Owning a Compressor

[acelockco]

Not to be argumentative, but just because you don't have a compressor doesn't mean that nobody needs one. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many sold every year.

More and more home compressors are selling every year because of the slow decline in dive shop air quality and serious increase in fill costs. While there are a lot of very fine air systems out there, junk air can still be had in almost every city with two or more dive shops. Additionally, more divers are diving a ways from their home shop and taking a dozen tanks to the camp ground for a weekend at the lake just doesn't make sense.

Oh ... and it is compressor owners that are sending stuff in for service ... not non compressor owners.

It is cool, we are all entitled to our opinions here. I don't know where you live, but here in the USA the air we get at the local dive shops is of the highest quality and only costs a few dollars.

One of my dive buddies does have his own compressor. It cost him $4000 used and also needs the filter replaced pretty often. Just the cost of the filters is $2 per fill plus electricity (220volts) plus the cost of the compressor. I just can't imagine filling enough cylinders to make up the difference when the local shop charges $5 per fill.

That being said, most divers that dive enough to warrant a compressor also dive nitrox or some other gas not air. The home compressors can not fill nitrox or trimix which makes them useless in my opinion.

I do agree with you that there are some situations where a compressor would be of great benefit and the cost is not as much of an issue as convenience. Trying to dive at a remote location that doesn't have a dive shop reasonably close by would definitely be easier with a compressor. Owners of boats that spend long amounts of time at sea could also benefit as they don't want to return to the mainland to refill cylinders.

In the end though, most of us do not and most likely will not own dive compressors in our life. It doesn't make sense for most of us. In the bigger picture, we need to support our local dive shops with fills and other purchases. If we do not support them and they go out of business getting air fills will become a very difficult thing.

[acelockco]

One more thing, compressors are way overpriced. Get us some $500-$1000 compressors and they will start making financial sense.

[Rcontrera]

I am very glad that you get top quality air where you live. Unfortunately, that is more the exception than the rule.

I have been part of the diving industry since 1981 and air systems were what got me into it so I have seen just about everything you can see in a dive shop.

I make my living selling compressors and especially oil and filters and only a few shops actually pay as much attention to their system as they should. Of the 500 or so dive shops that I have contacted over the years and "sampled" their air, I personally would not dive with about 3/4 of them.

Don't get me wrong ... I am not attacking all the dive shops. I have several customers that have outstanding systems ... both air and nitrox. But there are a lot of them out there that just don't give a damn about their air or their compressor until it breaks. That is where the home compressors are selling.

[Okeanos]

I have a compressor or 6! It is far more convenient than the 1hr round trip to the nearest shop. I have my own air test kit and test the air regularly.

The home compressors can not fill nitrox or trimix which makes them useless in my opinion.

Why not? Nitrox & Trimix are usually made by partial pressure blending, add the O2 &/OR He then top up with clean air. Having your own supply of O2 & He makes it all much cheaper.

For oil, it is $12.95 for an oil change on the Coltri MCH6

Not sure what oil you use but I use Anderol that cost £44 per 5L, the Coltri takes 0.3L. That makes it less than $5 per oil change. I re-pack the MCH6 filter which costs about $1 per refill.

[acelockco]

I have a compressor or 6!

If you can afford 6 compressors then we are not even on the same page dude. I am a normal person that makes a normal living, I really can't afford 1 compressor let alone 6 of them.

Bottom line, cost is the reason more people don't have compressors. If they were in the sub $500 price range, then I am sure a lot more divers would have their own.

[Okeanos]

If they were in the sub $500 price range

My last 2 cost me ~$300 each, working with filters and whips. They had 3 phase motors which I changed to single phase. You just need to know where to look.

[acelockco]

My last 2 cost me ~$300 each, working with filters and whips. They had 3 phase motors which I changed to single phase. You just need to know where to look.

If you can tell me where to find a working $300 compressor, then I am all about buying one or two.

[Okeanos]

If you can tell me where to find a working $300 compressor, then I am all about buying one or two.

University dive clubs, when they buy new ones the old ones get forgotten. They usually have some little problem like a stuck inlet valve, or even simpler an oily over pressure valve that just needs washing. Uni Clubs are always looking to sell the old ones in the UK they just don't know who to sell them to.

[acelockco]

University dive clubs, when they buy new ones the old ones get forgotten. They usually have some little problem like a stuck inlet valve, or even simpler an oily over pressure valve that just needs washing. Uni Clubs are always looking to sell the old ones in the UK they just don't know who to sell them to.

I don't know of any university that is selling a used compressor. In fact, I don't know of a university that has a dive club that even owns a compressor. I went to 3 different universities and two of them had dive clubs. Non of them had any equipment at all, in fact the club and classes were run by the local dive shop.

If you know of any, and as you said they don't know who to sell them to, give them my name.