Distance from compressor to tanks - does it make a difference in speed of fill?

[rob.mwpropane]

It's in the title really; i've been told our compressor is filling more slowly than expected because the tanks are too far away from it, something i've never heard before.

Does anyone have experience in this please? Is it really the case?

Thanks guys, i'm very new to compressor stuff so any help appreciated

Maybe not the most conventional way but I have a digital gauge that I turn on from time to time to see how fast the pressure is rising, I'll also time the compressor fill rate to see if it's still pumping the expected cfm.

I have a small diesel connected to the compressor and it's loud so I wear ear muffs (so it's hard to hear a leak). Twice I've found leaks just by watching the digital gauge and knowing something wasn't right. You'd have to have a baseline how things should be though.

I also routinely run my fingers around the fittings just to make sure. I'm still pretty new at pumping though. I have to babysit the darn thing, might as well make the best of my time.

 

[Johnoly]

I use a 100ft fill whip most of the time that I fill.

EDIT > I re-read your post and see the shut off valve

Near but before the compressor tank fill DIN/Yoke and before the bleeder device,,,do you use a >
* - 1 way valve
* - shut off valve
* - nothing> drain the 100ft hose to switch to the next tank fill

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

At RR we run whips almost 75 yards and its not a problem. Even if the whip was 500 yards away and had no leaks it would not make ANY difference in time to fill.

 

[tbone1004]

EDIT > I re-read your post and see the shut off valve

Near but before the compressor tank fill DIN/Yoke and before the bleeder device,,,do you use a >
* - 1 way valve
* - shut off valve
* - nothing> drain the 100ft hose to switch to the next tank fill

End of the whip
Check Valve, then shutoff valve, then bleed valve *bleed may be integrated into the fill adapter itself*

@Capt Jim Wyatt it does actually make difference in time to fill when you switch over from bank to bank since it has to fill up the volume of gas in the whip. At 75yds you are adding 12cf, so at 100yds you'd be adding in basically an AL80 into the system and when you open the next bank it has to pressurize that full volume. It usually is not a significant amount of time, but it does add time due to volume of the system.

 

[BoltSnap]

it does actually make difference in time to fill when you switch over from bank to bank since it has to fill up the volume of gas in the whip.

He is talking about "perceptible" time here. Hardly any at all.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

it does actually make difference in time to fill when you switch over from bank to bank since it has to fill up the volume of gas in the whip

The whip stays charged always.

 

[tbone1004]

The whip stays charged always.

correct, but when you change from one bank to another it has to charge with the tank. If you go from a 0yd whip to a 75yd whip, it is essentially the same as changing a LP85 to an LP95 when you're filling. Say bank 1 is at 2000psi, which means the whip is going to be at 2000psi, when you open bank 2 that is at 3000psi it has to fill the whip up in addition to the tank that it is connected to and that does increase the time to fill because it has a larger volume that has to be filled. It may not be appreciable on a reasonably short whip like a 75yd one, but you would certainly notice with a 500yd whip

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

but when you change from one bank to another

Its one bank charged to 4500 psi.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Its one bank charged to 4500 psi.

Quick question... I'm assuming you have a regulator at the end of the line? What's that set to to fill 80AL @ RR?

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I'm assuming you have a regulator at the end of the line?

Yes there is a pressure regulator set to 3400 or so.