Question Building a Hookah Dive Compressor System: Gas or Electric?

[CodFishHead]

Moved to FL and decided I need to have a hookah system to do shallow dives, spearfishing, scalloping, and so on. I own a brewery so I already have all the SS quick disconnects, food grade hoses, multi stage regs, filters, and so on. I also have a bunch of scuba equipment I can convert to accept the air lines.


Not looking to reinvent the wheel I'm wondering who has done this and what oil less compressor you are using. Debating the gas and electric as well. I see pros and cons for both. Gas has much more power, more costly, possible exhaust issues are def a concern.
Electric is cheaper, less power, quieter, no boat needed to haul around.


I’m looking to go 30 foot or so max with two people on the same compressor. I want something that’s not struggling. I’m think at least I need 15bars pressure to insure nothing is stressed.

What compressor did you use for your build?

If electric what is your source of power? Small or large battery? How long does it last?

Appreciate any and alll help.

Thank you

Jay

 

[tbone1004]

I would start down this thread first

$50 Harbor Freight hookah system testing

Well after seeing many threads and now hearing from my local dive shop about people hookah diving with a $40 Harbor Freight compressor and a cheap PVC air hose I had to try for myself, I did as many threads say cleaned out the tank and hose using simple green and then properly sanitized, most...

scubaboard.com

You don't say what you are going to be using it from so it's hard to make any specific recommendations to AC, DC, or Gasoline power for the pump but I would dig through the above thread and some others on here as the information won't have changed

 

[CodFishHead]

I would start down this thread first

$50 Harbor Freight hookah system testing

Well after seeing many threads and now hearing from my local dive shop about people hookah diving with a $40 Harbor Freight compressor and a cheap PVC air hose I had to try for myself, I did as many threads say cleaned out the tank and hose using simple green and then properly sanitized, most...

scubaboard.com

You don't say what you are going to be using it from so it's hard to make any specific recommendations to AC, DC, or Gasoline power for the pump but I would dig through the above thread and some others on here as the information won't have changed

Thank you

Sorry for the late response. The petri dish ship. I mean the cruise ship we went on was kind enough to get me and over a dz of my friends sick. Flu rocked me. I haven’t had the sniffles since I kicked covid’s butt in 2019 before it was even announced in the states. This new RVS Flu is a strong. Also out of the blue someone walked into my brewery and literally dropped a suitcase of cash in front of me. Couldn’t resist the offer so as of next week my brewery is sold.

As for what I plan on using it from or off of, that is, or I could say was still up in the air. I have a fishing boat and a pontoon boat I can put whatever on. Although I also wanted to float it on a tube so when I want to take the Jeep and run a couple hours south and not bring a boat, I could use it for hunting Megalodon teeth down near Venice. At this point I’m pretty sure I’m going gas. Max depth I’ll be hunting in is around 30’. I don’t want the equipment to struggle with two people working in that depth. Gas def has the power to insure that.
Now floating a gas heavy compressor is def a concern. But I think I can make a stable enough platform to insure a wave or wake won't dunk it if I go in off a beach.

 

[CodFishHead]

Went over that post. I’m not in the same boat as far as the thought process. As an
engineer that has worked with plastic expert for three decades, Nasa air quality test on a single brand new just cleaned device is not a test at all. I used to get hammered for putting my plastic half filled water bottles in the freezer. Cleaning metal tanks with simple green? Whacked. Tanks would need to be cleaned after and before every use and should be done like cleaning any other metal. With a Acetone. Safety overrides cost for me. I can see the attraction to a 40 dollar harbor freight setup with gas station air hoses and cheap connectors. But over time just about everything I read in that post is a huge health risk.

Breathing out of a non-food-grade hose can be dangerous for several reasons:
Chemical leaching: Non-food-grade hoses may be made from materials that contain harmful chemicals, such as plasticizers, heavy metals, or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These chemicals can leach out into the air you breathe, causing irritation, allergic reactions, or even more serious health problems.

• Bacterial growth: Moisture from your breath can create a favorable environment for bacteria to grow inside the hose. This can lead to respiratory infections if you inhale the bacteria-laden air.
• Physical hazards: Some non-food-grade hoses are not designed for breathing and may have rough surfaces or small openings that can irritate your airways or block the flow of air.

Therefore, it's important to always use a food-grade hose for anything that comes into contact with your breath, such as scuba diving equipment, medical ventilation devices, or even decorative hoses used in aquariums. Food-grade hoses are made from materials that are safe for human contact and are less likely to harbor harmful bacteria or chemicals.
I’ll be using food grade lines, gas power to illiminate the need for a tank, SS everything (salt water and electrolysis kill metals)

When I’m done I’ll post my build with cost and a parts list for anyone wanting to travel down the safe road.

Thank you for your help.



Anyone have a gas powered dive compressor they could recommend?

 

[Gone for diving]

Just a dumb question? Do you enjoy building things? If so go for it,

But everything you have said so far,

Why don't you buy one commercially made? You're going to spend more making your own, especially if you are building to the specs you are saying...

 

[greeniguana]

Therefore, it's important to always use a food-grade hose for anything that comes into contact with your breath, such as scuba diving equipment, medical ventilation devices, or even decorative hoses used in aquariums. Food-grade hoses are made from materials that are safe for human contact and are less likely to harbor harmful bacteria or chemicals.
I’ll be using food grade lines, gas power to illiminate the need for a tank, SS everything (salt water and electrolysis kill metals)

I've been diving 37 years. Never heard of a food grade LP scuba hose.

 

[tbone1004]

@CodFishHead if you're going with a gas, honestly just buy a Brownies. It's not worth it to try to recreate that wheel IMO. It's one thing on the electric side where you just pick the right pump and figure out how to power it, but trying to find the right head to mount to the right motor is just not worth it. There are two of them on Craigslist now for under $2k complete with the main downlines, splitters, regulators, etc. and you aren't going to build one cheaper than that. It's the defacto system for commercial operations and we use them regularly for AAUS scientific diving operations and while the new ones are crazy expensive at $3k+, the used ones aren't so bad

 

[Waterwulf]

I've been diving 37 years. Never heard of a food grade LP scuba hose.

I think he's probably talking about the difference between industrial type air hoses like used in work shops and life support air hoses.

We had a place with a pool and I needed to scrub the bottom on it. I set up a Hookah Rig using using a "clean" air compressor supplying an old second stage. It and thirty pounds of lead worked well enough to allow me to crawl around and scrub the bottom. It did have a problem though. I used an air hose from my shop for the air line. It was brand new and unused but it was not "Food Grade" by a long shot.

I spent a couple of hours on the bottom of my pool and the next three days trying to scrape the taste out of my mouth with a plastic spoon. Rinsing with a cup full of really really hot hot sauce finally did the trick. Yeah, there's a difference between "food grade" life support hoses and shop hoses.

 

[happy-diver]

BARFELL Divers Air Breathing Hose 10mm

BARFELL Divers Air Breathing Hose 10mm

hosefactory.com.au

 

[CodFishHead]

I've been diving 37 years. Never heard of a food grade LP scuba hose.

Googl it. There's tons. I just sold my brewery. Food grade anything means no leaching of toxins. Safe to use to brterath out iof unlike an air hose that most people use