Anybody own their own compressor?

[jiveturkey]

There must be a few divers out there who have their own compressor. I was just browsing and I the price seems to put even the cheapest compressor beyond the practical limits for most of us.

Even the ones on Ebay are expensive. Anybody get a good deal on one?

 

[MikeFerrara]

I have a compressor along with all the equipment I need for partial pressure blending.

I originally got a compressor because I had a dive shop. As time went on I became more involved in mixed gas diving so when I closed the shop I never even dreamed of selling the compressor.

If I was doing single gas recreational dives using air or notrox I wouldn't need it. Around here, all the dive site offer fills and most people don't use enough gas to make owning a compressor economical.

In my case though it would be nearly impossible to go do a trimix dive in the great lakes or at the least very time consuming and expensive if I couldn't fill my own.

With that said, it's still convenient and certainly make you more independant.

My plan is to convert to a continuous blending system this winter to make blending easier and faster.

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

Own two.....

www.scubacompressors.com

 

[rwpatterson357]

CincyBengalsFan:

I went to the site you posted and under Fill Stations hyperlink it shows a "Tank Fill Chamber" and says, "For dive shops that fill customers tanks from storage and are trying to avoid "hot fills".

What is a "hot fill"? Any further comments on need for a tank fill chamber welcomed.

thanks,
russ

 

[DeepScuba]

Hot fill:

Tank filled quickly/creating heat, expanding the gas/pressure. SO when teh tank cools to room temperature, it has, instead of 3000PSI, it has 2750PSI due to the cooling of the gas(es).


Mike:

What's you "raw" cost on Helium per cf ($USD). I'm interested to see the cost differences around the globe.

 

[MikeFerrara]

DeepScuba once bubbled...
Hot fill:

Tank filled quickly/creating heat, expanding the gas/pressure. SO when teh tank cools to room temperature, it has, instead of 3000PSI, it has 2750PSI due to the cooling of the gas(es).


Mike:

What's you "raw" cost on Helium per cf ($USD). I'm interested to see the cost differences around the globe.

I've been paying $80 for 330 cubic feet of grade Zero.

After going broke because of it I started buying industrial grade which is $4x for the same size tank.

Next step is a booster. I have to have a garage full of helium bottles to fill two sets with a high Fhe mix.

 

[CincyBengalsFan]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...


I've been paying $80 for 330 cubic feet of grade Zero.

After going broke because of it I started buying industrial grade which is $4x for the same size tank.

Next step is a booster. I have to have a garage full of helium bottles to fill two sets with a high Fhe mix.

Are you placing a cascade system of some sort in your own home, the garage?

Have you reinforced any walls around the fill station in case the unlikely event of a tank explosion or filter canister housing explosion happens?

Does your home owners insurance know about this? If so, did your rates go up? I mean rates are higher if you have a fireplace in the house..surely they would go up with a fill station in the house.

I just saw where you are talking about getting a booster. Are you thinking of taking some cylinders abover 5-7K PSI in your house?

 

[ScubaJewel]

I have used a small mako from time to time but to be honest I would rather go hang out at the dive shop and talk while I get my tanks filled.

My dive shop usually give me free air anyway making a compressor purchase silly.

Julie

 

[jiveturkey]

CincyBengalsFan once bubbled...


Are you placing a cascade system of some sort in your own home, the garage?

Have you reinforced any walls around the fill station in case the unlikely event of a tank explosion or filter canister housing explosion happens?

Does your home owners insurance know about this? If so, did your rates go up? I mean rates are higher if you have a fireplace in the house..surely they would go up with a fill station in the house.

I just saw where you are talking about getting a booster. Are you thinking of taking some cylinders abover 5-7K PSI in your house?

Jeez. That's a whole bunch of worms I hadn't thought about. I guess you can tack on a few more bucks for insurance costs. The price keeps climbing....

 

[quimby]

Mike why not continuous blend