Of the three PCP's I have now, one seems to hold solid. The other two are loosing pressure, albeit quite slowly. What is normal and to be expected in this hobby?
Air loss- what is to be expected?
- Thread starter steve-kville
- Start date
Very slow leaks are common. Most of the times I've found them to be from the gauge or gauge pressure boundary. If your gun is tight you should see no pressure loss... My Crickets are like that. Put them away at 220 bar, check them in three months and they are still at 220 bar. If you only have a 10 bar every couple of days I wouldn't worry about it... Those very slow leaks can be HARD to find, and usually soapy water won't show leaks that slow.
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I'm comfortable opening up air rifles, so i expect zero loss for my frequency of use. I always keep multiple extra o-rings on hand.
Everything air rifle is a hobby for me, not just shooting air rifles
Everything air rifle is a hobby for me, not just shooting air rifles
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they should have zero loss ... ive noticed my original guns i got 12 years ago had no problems and 'most' of the guns ive bought in the past year since i really got into them have some degree of leakage ive had to fix .. these days poor integrity and general lack of good scruples and quality is pretty much ubiquitous among the complete army of snowflakes that permeate our culture .. as said above though, in most cases it will be a thread on a gauge or fitting thats not sealed well ....
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I'm new to this, and yet have already collected 6 PCP (one pistol, 5 rifles)
Three purchased new, three purchased used, in some cases more than two owners. All shipped.
My location, yard situation, and current workload have made getting out very difficult since August.
So when i checked last weekend I was very pleased to see that still, zero leakage on any of the PCP I have. Even on the LCS where I swapped the 480 for 580 from CHINA" and installed the FX valve with no thread tape, loctite, and only a pair of slip joint pliers... ( I know, bad PCP modder!)
Three purchased new, three purchased used, in some cases more than two owners. All shipped.
My location, yard situation, and current workload have made getting out very difficult since August.
So when i checked last weekend I was very pleased to see that still, zero leakage on any of the PCP I have. Even on the LCS where I swapped the 480 for 580 from CHINA" and installed the FX valve with no thread tape, loctite, and only a pair of slip joint pliers... ( I know, bad PCP modder!)
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I think I am gonna pump them all full this evening and see what I could be loosing in a week's time.
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Steve, if they have lost a measurable amount and you recharge them the temp of the bottle or tube may increase and then return to normal after they rest for a while and if you happen to store them in a cooler room the pressure may find a new normal also, probably lower. You probably already know this but just in case your new to the PCP game something to think about.
BTW, two out of my three hold great but one has a very very slow leak and so far I haven't found exactly where. Not a big deal just yet and knowing my luck it might get worse trying to fix it.
Jking
BTW, two out of my three hold great but one has a very very slow leak and so far I haven't found exactly where. Not a big deal just yet and knowing my luck it might get worse trying to fix it.
Jking
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Remember, the gauges on most if not all guns measurement is in "bar", which is a very gross measurement.
1 bar is equal to 14.503xx PSI.
While 100 bar might not seem like much, if you convert it into PSI, that 100 Bar goes to 1450 PSI.
So that somewhat small, "bar" pressure loss, is actually a considerable amount of pressure.
Mike
1 bar is equal to 14.503xx PSI.
While 100 bar might not seem like much, if you convert it into PSI, that 100 Bar goes to 1450 PSI.
So that somewhat small, "bar" pressure loss, is actually a considerable amount of pressure.
Mike
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When I fill my Fortitude, with a hand pump, I fill to about 3100psi (according to the gauge on the gun) before I stop pumping. After a few short minutes, it is exactly at 3000psi according to the gauge on the gun. Even though I pump slowly, I am fairly certain that the air is heated up and as it cools that explains the small drop in pressure after I stop pumping.
I don't have a compressor, so I can't speak to heated air issues when using them.
It will stay at 3000psi for as long as I don't shoot the gun. Also have a DAR .177 and it is the same. Stable for weeks at the same pressure unless I shoot it.
To each their own, but if one of my PCPs were to continue to lose pressure over time, I would look for the reason why and try to fix it. Slow leaks generally don't get better over time. JMHO
P.S.
If the guns you are having leaking problems with are still under warranty... SEND THEM BACK ASAP! (smile)
I don't have a compressor, so I can't speak to heated air issues when using them.
It will stay at 3000psi for as long as I don't shoot the gun. Also have a DAR .177 and it is the same. Stable for weeks at the same pressure unless I shoot it.
To each their own, but if one of my PCPs were to continue to lose pressure over time, I would look for the reason why and try to fix it. Slow leaks generally don't get better over time. JMHO
P.S.
If the guns you are having leaking problems with are still under warranty... SEND THEM BACK ASAP! (smile)
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My third hand P-rod developed a slow leak. Turned out to be at the pressure gauge. Re-tightened the gauge and no more leak.
My Puncher Breaker developed a fast leak. That was from the burst disk cover. There are two different metals in contact there, and I believe that the threads worked themselves apart due to differential expansion from hot/cold cycles in the garage. A moderate touch with the right sized hex wrench put an end to that leak.
My Puncher Knight developed a leak at the valve face. No way to fix that without a new valve. Now i have several on the shelf.
Thankfully I have my own compressor and leaks are an inconvenience rather than a show-stopper.
Good luck finding your Gremlins!
My Puncher Breaker developed a fast leak. That was from the burst disk cover. There are two different metals in contact there, and I believe that the threads worked themselves apart due to differential expansion from hot/cold cycles in the garage. A moderate touch with the right sized hex wrench put an end to that leak.
My Puncher Knight developed a leak at the valve face. No way to fix that without a new valve. Now i have several on the shelf.
Thankfully I have my own compressor and leaks are an inconvenience rather than a show-stopper.
Good luck finding your Gremlins!
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That's a good thing to do but remember to check them for the first time at a half hour or hour after you pump them up to allow for them to cool down first. That way you get a more accurate reading.
I don't tolerate any leakdown in my guns. If they leak at all I will track it down and put an end to it.
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Put a balloon over the gauge, sealing around the gauge. If it fills, that is the source of your leak. If it does not extend the balloon to cover both the fill port and the gauge. If it fills you may have a check valve that needs cleaning or debris blocking the check valve from closing.
I have done this in the past and it works well. It is also non-invasive.
I have done this in the past and it works well. It is also non-invasive.
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