Rix intrinsic safety regarding CO

[kelemvor]

A lot going on here.
I'm just a diver who wants clean air. I'm a simple guy. Thanks to you guys, I
No longer trust my dive shop, the next dive op I'm going to dive with, or for that matter...I don't trust you guys either. It is as it should be, alas.

I am forlorn and lost in a world of distrust. Nonetheless, I will press on. Ive now learned that I must check my own air for CO and O2 content. I'd like to test it for polyolefin, methacrylate degradation byproducts and phenols but don't know if that's gonna happen. I don't even know what those are...but don't tell me, cuz I ain't gonna trust you anyway.

So, what do you guys use to test your air? I have a nitrox measuring device but that's it. (you can answer my question but I'll still "trust but verify" you dirty lying sumbitches.

At some point you have to trust someone.

I decided to trust the manufacturers of my CO test equipment. Formerly analox, now divenav. I did confirm that the divenav cootwo and the analox CO tester gave the same results on good and contaminated tanks.

So to answer. In my opinion. Get a cootwo, and when you test oxygen levels you also test carbon monoxide with no extra effort. Or get a seperate CO tester.

I, too, wish I could truly analyze my gas for all contents. I mean who knows if the tank monkey at my LDS farted into the compressor's intake?!? Unfortunately it's too expensive and time consuming so I have to live with analyzing only O2 and CO levels.

 

[grf88]

There are small filters like this:
Beaver 300 Bar DIN Air Personal Air Filter by Beaver Sports - DiveLife
or this:
Personal Filter Assembly by Sub Aqua Products - DiveLife
that can be used for additional filtration between the fill whip and the tank but I do not know how effective they are.

 

[AlexL]

Formerly analox, now divenav. I did confirm that the divenav cootwo and the analox CO tester gave the same results on good and contaminated tanks.

i also use a analox CO sensor for testing any tank fills we get, no matter which LDS/compressor it came from. nice little unit, very happy with it so far. was there any major difference beyond testing both CO and O2 to cause ya to swap over to divena?

[edit] wow, xenforo does not play nice with noscript extensions.[/edit]

 

[grf88]

The handheld Analox tester is great but with the high cost of the replacement sensor I expect I will switch to the DiveNav when it fails. Also Analox no longer supports the unit.

 

[kelemvor]

i also use a analox CO sensor for testing any tank fills we get, no matter which LDS/compressor it came from. nice little unit, very happy with it so far. was there any major difference beyond testing both CO and O2 to cause ya to swap over to divena?

[edit] wow, xenforo does not play nice with noscript extensions.[/edit]

The only reason I switched was that the divenav tests both CO and 02 content at the same time.

I found that sometimes I was not bothering to test CO if I "trusted" the filler. With the divenav unit I always test for CO when I analyze for o2 content. It's how I stumbled upon a bad fill (1ppm CO) from my LDS. I verified the problem with the analox.

I generally don't get air fills, so I almost always analyze every tank I dive.

 

[AlexL]

Also Analox no longer supports the unit.

had a bit of a mild panic when i read your post, as i had just purchased the tester less than two months ago. fetched it from the dive kit, and its not an Analox, its a SensorCon Inspector. apologies for misremembering.

 

[Namreg 58]

One would have to be deaf, dumb and blind drunk to get an oiled compressor in such a state of disrepair for it to overheat to the stage that it could produce all the nasty byproducts that Iain alludes to. Any professional set up would incorporate a low pressure and overheating cutout to mitigate such an event becoming possible as long as it is properly serviced.

What did you say those Rix compressor piston rings are made of again Iain?

 

[Frontpointer1000]

At some point you have to trust someone.

I've come to that conclusion a well. I've decided I have to trust commercial airline pilots.

 

[iain/hsm]

What did you say those Rix compressor piston rings are made of again Iain?

I didn’t.

There are six different main ring materials currently in use and four different seal materials.
These are further sub divided into polymer and compound types adding a factor of 3 to the above.

For each compressor build the choice of material is dependent in general on the gas being compressed and the application for the compressor.

And in detail by external factors such as gas temperature, gas velocity, molecular weight, MTBS and service life requirements. All being part of the engineering design process.

In addition the piston ring to liner clearance, the piston stroke and RPM are all part of the calculation process. The piston diameters and piston set combinations also decide the interstage compression ratio of the compressor this also is taken into consideration with material choice.

I note your not responding to my suggestion of drinking the condensate drain contents from your oily compressor
of choice, can I ask why not, your breathing from it.

Iain

 

[iain/hsm]

One would have to be deaf, dumb and blind drunk to get an oiled compressor in such a state of disrepair for it to overheat to the stage that it could produce all the nasty byproducts that Iain alludes to. Any professional set up would incorporate a low pressure and overheating cutout to mitigate such an event becoming possible as long as it is properly serviced.

Really!! That's frankly quite an unacceptable statement to make especially to those who are in fact deaf, or dumb.
It would be great if you could remove the reference from your post.

But if we discuss the latter part.
I would like first to see your reference for your statement.

Enclosed for starters below is a statement from the HSE

"CO can be produced within a compressor as a result of breakdown of the lubricating oil caused by pyrolysis (chemical decomposition by heat). Pyrolysis can occur when the system is hot, but not necessarily overheating. "

Reference Below:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/dvis9.pdf