Official Thread - Alkin owners - check in!

[markT]

@markT I hope you make as close to a full recovery from surgery as possible. You’re not dumb. If in doubt, ask. I don’t blame you for being cautious. I was the same way. These compressors are expensive. I bugged a few people for help, but all were gracious in assisting me. Even an Alkin employee who is no longer with the company.

Appreciate that. I’ve been around compressed air most of my career and fully understand and respect the amount of energy we are dealing with. Yes, they are expensive and I’m very happy I spent the extra $$$$ for something I don’t have to work on. At least I hope not to. I was so excited when I did my first full for my neighbor. Not as much fun as making contact with a starling with a 18 gr JSB, but exciting.

 

[elittle1234]

Just got mine a few weeks ago. Noticed the hour meter wasn't working and contacted alkin. They asked me to check the voltage to the meter. Trying to open the panel i snapped a piece of the power switch off, only to find that the power wire to the meter had been smashed flat between the panel and the body during install.

Voltage to the meter was 248v, not the 24v they said it should be. I sent them a photo of the smashed wire and they asked me to try fixing it.

There is nothing I like more than spending $6000 almost and it shows up not working, was never QC checked at the factory, then I'm expected to fix something that should have been working in the first place.

This seems to be the new standard for pretty much every company now. Build it, if it breaks tell the customer to fix it, but hopefully it works! No point in making sure at the factory it works, why spend the extra time and money.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Just got mine a few weeks ago. Noticed the hour meter wasn't working and contacted alkin. They asked me to check the voltage to the meter. Trying to open the panel i snapped a piece of the power switch off, only to find that the power wire to the meter had been smashed flat between the panel and the body during install.

Voltage to the meter was 248v, not the 24v they said it should be. I sent them a photo of the smashed wire and they asked me to try fixing it.

There is nothing I like more than spending $6000 almost and it shows up not working, was never QC checked at the factory, then I'm expected to fix something that should have been working in the first place.

This seems to be the new standard for pretty much every company now. Build it, if it breaks tell the customer to fix it, but hopefully it works! No point in making sure at the factory it works, why spend the extra time and money.

@elittle1234 Do you know where the closest service center is? Proximity to a service center was a factor I considered before purchasing. I wouldn’t want to work on an expensive new compressor like that. That’s what warranties are for.

 

[elittle1234]

They said they will send me a replacement hour meter. Maybe that works? If it's supposed to be getting 24v and it's getting 248v idk lol. I can buy a quartz 248v hour meter for 36$ and solve the issue quicker than scheduling a service.

I hope the replacement works. Alkin seems to be a well liked company. I love the compressor and they answer my emails in minutes, so it would be nice if it works.

I think i need to lower my caffeine intake by a lot.

 

[elittle1234]

@elittle1234 Do you know where the closest service center is? Proximity to a service center was a factor I considered before purchasing. I wouldn’t want to work on an expensive new compressor like that. That’s what warranties are for.

No. That probably would have been a smart thing to do though right?

 

[Ezana4CE]

No. That probably would have been a smart thing to do though right?

@elittle1234 I looked and didn’t see an Alkin service center in the San Francisco Bay Area. I don’t know if you have a diving industry in your area, but if there is you may want to find a shop that services breathing air compressors so if your compressor needs service and you’re out of warranty you have options. While that compressor is under warranty I suggest you use it. Alkin should not charge you shipping for warranty repair since they sent you a defective unit. BE SURE TO FILL OUT AND MAIL IN YOUR WARRANTY AGREEMENT.

If I were in your shoes I wouldn’t work on a damn thing on a brand new compressor. I believe it will void your warranty. The ”Warranty Agreement“ should be a separate page in the envelope containing manuals and associated paperwork.

The warranty certificate should be on the last page of the “Operator Manual.”

Note: I’ve had mine for a few years and I don’t know if any of the literature has changed. the above is included for reference. I advise anyone reading this to consult the literature that came with their Alkin compressor.

 

[L.Leon]

The need for a dedicated circuit and a concrete pad and fact that I couldn’t afford such a beast. Is why I chose the 110 volt Daystate Super Legerro. It plugs into any of my household outlets and fills my SCBAs without any fuss or special requirements.