Can I fill tanks?

[SpiderBiter1234567]

I've been interested in arranging my own scuba trips rather than always going to a dive shop. There's a lot I need to learn before attempting this. One question I have is - Am I allowed to buy/fill my own air tanks? What type of certification is needed and how do I obtain it? What about filling O2 for rebreathers? Can I do that to?

Thanks a lot for your help!!

 

[coldsmoke]

What specifically are you asking?

If you are asking if you are allowed to fill your own tanks then have at it. There's no laws/rules preventing you from doing so. However, without the proper knowledge you might be a danger to yourself and others.

Based on your questions it seems like you have a lot to learn. Handling compressed air can be dangerous and handling O2 under pressure is that much more dangerous.

Another thing to consider is the cost. You are looking at several thousand dollars to get set up to fill scuba cylinders on a personal level. Much more to do it commercially. You will also have annual maintenance and consumable costs which are not trivial.

I suggest the first thing you do is buy The Oxyhackers Companion from Airspeed Press. Found here:
Vance Harlow's OXYGEN HACKER'S COMPANION From AIrspeed Press

It's a great place to start.

Hunter

 

[Daveo957]

If your asking questions like that, there is no way you should be attempting to use a rebreather.

 

[masterof0]

To expand on what was provided by coldsmoke, a personal, "air breathable" compressor will only scrub he air from impurities and make it safe for breathing from a compressed air cylinder. The cost of these starts around the 3K mark and definitely takes some training and maintenance to use. If you are wanting to get into O2, that is a whole different can of worms (and the associated costs sky rocket). Even is you only want to purchase pure 02 and do transfills, you will still have to be certified to get pure 02. Most fill stations will require a minimum of an 02 provider certfication.

I am sure there will be differing opinions to your question, but I would suggest you start by purchasing your own tanks and rely on your shop/fill station. At 5-10 a fill, that is a lot of fills to pay for a compressor. This will still give you the flexibility to do your own trip planning and plenty of time to do the research to determine if you really want to make the investment in the equipment necessary to do your own fills.

Even if you don't want to purchase your own tanks, you are still free to do your own trip planning and just rent the tanks as needed. As long as you have your c-card, you can rent tanks on an as needed basis and don't have to travel with the dive shop.

The other thing to keep in mind is that if you are planning dive trips outside of driving distance, it is very unlikely you will be traveling with your tanks anyway. You will take your gear and rent tanks and weights onsite. So if that is what you are referring to, then no need to make any investment, just keep renting tanks.

Just my two cents

 

[JBRES1]

First off, Welcome to the board.
Now that we got that out of the way.
1) fill out your profile, it helps others gauge how to respond.
2) Filling your own cylinders is fine, that is if you know what you are doing.
The cost to do so, is a whole nother story. If you plan to fill your own cylinders,
plan to spend about $4,000.00 to $7,000.00 to get set up. Also figure on the annual cost to maintain the compressor and filters, to the tune of about $100.00 to $200.00 .
3)Filling o2 is again going to cost you. First you would need to learn how to work with o2 , and blending it with compressed air. You would need to get an o2 bottle from a local gas company, pay a monthly rental fee for the cylinder, have all your cylinders o2cleaned, and get o2 filling equipment.

All of the above sounds kinda simple, but there is alot that goes into learning how to work with compressed gas.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't give a fill system a try, what I am saying is that a fill system is a big step that should be taken with care. Learn as much about the system you plan to build before you start, and figure out if the cost of the system is worth it.

I have my own fill station, and am very happy that I built it. Is it less costly than going to the local shop, not by a long shop.. It would be cheaper to buy alot more tanks and have them filled at the shop, and have them ready to go when you are.

Would I do it again, sure I would.
I like to know as much about what I am diving with as I can, and tinkering with my gear is the next best thing to using it to dive.

Good luck, Jim Breslin

 

[crpntr133]

Owning your own compressor is a convenience. Your not going to save much per fill unless you figure your time and gas for the vehicle. It still isn't a big saving, just a convenience. Can you fill tanks yes. O2 as mentioned, totally different and not something that I want to do.

Wondering what filling your own tanks has to do with not arranging trips through your LDS.

 

[IceBergSlim]

I've been interested in arranging my own scuba trips rather than always going to a dive shop. There's a lot I need to learn before attempting this. One question I have is - Am I allowed to buy/fill my own air tanks? What type of certification is needed and how do I obtain it? What about filling O2 for rebreathers? Can I do that to?

Thanks a lot for your help!!

Yes you are allowed to buy and fill your own tanks.

No it does not require any special cert.

Yes you can fill your own rebreather tanks.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

As suggested above getting a copy of Vanve Harlow's The Oxyhackers Companion is a good idea.

New compessors can be quite expensive, but a used or mil surplus compressor suitably modified can be obtained for about half the cost of a new one.

A small portable 3.5 to 4.0 cu ft compressor can be had for around $2500 ready to fill tanks. Given that this is the lower end, it is still obviouisly not cheap and you will want to weight the cost of having your own compressor versus buying 10 or 12 tanks.

Compressors require maintenence like oil changes - usually at least every 25 hours, and filters require testing of the gas plus repacking or replacement after a given number of cubic feet and moisture separators need frequent draining. Plus with a gas operated compressor you need to know enough about routing the intake to prevent the compressor from injesting it's own carbon monoxide.

 

[SpiderBiter1234567]

Hey all, thanks for the responses. I appreciate it. Actually, maybe I asked my question the wrong way or the message got screwed along the way.

I am definitely not in any position to buy/handle equipment for filling tanks. I was just wondering if I am able to maybe own my own air tanks and take them into a facility to have them refilled.

I like the idea of being able to go diving with a buddy and cut out the costs of always going through a dive site. That's the direction I'm going with this, but I'm a long way off from doing it because I need to learn how to procure equipment, find a dive site on my own, and ensure the safety of my trips.

Thanks again all!

 

[JBRES1]

Ok, now your talking normal stuff.
Sure , you can and should own your own tanks.
Do you own your own gear, reg, mask fins and such ? If not this should be purchased before tanks.
Owning your own gear is the best way to get into doing more diving.

Again what is your location ?

For gear purchases check out Scubatoys.com , you can get most anything you want there.

Good luck, Jim Breslin