Filling tanks with Cheap-O Air Compressors on eBay?

[livewire]

Has anyone tried filling tanks with these compact $200 compressors that have shown up? There are a few out there, below is an example. One of them out there is labeled as "Kwasyo" brand (kwasi-who? ). Says it can fill up to 4500 PSI at 50L/minute. If I'm doing my math right, it seems like you could fill an 80 in about 45 minutes, but I could be WAY off on that. $200 seems like it would be pretty cheap for filling your tanks at home, but unsure if I'd be willing to take a chance on the filtration being good enough to keep hydraulic oil out of my lungs!

300BAR 30MPA 4500PSI High Pressure Air Compressor PCP Airgun Scuba Air Pump | eBay

 

[Cj3141]

Don't.

 

[Cj3141]

There is more factors to consider than what pressure it can get to. Does it run on oil/gas and produce fumes that could effect gas. How does heat control work running for 45 minutes, lubricate heats up -> gas form -> tank -> problems at depth. It may have capabilities to get to desired psi, but the quality of air even with filters is sub-par at best. ( I see you have considered this)I would recommend looking at how a good scuba compressor works and then compare steps to how this works. It will show you many short comings that will scare you into not taking the risk.

 

[livewire]

Electric pump, water cooled, and while they provide a pump for cooling, you need to provide your own bucket of cold water, maybe ice water to keep it cool as the cold water is pumped through. Ships with filters, but clearly the air quality is an unknown unless you measure it.

Again, I don't really think I'd try one, just wondering if anyone else had. To be clear I am NOT promoting the use of these compressors either, and perfectly happy to breathe compressed air from my LDS that I know is testing air quality and monitoring filters regularly. That said, these are getting use, commercially even. There's a (French?) startup out there called "Minidive" selling pony bottles with these compressors as a kit, and clearly they have customers out there using them. You can youtube it and see people using them and diving these pony bottles they come with. I probably wouldn't put my 9 year old in the the water with one like in some of the videos, but the point is it's out there and people are using them.

 

[rhwestfall]

IMHO - If you ever looked at what these paint ball compressors are intended for (much smaller run time), you would see that the heat would either destroy them, or you in the toxins liberated by the time it runs, for to attempt to fill a tank appropriate for scuba..

Add to that the proper filtration for breathing air for scuba, and you should realize this is a bad idea.

again, just my humble opinion.

YMMV....

 

[runsongas]

we need a stickied thread because this question gets asked like every 2 weeks.

 

[rhwestfall]

but the point is it's out there and people are using them.

People also choose to smoke.....

 

[rhwestfall]

BTW - I'm sure that if they were in the slightest bit "good", you would see the "major compressor players" either attacking them or making something like this...

 

[NAM001]

IMO this is for paint ball stuff. as many will use a scuba compressor to fill them I think the listing is less than honest. It may be ok to top off a paint ball tank after you tried to fill form a scuba tank or other lower pressure source. Im sure that you could run its output through a filter system and get breathing air form it but IF you can afford the filters you can afford a real compressor. 50 LPM is a bit high for a cheap thing like this. probably 50 ltr starting rate on an empty tank may drop to 15 at about 2500 or 3K back pressure which is fine for again paint ball tanks.

 

[rhwestfall]

and ebay is such a reliable primary source for breathing air compressors... Not the actual companies in the mainstream...

Have fun...