Having My own air compressor
- Thread starter myself
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
100days-a-year
Contributor
It all depends on the valuation you put on your time and how much usage the compressor will get.
Some people don't get the concept that there are others whose time is valuable enough to make home compressors viable even at seemingly outrageous costs.
Do your due diligence and don't settle for a POS just to have one, the novelty of having a compressor is soon overwhelmed by the problems cutting corners will bring.
Some people don't get the concept that there are others whose time is valuable enough to make home compressors viable even at seemingly outrageous costs.
Do your due diligence and don't settle for a POS just to have one, the novelty of having a compressor is soon overwhelmed by the problems cutting corners will bring.
No oil lubricated compressor is designed to produce breathing quality air by itself. The air must be properly filtered before it can be used as breathing air. I get a chuckle when people mention using "food grade oil".
Completely incorrect.
Any properly designed breathing air compressor should produce oxygen compatible breathing air with zero filtration provided it has clean incoming air.
The mechanical separators should remove all of the oil and moisture leaving nothing but clean breathing air. The filters are there for an instance of contaminated intake air and as a last ditch should a failure occur upstream.
If your compressor is not passing for OCA without filters installed, you have an issue that needs to be addressed.
You missed the very important part that said " with clean incoming air."
No manufacturer can guarantee what air will be coming in to the compressor, so they can't say it will be breathing air coming out without filtration.
Every manufacturer will say it should NOT be adding hydrocarbons simply by running the compressor.
I didn't advocate for removing filtration, I basically said it should be the same air quality coming out as going in without filtration. Technically better as it has removed the moisture.
**I re-read your post, I read it incorrectly the first time. You are correct, it SHOULD be going through filtration to be called breathing air, my point was you can have breathing air without filtration.**
jmcgilroy
Contributor
The thread kind of took a turn...but back to the OP's question about those Chinese $400 compressors. My opinion is "NO WAY". I recently did a visual inspection on a tank that was being filled by one of these (gold prospector, who used it in rivers at no more than 3-4 ft depth) The tank interior was coated in a paste that looked and felt like silicone grease. After a conversation with him, we agreed it couldn't have come from anywhere else but the compressor. I don't have any information on the brand or type of lubricant it used but WOW! Coltri MCH6, Bauer Jr. or MaxAir 35 would be the smallest I'd ever consider for your needs.
I thought of getting my own comp just because I get tired of timing dives around shop hours.
In the end I decided it was sort of worth it because otherwise I'd literally never interact with anyone over diving except for the odd service tech maybe.
Also, I can't really justify the expense of a compressor.
As jmcgilroy mentions above. I was looking at the Coltri's. They seem ideal.
In the end I decided it was sort of worth it because otherwise I'd literally never interact with anyone over diving except for the odd service tech maybe.
Also, I can't really justify the expense of a compressor.
As jmcgilroy mentions above. I was looking at the Coltri's. They seem ideal.
A Max Air 35 is a a Coltri MCH6. Ask Claudio if he still runs the case hardened, lower end connecting rod bearings on the soft steel of the crank shaft without races. Just saying.
In the end a compressor is a large investment, but your reasons for wanting to frequent the LDS are the same reasons I want to stay away, lol.. I meet the best people when actually diving, but it always seems like I meet the egotistical a-holes that have dove to infinity and beyond at the shop... my vote is to be there as least as possible.
I've been to some cool shops.. just not in this area. I feel like around here they're all tripping over each other to sell another class or another gizmo you don't really need.
I enjoy being independent of the shop. I get to make my own hours and I don't have to kiss anybody's butt to get good fills.
Similar threads
