AirForce ePump - expensive - not the fastest - BUT runs off 3.2amp 12v DC

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Dansker

Dansker

Member
Jan 23, 2019
56
1
California
Finally managed to track down one of the AirForce ePumps.. its incredible slow and overpriced - I know already.
Im posting this as there seems to be very little information on this pump product. I honestly suspect it was discontinued, and there are probably a couple testers, and a few early order units out there. I talked to several resellers saying they had oders in for multiples but never got the full order. most likely because people rightly advised AirForce that the pump made in the US cost way too much and underperformed for 99% of applications.. personally I think AirForce probably did the right thing pulling the pump.

EDIT: I was wrong, the pump IS on the page, but like everywhere "out of stock" https://www.airforceairguns.com/AirForce-Airguns-Hand-Pump-p/u1099.htm

That said the ePump have a couple advantages I was looking for, first of all its a single switch operation, no need for cooling or anything.

More important, it draw only 3.2 amp on 12v DC.... meaning it can operate from a cigarette lighter plug in my BMW i3, I really wanted one like the travelers or better the Nomad II,or similar, but those draw 30amp.. and my EV don't have a traditional battery to hook cables to.. so that turned out to be a no-go. my max draw is 20amp via the cabin outlet. (well thats a 20amp fuse so less than that continual)

The ePump essentially a glorified multi-stage hand-pump going at maybe half or a third of the speed you and I can pump at. but the upside is that it stays cool, and can go all day (more or less) the manual simply states, lager bottles may take 3-5 hours to fill.

Its supposedly made in Ft. Lauderdale, and frankly look like a prototype, very cool, but a bit crude, on the upside they kinda included everything, 110-220v AC or 12v DC operation, its build like a tank, and operate slowly enough that the pump is not heating up much.

Takes about 20+ minutes to fill my impact from 150-250.. not ideal, so will probably use a fill-tank and let the pump fill the tank while playing..

BUT its the only EV compatible pump I have been able to find, and since I drive the EV far more than my gas car, this seemed like the better solution.

There is a huge bucket of desiccant pellets, mine is starting to turn pinkish, so time to pull them out and let them bake for 30 minutes or so at 200degrees, then they are ready for another couple weeks.

I will pull the cover and post some shots of the setup, I really kinda like it for being just a cool build, but as I said, this feels "prototype" all the way.

**** This pump was mentioned a lot after the launch last year, but kinda fell off the radar, and it seems to be backordered everywhere and also is off AirForce's website.. so im suspecting reaction was so underwhelming that it was never really put into serial production. and probably a bit of a flop product, but still the only thing I can find that I can operate off my EV ha ha.

I have it here and intend to be using it for a while, so ask away or PM me if I forget to check on the thread.

PS.. Dear AirForce, when you make a rev2 of the ePump.. consider wheels on the end and a pull handle on the other, maybe even a pull-out handle like a carry-on kinda.. and bend metal bars over the switches to avoid knocking stuff off, anything 40 pounds will damage a switch if it rubs up against anything.

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3.2a is not a heavy draw at all. You could get a deep cycle battery and run it for hours. I used to charge RC car batteries off my old boats battery. My charger would show what voltage it was and once below 11.5vdc I would charge it. I could get many packs out of a full charge at 13.5vdc. Just a extra field option.
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That is very much what got me interested in this one, think the first reference to the ePump, I did see where at one of the bench-rest shoots where somebody said they had it running at the desk all day off a car battery. it was just sitting there chucking along. providing 2-3 charges per hour.. The Nomad and Traveler both draw 30amp which is a whole different ball game.
*but I still think im going to like it more sitting in the car filling a air bottle more often than filling directly to the gun, that way I can do quick fills and refill the bottle while playing.
 
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Dansker,

It maybe a overpriced if the quality of the unit isn’t what you expected. However, it wasn’t designed to fill airguns or tanks quickly otherwise it’s noise level, amp draw and operating temperature wouldn’t be so low. I like the idea of having a compressor quiet enough to fill my 75 cu/ft Omega tank without driving me or the wife nuts.

Perhaps you are wanting more out of the ePump than it was designed to provide?
 
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Perhaps you are wanting more out of the ePump than it was designed to provide?
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LOL no sorry you misunderstood me, I found the price acceptable for MY usage, but recognize that most people probably will consider a quiet but slower pump overpriced at anything over $250 ish. I specifically purchased this pump because of it doing what I need it to do, its quiet, and run off my BMW i3's 12v plug... this was a must have requirement for me.. so for ME personally, Im so far very pleased with it.. also that it runs cool and don't need babying with ice-water for cooling is another huge feature for me, that it takes a couple hours to fill a tank in the evening.. no big deal for my use.. the quiet, no overheating and can be let run all day if needed is huge for me. I should edit the title.. 
 
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I was interested in one of these for filling my tank quietly indoors. How much did it cost?
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They are asking $850 which seems high compared with the Nomad II at 699.. but then again it do what I needed it to do, and the Nomad II don't (because it need 30amp in the car)
its way overbuild, super easy to operate and low-stress compared to more complex chinese $300 ish compressors with cooling requirements.
 
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I was interested in one of these for filling my tank quietly indoors. How much did it cost?
Click to expand...

They are asking $850 which seems high compared with the Nomad II at 699.. but then again it do what I needed it to do, and the Nomad II don't (because it need 30amp in the car)
its way overbuild, super easy to operate and low-stress compared to more complex chinese $300 ish compressors with cooling requirements.
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Thanks! I should go look at the SHOT show coverage to see if this pump was showcased at their booth which might give an indication of whether or not they plan to keep selling it. Unless maybe @Tominco knows?
 
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Thanks! I should go look at the SHOT show coverage to see if this pump was showcased at their booth which might give an indication of whether or not they plan to keep selling it. Unless maybe @Tominco knows?
Click to expand...

The ePump have been removed from the AirForce website itself, and all other resellers are showing out of stock. My gut feeling is that everybody agreed, its too heavy, too slow and too expensive to make.(made in Ft Lauderdale TX) I think they are right, except for my usage case, it was a perfect fit. I would still have loved it to be 20pounds lighter and have carry-on handle and wheels at this size ha ha.
anyway thats my guess.. hoping they will have a ePump 2.0 for 2020 thats lighter, faster, and still running on low amps :)
 
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The ePump have been removed from the AirForce website itself, and all other resellers are showing out of stock. My gut feeling is that everybody agreed, its too heavy, too slow and too expensive to make.(made in Ft Lauderdale TX) I think they are right, except for my usage case, it was a perfect fit. I would still have loved it to be 20pounds lighter and have carry-on handle and wheels at this size ha ha.
anyway thats my guess.. hoping they will have a ePump 2.0 for 2020 thats lighter, faster, and still running on low amps :)
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Strange in this video @ 6:48 the designer of this compressor states that it is made in China?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=97&v=m9E9W2nxDjc


 
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Strange in this video @ 6:48 the designer of this compressor states that it is made in China?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=97&v=m9E9W2nxDjc
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Your guess is as good as mine - I do remember seeing this one, China seems like a likely originator of the ePump. There is another video where a guy in AIrForce Airgun shirt claims the pump is made in Ft. Lauderdale. I don't recall a bunch of "MADE IN THE USA" branding on the box... so probably china.
For what its worth, my company imports quite a lot from china, so I tend to take it with a grain of salt when a guy says "my factory in china" that typically is english for "the factory in china I buy my stuff from, or the factory that manufacture a lot of my ideas" in this case I suspect he means "the factory in china that showed me a interesting idea" specially since both sun-optics and AirForce airguns seems to be presenting the same product. 
 
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My ePump arrived on Friday as ordered. Similar to Dansker I knew what I was ordering and how it worked, the advantages, and the disadvantages. It's hard to be disappointed when you get what you wanted for a specific use case. In my case I wanted something that was oil free, water free, low current draw, low maintenance, low temperature, few moveable parts/wear, and quiet. I had spent quite a few weeks researching and was going to build a motor-driven hand pump before I came across the ePump. I'm a mediocre welder. The ePump would have been essentially what I was attempting to design and build and likely much cheaper.

The bottle shows up on Tuesday but I was able to fill the Gamo Urban from 1000 PSI to 2900 PSI in about 5 minutes. I was also able to attach a male air hose fitting for use with the desiccant system I built documented at https://www.airgunnation.com/topic/who-uses-a-pre-compressor-filter-desiccant-when-direct-filling-a-gun/#post-429106 and should I choose to hand pump I can easily attach it to my MK3.

Every 60 hours lubricate the cylinder with silicone oil or grease, just like the hand pump. I expect 3-4 hours to fill the tank which I plan to use to fill the Urban. For parts/breakdowns everything looks to be through-hole soldered so component replacement should not be hard. I have attached pictures and video of the pump in operation. I have this connected to a rack-mounted UPS and there was hardly any increase in load. There is no change in motor pitch or audibly perceived increase in motor strain when reaching 2900 PSI.

  • Pros:
    • Fit my use case exactly
  • Cons:
    • Foster female connector did not fit the Air Venturi male connection. Not sure who's at fault here. Installed an Air Venturi female foster fitting.
    • Might want to install a dust boot around the pump shaft to avoid debris sticking to the silicon oil in dusty environments. Perhaps that is over-engineering it though. Maybe for storage and transport just ensure you turn it off when the pump has fully completed the downstroke.

Images are 1024x768 and hopefully you can zoom in. Pump velocity and movement is similar to what one would experience using a hand pump.

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Video of pump in action attached as 'Video.mov'


 
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@LMNOP love your moisture trap build, but thinking you can do the same with the bucket trap in the ePump?

BTW. guessing mine have been sitting at the retailer for a while, it worked for about a week, then stopped generating pressure, SunOptic's are sending me a rebuild kit and instructions, so hope to be back up soon enough, and will be good to learn how to field-strip the ePump.

Once I get the instructions I will add them to this post.
 
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@LMNOP love your moisture trap build, but thinking you can do the same with the bucket trap in the ePump?
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Indeed, I was thinking I could use it on the MK3 as the sole desiccant filter and as a pre-filter on the ePump -- I live in a very humid environment and the calcium chloride really does well as a pre-compression moisture remover. If you look closely in the pictures on the top of the bucket trap I've removed the brass mesh screen and installed a male air fitting where I plug the jug in, just like the hand pump. I'm going to use both the silica indicator desiccant in the bucket trap as well as the calcium chloride setup. Since the air flow during pump intake is so low I'm not worried about creating a vacuum effect. I did seal around the inside of the bucket trap lid (the screw off part with the window where the window meets the aluminum) with some Lexel sealant because I found that where it was milled to act as a window air was preferring that path over the jug.

Sorry to hear yours is on the mend. I would love to see the field strip. It's my hope that aside from a few bolts for cylinder removal it's as difficult as the hand pump. Thanks for your reply and share!

Worst case I could see taking the setup, a welder, and an MK3 pump and making that work with the ePump mechanism as well. I don't think this is as much of a prototype as it is a really well engineered setup for a simple task -- "make something else pump this darned hand pump!" :)

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Edit: Added images
 
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Tank showed up, filling it up now off AC connected to a UPS. I have a solar/battery setup with a deep cycle I'll probably use next filling.

Hope you like my tank stand -- cut out the bottom of a Clorox-generic Target branded wipes jug and perfect fit. Tossed some black duct tape on it to ensure the proper visual contrast between the tank and bottom for the most professional look possible. Show-quality right here folks :) I might even start selling these and retire. :p

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From about 10' away from the pump there is a mild motor whirring and the most dominant sound is the relay clicking. So as for a description of how loud this is the total system is as loud as a DC relay click.

First tank fill time-line & milestones, ambient air temperature 72F:

  • 60 minutes - Tank 1000 PSI - Warm motor smell, didn't break out the FLIR camera, but motor felt warm-hot and there was an odor of warm grease likely from the gear box. Put a squirrel cage fan blowing air on the motor.
  • 70 minutes - Tank 1300 PSI - Warm motor smell gone, cool to the touch. Getting the classic "mouse squeak" you get with the hand pump when it's working at pressure on the last part of the down stroke. 
    • Recommendation: For extended run time put a high CFM fan pointed to the motor.
  • 90 minutes - Tank 1700 PSI - No issues/changes.
  • 180 minutes - Tank 3100 PSI- No issues/motor is a few degrees warmer than ambient but is not hot to the touch. Tank and ePump gauge alignment is nearly 1:1 now.
  • 200 minutes - Tank 3200 PSI - ISSUES. The pump was making an abnormal low volume squeak/rubbing sound. Disassembled it and some minor seal wearing on the top of the shaft. Top of the shaft felt dry with no lubrication. Disconnected the tank and bled the system and about 1/2 tablespoon of water came out. A few droplets of water in the air hose. Re-lubricated the shaft and reassembled. Resumed pumping. I think I caught the seal wearing before it became a larger issue.
    • Recommendation: Add additional shaft lubrication before filling a tank. The manual calls for silicone oil but I recommend silicone grease so that it sticks to the shaft.
    • Recommendation: Bleed the system every 30 minutes; I simply leave it pumping and twist the bleed screw. This procedure may vary based on the equipment connected at the end of the output hose.
    • Recommendation: Pump into a tank sitting vertically so any condensation in the line will drain to the bleed valve.
    • Recommendation: Visually inspect lubrication of the pump shaft via the air slots in the side and listen out for rubbing sounds.
  • ~240 minutes - Tank 4000 PSI - Bled the system, just water vapor. No abnormal sounds. Motor is under some strain/load and is mildly warm to the touch.
  • 300 minutes - Tank 4500 PSI - System performed auto-shutoff as it should at the set pressure. It has a maximum fill pressure of 4500 PSI on the gauge and the user-set value is just slightly behind it. The tank indicates exactly 4500 PSI. The air tank valve is cool to the touch. The ePump motor is just a few degrees above ambient temperature. The drain/bleed screw and surrounding area is slightly luke warm. Success and lessons learned. Some time was lost re-lubricating the shaft. A tank fill time of 4 hours from 0 PSI was observed.
    • Recommendation: Let the foster female fitting rest on the front of the air hose holder so that any moisture in the line drains to the open drain/bleed screw or out the tip.
 
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