DISTRIBUTOR-FIRST SUPPLY PARTNER · SINCE 1999 Live · Compressed Air System
SPC Company
Compressed Air / Treatment / Condensate Management / Electronic / Timer-Drain Condensate Drain
Layer 02 · Treatment Emerging · Beko
01What it is

Electronic / Timer-Drain Condensate Drain

A timer-drain condensate drain is a powered valve that discharges accumulated condensate (the water-and-oil mixture that collects at cool points in a compressed-air system) from an aftercooler, receiver tank, dryer, or filter sump. A small programmable controller opens a solenoid valve on a fixed schedule — every X minutes for Y seconds — and whatever sits in the trap at that moment goes to drain. Because the valve has no way to know whether the trap holds liquid or only compressed air, every cycle vents some paid-for air along with the condensate. It is the lowest-cost powered drain on the catalog and the simplest to wire, and it sits at each cool point — aftercooler, receiver, dryer, filter — between the component's low-point drain port and a routed discharge line to an oil-water separator (OWS, the treatment unit that polishes oily condensate before sewer discharge).

Compare tiers ↓ How to sell this ↓ Request a quote →
Real-world reference Representative electronic / timer-drain condensate drain
Electronic / Timer-Drain Condensate Drain — representative product photo
02Why it's needed

Why this matters.

Where the timer drain is the right call — and where the bleed-through tells you to re-spec. Scroll the strip →

01 · Key point
It clears the trap on schedule.

A solenoid on a programmable timer fires every X minutes for Y seconds — no operator walking the room, no float to stick. The cheapest powered way to keep condensate moving at every cool point.

02 · Key point
It replaces the broken manual.

Manual ball valves get opened at startup and forgotten by lunch. The timer drain is the lowest-cost upgrade that ends the "operator-walked" fiction — install at aftercooler, receiver, dryer, and every filter sump.

03 · Key point
It's simple to wire and service.

115V AC or 24V DC at the install point depending on model, ball-valve isolation on the inlet, field-replaceable solenoid coil. 15-minute swap when the coil fails — that's the most-failed part under continuous duty.

04 · Pro tip
Tune the schedule, then retune in 90 days.

Start at 5 seconds open, 5-minute interval. Tune down (shorter open) if the air bleed is visible; tune up only if the trap fails to clear. Retune seasonally — summer load is materially higher than winter.

05 · Where not to use
Refrigerated dryer outlet.

The dryer outlet is the single largest condensate drop in the plant and the load swings hour-to-hour. Fixed-schedule valve can't track it. → Re-spec to zero-air-loss at the dryer outlet always.

06 · Where not to use
Energy-cost-sensitive 50+ HP systems.

At 4000+ hours/year, a miscalibrated timer bleeds $500-2000/year per drain in paid-for air. Multiply by 3-6 cool points and the customer is burning thousands annually. → Re-spec to zero-air-loss; payback runs 12-24 months.

07 · Where not to use
Discharging straight to the floor drain.

Condensate from any oil-injected compressor runs 300+ ppm oil — sanitary-sewer discharge untreated is a regulated violation in most US jurisdictions. → Add oil-water separator downstream; the drain alone is half the install.

03Key selection criteria

What we need to spec it right.

From the machine spec sheet → to the part number. Answer what you know — leave the rest blank — and send.

01 · Input
Sum nameplate HP across every compressor feeding this drain — the metal data plate on each unit. Total flow sets the drain's required capacity.
Under 25 HP · 25-100 HP · 100+ HP (multiple units)
02 · Input
Each cool point needs its own drain — drains cannot share an inlet. List every point on a site walkthrough.
Aftercooler · Receiver tank · Coalescing filter sump · Particulate filter sump
03 · Input
Timer drains need power at the install point — no power available means re-spec to a magnetic-float (zero-air-loss) drain instead.
115V AC · 24V DC · No power available (re-spec)
04 · Input
Read the system gauge at the discharge header. Confirm the drain housing's pressure rating covers it.
Up to 232 PSI (standard) · 232-500 PSI (high-pressure variant) · 500+ PSI (specialty)
05 · Input
From the maintenance log and the customer's ZIP. Drives condensate volume and the zero-air-loss ROI math; humid climates (Gulf Coast, Southeast) produce 1.5x more peak condensate.
1 shift / dry climate · 2 shifts / moderate climate · 24/7 / humid climate
06 · Input
From the site walkthrough. Old manual or float drains are almost always functionally broken; a working timer is the candidate for a zero-air-loss conversion ROI.
New install · Replacing manual / failed float · Upgrading existing timer
07 · Input
Number of drains for this configuration. Different size or location? Add a separate quote line per variant.
1 unit · 3-5 units (multi-drop install) · 6+ units (full plant retrofit)

Need different sizes, colors, or quantities? Fill the form, add to quote, then fill again — each click is one quote line.

04Choose your solution tier  ·  core differentiator

Whatever your lever — spec, value, or price — SPC has the right brand.

Most distributors sell one brand per product type. SPC's 60-brand portfolio means every Product Type page surfaces three real options matched to how your customer is buying today. Pick the tier; the quote desk handles the cross-reference.

02 Emerging 2 brands
Beko
BEKOMAT
View brand →
JORC
FLUIDRAIN / EZ-1 / TEC-44 (timer) and SMART-GUARD (electronic level-sensed)
View brand →
05How to sell this  ·  distributor talk track

The tier conversation closes the deal. The cross-reference catalog wins the next one.

Selling condensate drains is selling against the customer's assumption that a drain is a drain. The timer-vs-electronic choice is the difference between $80 of hardware that wastes $1,500 a year of compressed air and $500 of hardware that wastes nothing. Frame the math, sell the savings.
The SPC difference · how distributors actually buy

The 30-second positioning

Diagnose the existing drain situation first. Walk the customer's compressor room. Photograph each cool point. Note whether the existing drain is timer, level-sensed, or manual — and whether it's currently operating, stuck open, or stuck closed. Manual drains in industrial service are almost always functionally broken; this is the opening.

Tier: Economical tier for full timer coverage at lower price points; Industry Leader tier for the premium build with broader HP coverage, ISO/CE/UL ratings standard, and the level-sensed upgrade path on the same install footprint.

Place drains at EVERY condensate point, not just the receiver. Most compressor rooms have 3-6 cool points: aftercooler, receiver tank, refrigerated dryer, coalescing filter, particulate filter, sometimes secondary receiver. Each needs its own drain. Most customers think one drain is enough; quote them all.

Customer cue → talk move

""My current drain is fine, it's a timer""
Ask how long it stays open, how often. If the customer doesn't know, the timer is almost certainly miscalibrated and bleeding air. Quote an Industry Leader tier level-sensed (zero-air-loss) drain with the air-loss math.
""The drains are manual, the operator walks them at startup""
Those drains are not getting drained in practice. Quote timer drains at all points as the immediate upgrade, OR electronic drains at the receiver + aftercooler (highest volume) plus timers at filters.
""We had a drain fail and flooded the dryer / filter / receiver""
Customer is hot on reliability. Quote an Industry Leader tier electronic drain with alarm output plus a redundant manual ball valve for backup. The alarm feeds the customer's building management system or a local annunciator.
""What about my filters — do they need their own drains?""
Yes. Every coalescing and particulate filter has a drain port at the bowl. Saturated filter elements fail twice as fast as drained-clean ones; a timer drain at each filter pays back in element life.
""Can I just turn the timer on longer to handle summer condensate?""
No, that wastes more air. The right answer in variable-condensate environments is a level-sensed drain that auto-tracks the load.
""My drain dumps into the floor sink, is that legal?""
Usually not. Oily condensate cannot go to sanitary sewer in most US jurisdictions without an oil-water separator first. Bring the OWS into the same conversation.
Request a quote → Back to tier compare ↑
06Where it's used

Industries served.

Each industry below uses this product across the listed areas. Open an industry to see how it fits the rest of its system.

General Manufacturing General Manufacturing →

Also applies to Air receiver / wet receiver tank · Coalescing filter sump · Particulate filter sump · Compressor aftercooler discharge · Refrigerated dryer outlet · Outdoor / portable / generator-driven compressor packages · Small-shop or low-duty applications under steady ambient · NOT typically used in

09Install · 6 critical steps

The things that matter on the first install.

Step 01
Install one drain at every condensate point and mount it at the LOW point with proper inlet pitch
Aftercooler, receiver, refrigerated dryer, coalescing filter, particulate filter — each gets its own drain, sized to that point's condensate volume. Condensate drains by gravity to the drain inlet, so the drain inlet must sit at or below the component's discharge port with no rising sections in the inlet line. A drain mounted high or with upward pitch collects nothing.
Step 02
Install an inlet isolation ball valve for serviceability
A quarter-turn ball valve on the inlet line lets the drain be isolated for service without shutting down the upstream component. Service is field-replaceable on most timer drains; the isolation valve turns that from a 1-2 hour system shutdown into a 15-minute job.
Step 03
Wire to the correct voltage and confirm at order time
Timer drains run on 24V DC or 115V AC depending on model — verify the voltage spec before ordering. Run conduit per local electrical code. Use sealed weatherproof connections at outdoor or wash-down installs.
Step 04
Set the initial schedule based on operating hours and humidity
Typical starting point: 5-second open, 5-minute interval. Tune down (shorter open) if visible air loss is unacceptable; tune up (longer open) only if the drain is failing to fully clear the trap. Re-tune seasonally — summer needs more, winter needs less.
Step 05
Route discharge to an oil-water separator, not the floor drain
Condensate from oil-injected compressors is oily; in most US jurisdictions it cannot legally discharge to sanitary sewer untreated. Plumb the drain's discharge line to an oil-water separator, then the separator's clean effluent to the floor drain. Selling drains without the separator is an incomplete install.
Step 06
Document settings and calendar a 90-day retune
Note the install date, timer schedule, and model number in the customer's MRO log. Schedule a 90-day check to retune against actual condensate observation — the original schedule is a guess; the 90-day setting is the calibrated one.
10Troubleshoot · top failures

Most returns trace to one of these causes.

Symptom
Most likely cause
Fix
Timer drain cycles but does not discharge condensate.
The trap is empty (drain over-cycling for actual load), the inlet line is blocked or pitched wrong, OR the solenoid valve seat is fouled with sludge.
Open the inlet ball valve and check for liquid in the trap. If the trap is dry, increase the timer interval. If the trap is full but no discharge, the valve seat is fouled — remove and clean, or replace the valve.
Drain discharges continuously and never closes.
Stuck-open valve (debris in the seat), failed controller, OR a wiring fault holding the solenoid energized.
Close the inlet isolation ball valve immediately to stop the air bleed. Pull the drain, inspect the seat for debris, and clean or replace. Continuous discharge is a high-priority field call — every minute is wasted compressed air at full system pressure.
Condensate is flooding the upstream component despite the drain operating.
The drain is undersized for actual condensate load (most common in humid summer months), the inlet is partially blocked, OR the drain is failing to fully clear each cycle.
Confirm the drain is actuating (listen for the solenoid click). Check the inlet for blockage. If the drain is sized correctly and clearing, lengthen the timer open period; if not, upsize the drain or add a parallel unit. Seasonal high-condensate periods are when timer drains need retuning.
Drain discharge is oily — customer notes an oil sheen at the discharge point.
This is normal. Condensate from any oil-injected compressor carries trace lubricant; the drain itself is functioning correctly. The oil is the customer's next conversation, not a drain failure.
Route the discharge to an oil-water separator. Required by code in most US jurisdictions for sanitary-sewer discharge. Quote the OWS at the same site visit — the drain customer is also the OWS customer.
Customer reports rising air-loss cost despite the drain "working fine".
Timer is set too long or too frequent for actual condensate load — most common after a piping change, dryer upgrade, or season transition. Working as programmed, but bleeding paid-for air.
Retune the schedule to the shortest open and longest interval that still clears the trap each cycle. If the customer keeps over-tuning to avoid flooding risk, quote the zero-air-loss upgrade with payback math.

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