Financial planning, compressor

[VikingDives]

I have a 60 Amp welding circuit I can "tie" into

Single phase, I assume? You might want to look at the coltri mch 8 or 11. I have an mch 6 that I'm pretty happy with, but it's not beefy enough to fill stage bottles. Some people on here don't like coltri, but I haven't seen much evidence that they are any worse than any other compressor.

 

[RayfromTX]

1/2 way through reading your post in the back of my mind was water cooler, maybe a nice sprayed mist, or a large fan.... so I'm glad that was in there! (I do run a large fan blowing into the fan on the compressor for added cooling).

I do try to learn and stop and smell the roses by the things that are around me, especially in today's age when it's a "what's next, I need more" type of attitude.

So when the air travels into the coalescer I would assume it's a lot like an expansion valve in an AC system? As it enters it cools and consolidates (not sure if that's the right word?) the moisture droplets and they fall out / get stuck together / trapped on the walls?

Edit: Also wanted to ask; I work in an office upstairs of the shop that is conditioned, would it be better to run the intake for the compressor into the office so it see's conditioned air? I've always planned on filling early / late when things are cooled off, but if conditioned / dry air would make a huge difference then I can do that. The compressor itself would still be on the shop floor though, it would just be the intake hose / solberg filter ran there.

In our PM you described a large shop fan. That's fine but better is higher velocity more concentrated air movement. I have a small tornado fan the same diameter as the cooling shroud which I place in front of and lined up with the compressor to greatly increase air flow through the shroud. They also compromised cooling for safety with the fan shroud assembly. You should never operate the unit with the fan cover removed but I do. I'm the only one here when pumping. These two measures lowered head external temperatures measured by an infrared tester by more than 20 degrees f I have never run it in elevated outdoor temperatures so I can't tell you what the impact is for running it in a friendly environment.

It is loud. Use very good hearing protection. It will still irritate my tinnitus and I use shooting muffs and sometimes plugs as well.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

In our PM you described a large shop fan. That's fine but better is higher velocity more concentrated air movement. I have a small tornado fan the same diameter as the cooling shroud which I place in front of and lined up with the compressor to greatly increase air flow through the shroud. They also compromised cooling for safety with the fan shroud assembly. You should never operate the unit with the fan cover removed but I do. I'm the only one here when pumping. These two measures lowered head external temperatures measured by an infrared tester by more than 20 degrees f I have never run it in elevated outdoor temperatures so I can't tell you what the impact is for running it in a friendly environment.

It is loud. Use very good hearing protection. It will still irritate my tinnitus and I use shooting muffs and sometimes plugs as well.

This what I'm using at the moment;

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commerc...NeRVeCnWYeafN1j4fzwaAv1XEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

If you think there's something that I could get that would be better please post a link.

Thanks!

 

[RayfromTX]

Pumping Nitrox - YouTube

• RayfromTX
• Aug 18, 2017

Filling the cascade with 32% while transfilling four scuba tanks

At the beginning of this video you can see the little vornado fan I use. It is a bit more concentrated in its output and I have it lined up exactly with the cooling shroud.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Pumping Nitrox - YouTube

• RayfromTX
• Aug 18, 2017

Filling the cascade with 32% while transfilling four scuba tanks

At the beginning of this video you can see the little vornado fan I use. It is a bit more concentrated in its output and I have it lined up exactly with the cooling shroud.

Man do I like your setup.... I'm about 1/2 or maybe 1/3 of the way there, lol.

I'll look for a fan like that. The one I use is a bit overkill, but I'll still use it to blow the exhaust away.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I found this one;

https://www.amazon.com/Vornado-Mid-...5&keywords=vornado+fan&qid=1623414418&sr=8-13

Edit: @formernuke I apologise if this feels like a thread jack... if you'd like us to move elsewhere please let us know. I didn't mean to... just got carried away.. Who knows maybe you're learning some stuff along the way like me and don't mind?

 

[rjack321]

From 2010
how temperature and humidity affects a compressor filter
This thread states the reality pretty clearly.

Think about the physics of it. This is beyond the psychrometric chart but it's the same concept. Air holds what air holds. As the temperature rises air can hold more water molecules. As it is compressed, the molecules are forced closer together and they condense out. As they cool they condense out further. The coalescer separates out the liquid water and the water vapor remaining, which is based on pressure and temperature goes on to the desiccant in the filter. You should then be at less than -90f dew point, at least in the air I pump.

I run my compressor indoors not because the air it breathes is cooler but because the compressor itself is cooler. I also blow a fan across the coils to help cool it a bit more. This results in measured lower head temperatures and obviously lower air output from the compressor which means greater separation and removal before the filter ever sees it.

Damn who was that smart guy 11 years ago?

 

[formernuke]

Ok, update

I'm thinking no bank and running the compressor in my gear storage/ workout room. Still not planning on doing my own nitrox for now but things might change.

Keeping the compressor in the dive room also means I can unload the car rinse the tanks and then fill them while I'm right there rinsing the rest of the gear and draining filters etc.

Right now I'm looking at and Alkin system. Bit more than coltri but seem higher quality.

 

[happy-diver]

and increase the aggravation of that post dive ache you may be having
and really increase the foothold, of any tinnitus you may be developing