an NPT thread, item 2 is a female NPT thread and item 3 is a barbed fitting. Item 4 Is CriticalItem 4 in the photo above is the critical concern when acquiring couplers. When you are buying couplers you have to make sure that the internal female configuration of the new coupler (inside of item 4) matches the external male configuration of the mating connector. In order for the coupler to connect properly to the connector, they must be of compatible design. Unfortunately, though there are some "industrial" standards for couplers and connectors, it is the case that a coupler from XX company won't fit the connector from YY company, and the reverse is true as well. Careful When Buying CouplersWhen you select new couplers for your home workshop, it's best to buy kits with matching couplers and connectors. If the new ones don't match the old, or you can't figure out or find what your existing couplers are, then what I would do is select one brand from my local outlet, buy lots of couplers and mating connectors, and then discard all of the older ones. Do yourself a favor and only keep compatible brands of couplers and connectors in your tool crib. For the industrial user, you can purchase quality couplers and connectors from your industrial compressor distributor or industrial supply house. Same rule applies. Only keep compatible brands in stock. Otherwise you'll always grab the wrong one when working on a new application, necessitating a trip back to the tool crib. They LeakAs a home workshop coupler user, expect that the low cost, big box store couplers and connectors are sometimes hard to connect, may too easily disconnect, and they leak, particularly if you “side load” the coupler/connector. How do you side load a coupler/connector? More on that here. Top
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