Installed or portable in 42' sailboat?

[Dave1981]

Am I right in thinking you're not using a dryer then?

In that case the total humidity in the tank will be the same as the outside air. The only way to keep the tank dry for sure will be to keep it warmer than the ambient temp on the day it was filled. Caribbean can be humid, and water is colder than the air. In this situation you will without fail get condensation in the tank.

You've 2 choices for dry air, either suck from a refrigerated space or use a dryer.

If you want to do a proper test, fill the tank let it cool, vent it and repeat. There will be water in there.

 

[Fishpie]

The Rix has 2 condensate drains....one between the first and second stages and one between 2 and 3.
Rix advertises its SA units as being able to be used without the final desiccating filter.
Since I won't be diving in cold water (freezing problem) and not using steel tanks I don't expect to have a problem with not using a filter....we'll see.
Even if I do get a few drops of distilled water in the bottom of the tank I don't see that as being a show stopper.

 

[Fishpie]

Just did 5 quick fills and drains on a Al 63.
Average fill time 16 to 17 mins......not great as it works out just under 4cfm.
Did a water dump every 10 min.
On the last drain spun off the tank valve and found no water.
Weather conditions....hot and humid.

Next job is to take a squirty bottle of suds and look for leaks under the shroud and water traps and see if I can work out what rpm it's running at.

 

[frogman62]

Fishpie, IF you can -- consider a gas powered compressor. I have sold numerous units to boat owners over the years and they are extremely reliable compressors. These are military Kidde compressors that will pump to 4500 psi, powered by a Honda 5.5 HP industrial engine. They have a large moisture trap with auto drain on shut down and with a bauer type filter, and easily provide better than grade E air. You can run them one hour with out draining the moisture trap and they can certainly fill a bank if you have one. Look at the scubaboard customers that have purchased my compressors and ask them about reliability and service.
My web site is <sheldensportinggoods.com> My compressors are in use from Connecticut to Florida and Alaska to California and in Canada
Jim Shelden
316-992-0505

 

[Fishpie]

Thank Jim.
The SA-6 I just got is powered by a Subaru Robin 7.5hp petrol engine.
I had a look at your WK compressors....nice packages that I would have considered once it became apparent that I wouldn't get the output I wanted from a 5.5kw gen set.
For me the advantage of the Rix is it's oil less design. No CO or oil coming from the compressor and it looks like I won't need to run any filters. Yes, having to manually dump two water traps every 15 minutes is a pain....but it's not like I'm going to forget it's running, it will be on a small sail boat. I also like the remote fuel tank of the Robin (crank vacuum fuel pump) that means I can put the compressor below (after use) with no petrol in the system.

 

[Dave1981]

Just did 5 quick fills and drains on a Al 63.
Average fill time 16 to 17 mins......not great as it works out just under 4cfm.
Did a water dump every 10 min.
On the last drain spun off the tank valve and found no water.
Weather conditions....hot and humid.

Next job is to take a squirty bottle of suds and look for leaks under the shroud and water traps and see if I can work out what rpm it's running at.

That's not a proper test unless you allow the bottle to cool. Hot air, as it would be in the case of repetitive quick fills can will have a lower relative humidity compared to ambient temp air. A quick dump will still leave the tank hotter than it started and so the air will be dryer in comparison to ambient air. You will only start to get moisture when the temp drops below the fill temp. For this reason you should always use a drier. Also, I'm yet to see a compressor you don't have to drain every 15 mins so I wouldn't stress about that one!