Alkin W31 Compressor Operation Questions

[realdiver7]

Hello everyone....just bought an Alkin W31 electric 3 h.p. compressor, and have a few questions:

1. The fill whip flows air when the air flow handle is in the down position, and the flow stops when the handle is in the up position. When I finish filling a cylinder, I shut off the cylinder valve, then the whip air flow handle, and remove the whip from the cylinder. While the whip is shut down and being removed from the cylinder valve, the pressure, of course, starts to rise on the whip gauge. In order to bleed the air out of the whip, I open the whip valve up, but the pressure is quite high by the time I get to bleeding the whip of air pressure. If I don't hang on tight, the whip can blast violently out of my hands, so I've been slowly opening the handle back up to bleed it slowly, but of course, the compressor still runs and air keeps flowing at a greatly reduced pressure.

What is the SAFE and correct procedure, step by step, in order, for attaching, filling, and then removing the standard factory Alkin fill whip?

Can I blow air back into my compressor purifier filter from the cylinder if I turn my cylinder valve on before I open the compressor fill whip?

2. Is it OK to place my O2 supply bottle within 3 feet of the compressor and my breaker box, without worrying about SAFETY issues? My setup is in the garage with a fan running (where I park), with my compressor air intake and filter on the OUTSIDE of the garage to pump in fresh air from the outside.

3. When I opened my air purifier filter for the first time, I noticed the following:

a) Outside large diameter filter cylinder is filled with approx. 98% white desiccant
and approx. 2% black charcoal.

b) Inside small diameter filter cylinder is filled with approx. 98% black charcoal and
approx. 2% white desiccant.

c) There is some sort of packing material that looks like cotton that has been
cut. What is it, and where can I buy sheets to cut?

Are the two filter components (desiccant and charcoal) supposed to mixed together a little like this?

Does anyone have step-by-step instructions on how to repack the filter?

On the bottom of the large diameter outside cylinder, does the packing material go in first, or does the round metal disc go in first when looking at the cylinder from the bottom?

4. My fresh air intake and pure O2 intake are on a 12 ft. hose leading from the outside of my garage to my mixing stick. Will a hose that long cause "friction loss" or any problems that may make the compressor work harder, heat up more, and/or pump air slower? The hose from my mixing stick to the compressor is about 4 ft. long.

I have done a lot of research on this compressor, but sometimes the wisdom and knowledge of those who are experienced is much better than other ways of learning. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[pescador775]

Stop wasting gas when switching tanks. Just clamp the yoke onto the next tank and jam. Backflow is not an issue because, as you have stated, the pressure in the manifold is "quite high", enough to blow your socks off. The removal procedure is: turn off the tank valve, flip the manifold handle to open position, unscrew yoke from tank valve, screw yoke onto next tank valve, flip manifold handle to fill position, check pressure and open tank valve.

You say the O2 line is coming from 12 feet away and the O2 bottle itself is 3 feet away? Did I get that right? O2 is safe inside the tank but a major oxygen leak near an electrical panel would be a potential hazard. A 12 feet, 1 inch ID intake hose will be no problem with such a small compressor. However, a total of 16 feet is pushing it. If the first stage is not getting adequate ventilation then the third stage may have to work a little harder (pressure ratio increase). Don't try to follow that logic just make sure that the output volume has not dropped.

White fabric discs are dacron felt.

Four percent charcoal is too little. Since you did not describe the order of packing I cannot comment further.There seems to be some problem with your grammar. I will guess at the meaning of this item and say that filter media should not be mixed together. This may occur if a plastic or metal disc is not placed on top of the felt.

Nobody is an expert on packing a filter, at least I have not met one. Opinions vary. Generally, desiccant versus charcoal percentages run 60/40. That may change if there is a third chemical packed in the same cartridge. It might also change due to some special requirement for low humidity. It may change if there are multiple canisters containing chemicals.

If this is wisdom, please accept it FWIW.

Pesky

 

[pescador775]

You know, sometimes I stare at stuff and think, "why the heck is he doing that". Like, why the question about draining the compressor filtration system through the fill whip.

Well, it might become necessary if there were some kind of mechanical problem but there was a school of thought about 30 years ago which said that condensators would be safer or more efficient to drain if some pressure was let off before opening the drains. The manifold on Bauer fill whips included an orifice that was about 40 thousandths diameter to prevent the fire hose effect.

 

[realdiver7]

pescador775.....I appreciate your reply.

Yes, the O2 supply bottle is essentially beside the fuse box panel and the compressor is underneath the panel right now. The O2 line runs all the way outside to the fresh air intake where the fresh air and O2 meet to travel back into the garage to the mixing stick. This is the way the entire unit was set up by the guy I bought it from because he had a Helium line going directly into the mixing stick and the O2 line going to just underneath the fresh air intake filter. I don't use Helium, so I plugged the Helium intake hole on the mixing stick and left the O2 intake outside on the fresh air intake.

Would it be better if I route the O2 line directly into the top of the mixing stick where the helium supply line used to run, and then plug the O2 line hole underneath the fresh air intake filter?

Regarding the purifier....when I opened the purifier filter, there was a small amount of charcoal mixed into the desiccant in the outer filter tube, and a small amount of desiccant mixed into the charcoal in the inner filter tube. The inner tube only has a dacron felt disc, but it does not have a plastic or metal disc. Could the lack of a metal or plastic disc be the problem with the two materials mixing? It sounds like that is what you are saying.

Thanks!

 

[pescador775]

I would have to hear from the builder to understand the logic of the system. I guess there is no big issue with the O2 line joined with the remote intake. However, that entire intake hose and stik might have to be purged to do an oxygen calibration. I presume the analyzer is located south of the stik. Well, maybe the sensor could be removed and calibrated that way.

filter media should not be mixed together. This may occur if a plastic or metal disc is not placed on top of the felt.

Yep, that's what it says. A little bit of mixing would not be a problem but make sure no "channeling" can occur. A hard disc eliminates the possibility. Take a hole saw and cut some discs from a plastic bucket lid. Drill a dozen or so breathing holes in the disc.

 

[realdiver7]

Good advice pescador775.

Thanks.