Lets have a talk about filters

[broncobowsher]

There are plenty of discussions about compressors. And generally there is a line in it about "you need a good filter". So lets talk filters. Don't really care what compressor is pushing air into the filter (yes, it matters a little, but that should only be a side note in this discussion). This is about the filtering systems on dive compressors.

I know a little about them, about enough to know I don't know enough about them. I am sure there are a whole lot of other people around that also don't know the science of the filter that goes between the compressor and the tanks. The good, the bad, the neglected, the maintenance, the costs, and probably a whole lot more. Air goes in, air comes out and goes into the tank to breath. But what really makes a "good filter" a good filter? Or maybe a not so good filter?

 

[tbone1004]

Compressor Filter System Theory - Scuba Engineer

this is well written and explains most of it.

The biggest thing about filters is not actually the filter, it's the water separators. The more water you get out before the filters, the less the filters have to do. Cooling off the gas and getting it into a proper water separator is going to get most everything out of the gas flow but the key there is cooling the gas off. After that the filter towers are all about the same and it's getting the balance of different media sorted which is compressor specific.