Compressor to Tank !

[Lhardy18]

I bought a compressor to fill up my hpa tanks and other household jobs

 

Anybody else doing this ? What line / fittings do i need ? The nipple on hpa tanks seem to be called lots of diff things online and the connections on the compressor seem pretty standard so just trying to work it out, Any help welcome

[Tommikka]

1 hour ago, Lhardy18 said:

I bought a compressor to fill up my hpa tanks and other household jobs

 

Anybody else doing this ? What line / fittings do i need ? The nipple on hpa tanks seem to be called lots of diff things online and the connections on the compressor seem pretty standard so just trying to work it out, Any help welcome

What sort of compressor have you bought?

Does it go up to 3000psi?

Is it filtered?

 

High pressure cylinders and dirty air are dangerous

A ‘domestic’ compressor such as a tyre compressor won’t cut it

 

A workshop compressor will get higher pressures but they are rarely clean, can cause oil contamination (which can lead to a flash fill explosion at a later date once you achieve full pressures)

A ‘shoebox’ booster compressor can be used in conjunction with a workshop compressor but takes hours per fill - and is liable to overheating 

 

Compressors used by sites cost thousands

[Lhardy18]

So yes it a work shop compressor, cost a couple of hundred notes. It does have a airfilter on it . . . if its any good i dont know ? I have not real plan to use it other then filling (If i can) tanks so i should be able to keep it pretty clean etc . . . 

 

• 2.5 HP motor
• Ergonomically designed handle and wheels for easy movement
• Air displacement: 262 l/min, 9.3 CFM
• Compressor speed: 2850 1/min
• Rated voltage: 230V/50HZ
• 8 Bar max. working pressure
• Operating pressure approx. 8 bar
• Outlet pressure regulator
• Theoretical intake capacity: 262 l/min
• Protection type: IP20
• Sound level: 97 dB
• Twin air outlets

[Tommikka]

36 minutes ago, Lhardy18 said:

So yes it a work shop compressor, cost a couple of hundred notes. It does have a airfilter on it . . . if its any good i dont know ? I have not real plan to use it other then filling (If i can) tanks so i should be able to keep it pretty clean etc . . . 

 

• 2.5 HP motor
• Ergonomically designed handle and wheels for easy movement
• Air displacement: 262 l/min, 9.3 CFM
• Compressor speed: 2850 1/min
• Rated voltage: 230V/50HZ
• 8 Bar max. working pressure
• Operating pressure approx. 8 bar
• Outlet pressure regulator
• Theoretical intake capacity: 262 l/min
• Protection type: IP20
• Sound level: 97 dB
• Twin air outlets

Personally I would still advise against it.

The filter may be fine, but they still aren’t designed for high pressure use. Site compressors run to breathing air quality as they are the same as scuba compressors and for uncontaminated safety under high pressure.

 

8 bar is a little over 115psi.  I’m from the paintball world and that’s half the operating pressure of most paintball guns so would shoot but at a pathetic range and velocity.

In airsoft with lower operating pressures you could probably get some shots off

 

(Noting that this is really an advert for an airgun shop)  This is the Tom Kaye ‘shoebox’ brand of shoebox compressor.  It was for a niche market and is now discontinued.  Other similar ones are available from Hong Kong etc but I can’t make any recommendations 

Note that he refers to only topping up his 4500psi cylinder - he’s an airgun user so won’t be drawing off much air in a days shooting, and he can top up in 30-60 minutes, a complete fill

would be much longer 

My top recommendation is to use the sites compressor (but in airsoft you might not always have that option)

 

Rather than a compressor, if you need self fills then the best recommendation is a scuba cylinder filled at a dive shop and a full station adaptor.

 

My next recommendation would be a high pressure stirrup pump (again with filter)

This will give you plenty of exercise and muscles, but if you use a stirrup to fill a small 13ci to 3000psi it’s doable in a reasonable time.

Normal advice for self filling from scuba’s etc is to top up a little and often (to maintain the source pressure for longer), but with a stirrup you could argue the subject either way:

The stirrup operates starting from atmospheric pressure (0 psi on the gauge) so you have to pump up to as much as your cylinders pressure before you are achieving anything.  If you stop and disconnect then all you have done is some muscle building and released the air back to atmosphere.

You can top up ‘little and often’ - less pumps per session, but more pumps before you are actually filling 

Or you fill ‘lots and rarely’ by using as much as possible which means you have a lower pressure in the cylinder and you need less pumps to open the valve - but you then need to pump as much as necessary to achieve your required pressure.  The ‘benefit’ of this is you’re achieving something from your effort earlier and can stop when you want a rest.  (If you stop to rest and leave connected then thats not a problem - come back in half an hour  and continue from where you were 

 

Whatever method you are using, when anything gets hot stop for a break and let it all cool down.  Both for

safety and as hot air expands if you get a hot fill then the pressure in the cylinder quickly drops again when it cools

 

 

Have a quick read of the UKPSF air safety HPA1:

 

https://m.facebook.com/nt/screen/?params={"note_id"%3A796094531191401}&path=%2Fnotes%2F{note_id}&_rdr

 

Note that the lifetimes for cylinders is a bit out of date:

An aluminium 3000psi cylinder actually has a 10 year lifecycle between fills in the UK, not 5. But not all sites will let you fill an aluminium after 5 years without testing, and if the markings state a 5 year test cycle then sites ought to stick to that

A small (13ci) 3000psi aluminium cylinder is exempt from testing in the UK so can be used forever. (If it’s in good condition) Again if the markings say it is subject to a 5 year cycle then that should be complied with 

 

A new ISO standard allows for fibre wrapped cylinders that have an unlimited lifetime - they can be used worldwide, do need a 5 year test but if it’s in good condition does not expire at 15 years.  If it’s an ISO cylinder and still has a final date then the date does apply and the cylinder will expire 

 

Back to your original question on fittings, ‘standard’ air filling fittings are the male/female quick disconnect and 1/8” NPT screw fittings. A male nipple on the cylinder or equipment and a female from the fill station:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Steveocee]

1 hour ago, Lhardy18 said:

So yes it a work shop compressor, cost a couple of hundred notes. It does have a airfilter on it . . . if its any good i dont know ? I have not real plan to use it other then filling (If i can) tanks so i should be able to keep it pretty clean etc . . . 

 

• 2.5 HP motor
• Ergonomically designed handle and wheels for easy movement
• Air displacement: 262 l/min, 9.3 CFM
• Compressor speed: 2850 1/min
• Rated voltage: 230V/50HZ
• 8 Bar max. working pressure
• Operating pressure approx. 8 bar
• Outlet pressure regulator
• Theoretical intake capacity: 262 l/min
• Protection type: IP20
• Sound level: 97 dB
• Twin air outlets

 

Your compressor isn't anywhere near strong enough. The maximum operating pressure is 8 bar.

It will fill your 3000psi bottle to 116psi and give up. You'll probably get a handful of shots off, maybe even a mag but the consistency will be awful.

[EDcase]

Normal green gas is around 130psi at 20 degrees

[Steveocee]

16 minutes ago, EDcase said:

Normal green gas is around 130psi at 20 degrees

 

That's being extremely optimistic. I like the guide that Primary set in that at room temp green is about 110psi, I think I found somewhere on the web that duster is about 80psi as well. 

[EDcase]

It does seem to vary but that's the average I found from several sites

[Adolf Hamster]

the only way you're gonna feed an hpa gun from that kind of compressor is a direct feed in to the gun.

 

i have done it for testing purposes, but it's not something you're gonna be fielding outside of perhaps a vehicle mount.

 

i'd wax lyrical about the importance of respecting the hideously dangerous pressures hpa is supposed to use, but @Tommikka has covered that already.

[Lhardy18]

I thank you all for the advice. I decide to scrap that idea. . . I Ordered a scuba tank and a adapter. I’m truly great full