How do you use your compressor/tank?

[Matt247365]

In the past I had been filling guns from the Omega cylinder and re-filling the cylinder every month or two as needed.

Then I read that it's not exactly good to leave a compressor sit idle for that long.



So lately I have been leaving the 75 cu ft tank full and using the Supercharger to fill guns (5 mins from 120-250BAR, Taipan Shorties)

I guess I figure if the compressor goes tits up I'll still have a full cylinder for filling guns.



So what do compressor owners say?

Better to run more frequently for shorter bursts... or?

 

[dizzums]

id say once a month is fine depending on how you prep it to sit .. whatever needs to be done to remove every trace of water internally needs to be done, whether thats running it 'open' with no load or even partial break down of components .. moisture sitting on a valve for instance may corrode it enough it will be toast next time you use it .. and environment also, a dry temp stable indoor environment tends to break things down like seals alot slower than out in a non climate controlled garage ...

 

[Skydivingmiami]

 

I fill my guns from my guppy normally. If my guppy is low, I fill from my 30 min tank.

I try not to fill my guns from my compressor straight to airgun. I did with my mauraders but with my nicer airguns I try not to. As long as it's dry air. I think your good either way. 

 

[napairgunner]

i use my compressor to fill my guns at home and my tanks (2 44cft/ft SCBA) with me when hunting to fill in the field. I think the type of compressor you have would determine how often it should be run. If you hunt or have to shoot at a range then I think tanks are the way to go, if you're primarily a backyard shooter then I think a compressor would be fine if you are both like me then get both!

 

[Long_Gun_Dallas]

I have a yong heng and run it once every couple months. Use my tank to fill. I'll run it all the way down to 150 bar or so before re-filing, it takes a whiiile to get a 9 litre tank that low. At least when you shoot 7-16 fpe guns

 

[hawkeye69]

I own an Omega compressor but no tanks. I have 7 guns so I take at least two when I go out; that gives me more than enough shots. I spoke with Todd at EBR a few years ago, and he recommended regular use of the Omega compressor, weekly if possible, rather than letting them sit idle for long periods.

 

[Roachcreek]

My new Altaros set up is just fun for me to 3atch run. I use it two or three times a month to fill my 30 minute bottle from 3500 to 4000 psi. Maybe try filling my guns as it has a accurate shut-off and that way I could use it more often.

About your question, I drain my tanks each use, then leave the drains open. I run 12 inch fans on both my dual CaliforniaAirTool compressors, I had been rejuvenating my desicant media each time, but since going to a second desicant filter that I placed inline, the media is much dryer.

I run my set up in the garage, and I live in a desert.

Roachcreek

 

[Chickenthief]

I run a Texan .50cal and use a lot of air!

I'll get some 45 shots from a 9liter bottle at 330bar to 250bar when it falls out of regulation.



I have a standard Altaros booster for "grunt" work and an Altaros B2B booster for fast work.

I run all my compressor air through 2 seperate 0,5l~½pint sized filters filled with Silica gel. That takes care of more than 95% moisture.

Then i have a 50cc~3cui high pressure scrubber for final control.



Think of it this way , you want 300bar~4500psi of final air pressure.:

You have ambient air at 30% relative humity (whisfull thinking!)

Compress that 10 times (10bar~150psi) and now bang humidity is 300%.

Scrub that back to 30% and going 10X to 100bar~1500psi and you are again at 300% moisture.

Scrub that back to 30% (gets easier with pressure!!!) and you still end up with close to 100% relative humidity.



Now most all professional compressors use a priority valve, back pressure valve or what not. It has a feature where it does not release pressure from the compressor to the bottle/gun below a set pressure typically some 150-170bar~2175-2475psi.

The neat thing is that you force the system to condense humidiry out even though the output pressure does'nt facilitates this. The higher the pressure the more moisture is expelled!

But it still needs a proper HP scrupper!

You cant get enough of clean dry air.

 

[Healthservices]

I have a medium size bottle and with the purchase of this cylinder I get free refills but I'm at least 30 mins away from where I bought my tank. I have plans to purchase a Alkin, have the money set aside for it and I will eventually, however, a couple months back I bought a couple of hand pumps because I wanted to make my own version of a low maintenance pump just for fun. I had just planned to pump the difference in pressure that my tank could not fill when it got low. What's funny is I don't dip into the tank as much because I having too much fun screwing with the hand pump system.

I recently got a Uragan that has a bottle top off pressure of 300 bar. Well basically after the first couple fills from my bottle (Start off pressure of 310) it wont fill to 300 as there isn't 300 bar in the tank anymore. I can easily get the 300 bar with the hand pump. I just need to invest in a better water separator system. Of course doing so will increase the amount of empty volume to fill each time I start pumping. 

 

[triggertreat]

In the past I had been filling guns from the Omega cylinder and re-filling the cylinder every month or two as needed.

Then I read that it's not exactly good to leave a compressor sit idle for that long.



So lately I have been leaving the 75 cu ft tank full and using the Supercharger to fill guns (5 mins from 120-250BAR, Taipan Shorties)

I guess I figure if the compressor goes tits up I'll still have a full cylinder for filling guns.



So what do compressor owners say?

Better to run more frequently for shorter bursts... or?

That's a good question I don't know the answer to. For the last four years I have been filling tanks and using those. I have never filled any of my five airguns directly. IMHO, that is running the compressor on and off more, which might not be ideal. With two larger tanks, I may not run the compressor again for a month or two depending how much I am shooting, which is not so much this year compared to past years. I use the AV 4500 compressor. I have not had any issues with using it this way. I usually run the compressor between 30 and 45 minutes depending on how much is needed to top back off a tank to 4500 psi.

 

[Roachcreek]

Before I run mine,I check with the USA Air Quality Index online which has a site at our small airport. and I have a very nice and inaccurate humidify gauge that I would toss, but it has a thermometer also. If it is under 30% and very cool, I make air.



I have those two Alliexpress filters Henrik recommended, plus the filters in my Altaros metal cabinet, desicant filters are a must, but there is work to do before you start that 4500 psi compressor. I cool my 4500 psi compressor with it’s built in air hog cooling system. I cool each CAT with its own with 12 inch fans, they keep my hottest of the 4 cylinders heads on my CAT’s to 130F, however that 130F is not at that temperature, which I consider low as does the tech guy at CAT, but within 2 or 3 minutes after reaching pressure and before the CAT’s start again, the compressor heads are cooked to almost room temperature. The fanc also blow on the tanks intake hose that makes additional heat.



Fact is, water is bad for your airgun, but heat is the worst enemy your 4500 psi compressor has, plus heat makes water and as Henrik explained, it makes a lot of water.

’The Altaros Booster is designed to run it’s shop compressor or in my case compressors, which in reality is the first stage, at a 60/40 ratio, 60% of the time the shop compressors is shut off, 40 % it is on, this allows it to cool, and by cooling, you produce less water.



which is why my ratio I use and strived for is 70/30.

Regards,



Roachcreek

 

[bubblerboy64]

I don’t understand how running the compressor more frequently solves the concerns. Assuming that condensation is the problem it would occur immediately after using the compressor (or within a very short period of time) So if that’s happening the only change is how old is the water in the in the unit. Does it make a difference? I know you don’t want water in the thing but are you affectively changing things by running more frequently. Facts are if there is a way the water can evaporate better to let it sit. It’s in the details. If you are circulating oil to prevent rust then it would seem you would have to run the compressor really often. Not just once every week. Or is there something I’m not seeing. It’s like old cars. People think starting them once in a while solves the problem. Probably the worst you can do. If you start the car drive it for a good run. Take it out and but 25 miles on it or store it ( properly) and let it sit.

 

[Roachcreek]

This may or may not clear things up, and bear in mind this can be construed as real world experience or anecdotal evidence and again it is all about heat.



I filled my 30 minute minute bottle from 3500 ish to just past 4100 psi twice this week.

First day, It was cool out, 72 degrees, humidity was in the 20’s and I had my new filters installed as shown, I had very little water after first fill, the filters after the fill and the desicant media both felt and looked dry per color after the fill. When I drained the compressor tanks, there was very little sign of moisture.

Then I changed tanks on my Kratos and the 30 minute bottle only got the cf bottle to 3200 psi, so I needed to fill my bottle once again.

This time, it was later in the morning and warmer, the humidity was lower also. After the fill, I decided to change out my desicant in all three filters and replace the media with new media. The first filters paper filter was moist and when I poured the contents into a plastic bottle for rejuvenating later some of the media stuck to the sides of the clear plastic .

I had run the same amount of time, checked head temperutes during the fill, one head was a few degrees warmer than the rest, but totally being cooled by the 2, 12 inch fans setting above the compressor heads to cool them. The filters worked as designed and absorbed the moisture. When I bled the scba tank line, there was no spitting of moisture, but when I bled the two compressor tanks, the air was moist and darkened the concrete floor.

I had made more water, the only difference I could determine was a higher ambient temperature.



Now all during this fill, I was doing push-up /chin up burpees 20 feet away, so the entire time I was montering the system, and COULD have just filled the Kratos cf tank directly from the Altaros booster and had a much shorter run time, resulting in less moisture from warmer air.

I already had the ‘heat cooks compressors’ lesson long ago, which is why my system is designed the way it is with a lot of cooling, so it was just a refresher course on warmer air making more water, and why I may just need to fill the rifles directly from the booster during the warmer weather. 

So this could be construed as shorter run times produce less water and less heat for my system.

Regards,



Roachcreek