Reliable air testing

[3ddiver]

I have posted another thread about buying a used compressor, parts are available and it pumps to at least 3000 PSI, runs good and the air smells good. I am going to shoot the guy an offer but I want to get the air tested after I service it out to make sure what I am breathing is ok. Can anyone point me to a good air tester to get this done. I realize that I will have to watch out for the fumes from the gas engine , it has about a 6 foot hose on the intake but I am thinking of extending that. Any suggestions? Thanks

 

[Thalassamania]

TRI does air testing

 

[jmichaels]

Trace Analytics is another good one....

Compressed Air Testing Specialists - Makers of the AirCheck™ Air Sampling System - Trace Analytics

 

[Isaac-1]

I bought a 20 ft basement sump pump black plastic hose kit at the local Home Depot for about $10-15 (I just threw away the hose/pump adapters), it is just a little larger than the intake on my Bauer Purus, I used a short length of leftover reinforced clear tubing and some hose clams as an adapter. the plastic hose is thin, light and has ridges so it will not colapse from the suction.

Ike

 

[Blue Abyss]

I have used Analytical Chemists Inc. out of San Diego for several years and I have had very good results. Their sampling kit that they send is top notch and they have a very good reputation. Prices for an O₂ compatable air test are just under $100. Also you do not have to buy any testing hardware, they send you the kit and then you return it. (all postage pre paid)

Their web site is a little funky so take a look at both links, for some reason you cannnot get to both areas from within the site.

Airanalysis.com

If you can breathe it we can analyze it

 

[oxyhacker]

Assuming a compressor has a reasonably good filter system on it, the value of one-time air testing is somewhat questionable.

To be truely useful, air testing must be done regularly and repeatedly, so a pattern emerges. A single air test gives you a snapshot of the air quality at that moment in time. If you do it just after getting your compressor up and running, it will probably tell you the air is good, no surprise, since the filter cartridge or media will be brand new. But it will tell you nothing about how the air will be after 20 or 30 hours of operation, when the media is starting to age. Most small compressor owners would probably do better to install a moisture monitor and make a point of changing their filters a little more often, than spending money on a single air test.

In the case of an IC-powered machine it can be of more use, since CO is the big danger, and an air test can troubleshoot and warn of a bad installation. But CO levels can change radically on the same installation, depending on wind direction, whether a door or window is open or not, or other trivial changes, so once again, a single air test is no guarantee of anything. So for, buying a CO Experts monitor and adapting it to your compressor would probably buy more safety for the dollar than a one-shot air test.

 

[3ddiver]

I realize that the exhaust is an issue that would change every time you fill tanks. I was more worried about if the compressor is passing oil or something along those lines. With new filter media I would assume that it would show clean but I thought a test would pick up bad contamination. How do you add a CO moniter because that souds like a good idea to me? Thanks for the suggestions, I am new to compressors and dont need to waste money,just want to be safe.

 

[rcontrera]

How do you add a CO moniter because that souds like a good idea to me?

Very easy ... just add it in after the filter. Some put it between the priority valve and the outlet hose and others put it after. If you put it after, just remember to shut the fill valve to keep anything from backing up your hose (not really a problem, but just good practice).

The CO monitor is the same as the moisture eye with a different card. Or, you can get a combo card that indicates both CO and moisture. Inlet and outlet on them is 1/4" NPTF so you will have to get the appropriate fittings for your system. Since the body of the monitor is aluminum, go with stainless fittings.

 

[Isaac-1]

Here is a link to what someone built using a CO Experts meter to test scuba air

Untitled Document

 

[oxyhacker]

The changeable dot eyeball type CO detectors are pretty much toys compared to a proper electronic CO detector like the CO Experts one mentioned earlier. Now that cheap CO electronic CO detectors are available, like the CO Experts, there really isn't much point in fooling around with the eyeball style. The CO elements are much less robust than the moisture elements, and must be replaced frequently if they are to work at all, according to one of the manufacturers of such detectors.

To use an electronic detector it is necesssary to have a sampling regulator on the output side of the detector, to trickle a bit of the high pressure output to the detector. Some people like to put an elbow on the front of the detector, to feed the gas directly to the element, and others put the whole monitor in a plastic box and feed the output into it. There have been several threads on this giving full details.

It's important to use an industrial or aviation detector like the CO Experts rather than one of the household ones you get at the hardware store, since the household ones have reduced sensitivity to reduce false alarms.

Very easy ... just add it in after the filter. Some put it between the priority valve and the outlet hose and others put it after. If you put it after, just remember to shut the fill valve to keep anything from backing up your hose (not really a problem, but just good practice).

The CO monitor is the same as the moisture eye with a different card. Or, you can get a combo card that indicates both CO and moisture. Inlet and outlet on them is 1/4" NPTF so you will have to get the appropriate fittings for your system. Since the body of the monitor is aluminum, go with stainless fittings.