Fill Station

[Wormil]

Has anyone done a cost analysis of owning a compressor and having a bank of gas to work with for blending trimix, deco gas, etc vs paying by the cubic foot? Cubic foot prices are 0.10 USD for < 40% ; 0.35 USD for > 40% and for trimix (21/35, 10/50).

I'm curious if owning your own compressor, etc has worked out in your favor? Other interesting points are how do you keep the neighbors from complaining, are you banking large amounts of gas, and are you boosting o2, etc to maximize fills.


Thanks,
Worm

 

[sea2summit]

Compressor $5,000
Booster $2,000
O2 $20
HE $130
Having what you want when you want, priceless.

You would have to pump a whole lot to break even and I doubt you'd ever get ahead. Better bet would be to purchase one as a dive club or some such.

 

[Wormil]

I would estimate that it would be used by 4 people weekly and for 2 weeks out of the year it would be used to fill about 20 tanks a day.

The reason we were considering it was the ease of having what we want, when we want. The start-up cost is pretty steep though, and we'd be self funding the project.

 

[sea2summit]

Poor mans way start out with a fill whip and a couple bottles of O2 and HE for your own cascade. Fill your O2 stuff on your own (never get a real fill but enough for most dive plans) then do your own partial pressure stuff with the HE and take it to the LDS for a top with air. The setup would run like $600 with a digital guage and if your doing much mix diving at the rate you describe could pay for itself in a month or two if your diving OC and the neighbors would never know.

 

[dannobee]

One of the things that people ignore is that the compressor, boosters, bank bottles, and such will have residual value if you ever quit diving.

If you shop around and get bargains on the compressor and stuff, you'll likely make money when you're finished.

There is a LOT to be said about having your own fill station. I would never go back.

 

[Cave Diver]

If you're trying to save money, it probably wont work in your favor.

If you're not pumping a large amount of gas it's hard to get past the initial cash outlay. If you are pumping a lot, you need to consider the cost of maintenance, etc. as well.

Convenience is priceless.

 

[Wormil]

Poor mans way start out with a fill whip and a couple bottles of O2 and HE for your own cascade. Fill your O2 stuff on your own (never get a real fill but enough for most dive plans) then do your own partial pressure stuff with the HE and take it to the LDS for a top with air. The setup would run like $600 with a digital guage and if your doing much mix diving at the rate you describe could pay for itself in a month or two if your diving OC and the neighbors would never know.

This we already do. It's the fact that LDS has a schedule they are open, and may have jobs in front of mine, where having my own puts me on my schedule. Which seems to be the priceless part.

One of the things that people ignore is that the compressor, boosters, bank bottles, and such will have residual value if you ever quit diving.

If you shop around and get bargains on the compressor and stuff, you'll likely make money when you're finished.

There is a LOT to be said about having your own fill station. I would never go back.

That sounds good and makes me think I'm really in the right direction here.

If you're trying to save money, it probably wont work in your favor.

If you're not pumping a large amount of gas it's hard to get past the initial cash outlay. If you are pumping a lot, you need to consider the cost of maintenance, etc. as well.

Convenience is priceless.

My initial analysis with rough estimates came out to breaking even or being a little behind after two years of two people doing fifty-two 32% nitrox dives a year, using 50% for deco gas. For us, it's not soo much save money (though I think it would almost cut trimix diving costs in half for us), but about being able to mix what we want, when we want and how we want.

My next round of questions:
Do your neighbors complain about the compressor, is it diesel, gas, or electric?

 

[Wookie]

First of all, you can really save some money by asking around for used gear. You can save even more by being handy. I have 7 or 8 compressors I let folks use with the stipulation that I can have one back the instant I burn one down on the boat. That keeps the compressors working and maintaine, so I know they will work as a spare if I need one. Additionally, the marina I dock in is mostly a marine junkyard. I see 4 or 5 navy surplus HPAC's around, at least some of which can be combined to make a working compressor. The Navy excesses pumps and boosters all the time, that's how I bought my first booster. I found out last week that the NOAA office in Miami has a Masterline booster that they have no need for, don't know how to use, and want to get rid of. With FEMA throwing money around after 9/11, many fire departments in the United States got new 6,000 PSI air fill systems. There is currently a glut of 4500 PSI machines on the used market. I've been buying cascade bottles in the $100 range.

These prices aren't available everywhere, you have to really dig for them. You have to be patient and wait for deals to come along, and you have to get the word out that you are in the market, and you have to have a little cash available (that your wife doesn't care if you spend) so you can close a deal when you see one. I would not consider a going out of business dive shop to be a source of bottles or pumps, they are trying to squeeze as much out of their assetts as they can. If I wanted my own pump, I'd wander around fire stations in rural areas until I found one. Again, the more mechanical you are, the better deal you will find. Be sure to study up on what is available, you will be hard pressed to find parts for the old military surplus Worthington and Ingersoll-Rand pumps, but anything with a Bauer, Mako, or Eagle sticker on it should be OK to have parts availability for a while at least.

About the neighbors. Can't help you there, boss. I have friends who keep their fill stations in industrial buildings or warehouses owned by their friends. There are a few reasons for this, the major one being that most compressor motors are 3 phase, and it is rare indeed that a house has 3 phase service. I have the only house I've ever heard of that has 3 phase power, and I don't use it for anything but air conditioning. another is that insurance inspectors don't usually care if an industrial facility has an industrial process, but your homeowners carrier might just give a damn when you blow the roof off the garage.

 

[Wormil]

First of all, you can really save some money by asking around for used gear. You can save even more by being handy. I have 7 or 8 compressors I let folks use with the stipulation that I can have one back the instant I burn one down on the boat. That keeps the compressors working and maintaine, so I know they will work as a spare if I need one. Additionally, the marina I dock in is mostly a marine junkyard. I see 4 or 5 navy surplus HPAC's around, at least some of which can be combined to make a working compressor. The Navy excesses pumps and boosters all the time, that's how I bought my first booster. I found out last week that the NOAA office in Miami has a Masterline booster that they have no need for, don't know how to use, and want to get rid of. With FEMA throwing money around after 9/11, many fire departments in the United States got new 6,000 PSI air fill systems. There is currently a glut of 4500 PSI machines on the used market. I've been buying cascade bottles in the $100 range.

These prices aren't available everywhere, you have to really dig for them. You have to be patient and wait for deals to come along, and you have to get the word out that you are in the market, and you have to have a little cash available (that your wife doesn't care if you spend) so you can close a deal when you see one. I would not consider a going out of business dive shop to be a source of bottles or pumps, they are trying to squeeze as much out of their assetts as they can. If I wanted my own pump, I'd wander around fire stations in rural areas until I found one. Again, the more mechanical you are, the better deal you will find. Be sure to study up on what is available, you will be hard pressed to find parts for the old military surplus Worthington and Ingersoll-Rand pumps, but anything with a Bauer, Mako, or Eagle sticker on it should be OK to have parts availability for a while at least.

About the neighbors. Can't help you there, boss. I have friends who keep their fill stations in industrial buildings or warehouses owned by their friends. There are a few reasons for this, the major one being that most compressor motors are 3 phase, and it is rare indeed that a house has 3 phase service. I have the only house I've ever heard of that has 3 phase power, and I don't use it for anything but air conditioning. another is that insurance inspectors don't usually care if an industrial facility has an industrial process, but your homeowners carrier might just give a damn when you blow the roof off the garage.

Amazing! Thanks for the really good info about where to look, it never occurred to me to check them out.

(To add to the triple phase power part, I seem to recall my father having a schematic a EE we knew drew up for him using only a couple of large caps (LOLLARGE) to convert the 220 line into a triple phase 220 line).

 

[gitterdun]

Compressor $5,000
Booster $2,000

That depends on the compressor and booster that you get.

Having what you want when you want, priceless.

Amen to that.

I'm not sure about the whole saving money aspect. It certainly does save on Trimix fills.

The convenience factor is extremely high.