Home Compressor .. Yes or No ???

So, I've read the mass of threads and am on the fence of purchasing a home compressor (sounds funny, almost wrote home computer).

I'm an independent instructor and am pretty busy. Currently filing all of my 6 tanks each week.
In June I'll begin a Bubble Maker / Seal Team program and will add another 4 tanks Per Day for 5 days per week.

That's 26+ tanks per week.

Around here, fills are now 4.50 to 6.00, And there's no promise, to an Indy Instructor, from my 3 local dive shops that they'll get to my tanks when I bring them in....

With that in mind, I wish I had $5k but only have 4 max ... for a compressor, so it's got to be a lesser unit ?

Which one will meet my needs? Do I go new or one of the rebuilt units ?

isn't the compressor 1/2 of the problem...
Filters, inspections, certification of air quality and testing...
what about an air bank? or are you going to fill them one at a time???

Islandheart:

So, I've read the mass of threads and am on the fence of purchasing a home compressor (sounds funny, almost wrote home computer).

I'm an independent instructor and am pretty busy. Currently filing all of my 6 tanks each week.
In June I'll begin a Bubble Maker / Seal Team program and will add another 4 tanks Per Day for 5 days per week.

That's 26+ tanks per week.

Around here, fills are now 4.50 to 6.00, And there's no promise, to an Indy Instructor, from my 3 local dive shops that they'll get to my tanks when I bring them in....

With that in mind, I wish I had $5k but only have 4 max ... for a

Which one will meet my needs? Do I go new or one of the rebuilt units ?

Click to expand...

Start looking for a compressor with an output of 6-9cfm and with an electric 5-7.5 hp, single phase motor. Don't be in too much of a rush to buy, there are always units like this showing up on the internet. You life in FL so you should be able to find one in your area fairly quickly. You will love the convienance of having your oun compressor and if you can find one that has been well maintained and has low hours it will pay for itself in now time.
Check with your certifcation agency for insurance and air sample requirements.
Good luck with the hunt.
ZDD

Islandheart:

So, I've read the mass of threads and am on the fence of purchasing a home compressor (sounds funny, almost wrote home computer).

I'm an independent instructor and am pretty busy. Currently filing all of my 6 tanks each week.
In June I'll begin a Bubble Maker / Seal Team program and will add another 4 tanks Per Day for 5 days per week.

That's 26+ tanks per week.

Around here, fills are now 4.50 to 6.00, And there's no promise, to an Indy Instructor, from my 3 local dive shops that they'll get to my tanks when I bring them in....

With that in mind, I wish I had $5k but only have 4 max ... for a compressor, so it's got to be a lesser unit ?

Which one will meet my needs? Do I go new or one of the rebuilt units ?

Click to expand...

Well I bought my Coltri MCH6 for approx. 2400 USD. But it seems in USA the prices are higher. But if contacting a lot companies you may find one who prefer to sell at a smaller margin than not to sell it. Than you might need a PMV (in USA they may have them already), an additional filter cylinder (maybe with luck 200 USD). With repacking the filters yourself you should have very low running costs and perfect air.

Keeping in mind it is a small unit which is slow and need taken care good. Drain the water every 10-15 min, check the oil frequently, have a cool room. So it is more work.
5 tanks a day is already a lot for this unit, but I think it can do it.
If one fill cost in the shop 5 USD and you can do it for 1 USD yourself you have the break even in 750 fills.
But it is really a small unit thought for home use and what you fill might be more than it is intended to do.

Better check with your insurance agency to make sure you are covered. The dive store has liability insurance and fulfill the requirement of filing quarterly air test results with the state. Filling tanks for your own consumption is one thing, but filling tanks for others to use (even your own tanks) can get dicey if a problem occurs.

Craig

You'd go mad filling 26 tanks a week with a MCH6 or similar small compressor, and it wouldn't be too happy about it either. You really need a serious diveshop-sized compressor and a bank unless you want to spend a lot of time in the garage watching the compressor rattle away. And if you don't get auto drain you'll be sorry you didn't, as you stop whatever you are doing to drain the stacks every 15 minutes.

A tall order for 4K$, but doable for a shrewd shopper especially in FL, with a bit of luck or patience. But it will probably be a used compressor or lightly overhauled at the best. If you can't find/afford a bank right away, given a suitably powerful compressor you can always use multiple whips so you can fill several tanks at once, to slow down the fill rate and so you aren't having to swap out tanks every 5 or 10 minutes.

The legal situation can be a complicated one too, as Craig points out. There are, though, a lot of indy instructors in FL who have there own fill stations tucked away, and it would probably be worth your time to see what they could tell you.

You are facing a basic is it time to grow my business decision. Irregardless if you are selling to yourself or others, you are deciding to go into the fill business and need to adopt that mind set. Your decision will be easier once you do.

Guys...
Here's what I see
But let me give you some background first.

I am an instructor, and my wife manages a dive shop. My bestest buddy owns the dive shop. And we've been doing this for 15+ years...

You want to fill 26 tanks per week. Assuming you drain the tanks to 1000 psi and they are aluminum 80's that's 50cu' per tank x 26 = 1300cu' per week. On a 9cfm compressor that's going to take you roughly 2.5 hours to fill. I'd highly suggest a cascaded air bank. Even if it was just 6 bottles separated 3 ways.

So, that's not terrible 2.5 hours right.
But... assuming you bought new (which you might not do) 9cfm Coltri bought in Miami (our closest coltri retailer) costs about $9000. Add the cost of filters, the cost of filter media, the cost of oil changes (monolick isn't cheap) and the cost of electricity to run it, and the cost of overhauls (because you WILL have to do top end rebuilds and complete overhauls) and the cost of air quality samples (about $200 per quarter), not to mention the addition to your liability insurance and you can see the numbers really adding up.

Right about the time you cover your initial investment, it's about time for a complete overhaul, and you find yourself deep in the hole again.

This I can promise... If you are trying to save money, you WILL NOT do it by owning your compressor. If you are trying to save TIME and EFFORT, and want the convenience, then by all means, buy a compressor.

We don't make a penny selling air fills. But it brings customers into the store to buy gear.

Assume your initial out of pocket for everything, Oil, Filters, Filter Media, Compressor, Electricity, Air Quality Samples, Insurance, Air Bank, is $13,000. At 26 tanks per week, how many years will it take you to cover that $13,000 before you break even assuming your LDS is charging 6 dollars per tank to fill. That's 2100 Tank Fills. At 26 tanks per week that's more than 18 months of air fills before you break even. And shortly after that, expect to start saving for a ring job on the compressor.

Granted, if you don't get an air bank, and you fill directly from compressor, and you find something for 4k, your out of pocket for a year would be more like $8000, but that's still quite a few tanks to break even, and how long before the compressor needs an overhaul if it's used?

Do the math quickly -- At $8000 /30 tanks/ week @ $5 /tank = 53 weeks and you still have NOT made any money. At a more realistic $11000 /30 tanks /week @ $5.00/tank =74 weeks.
I had a dive shop for over 25 years (in Kansas) and taught 150 - 200 students a month for 4 months and 6-15 a month for the rest of the year. With a 15 CFM compressor and 6 - 4500PSI storage tanks, we went crazy for 4 months and lost money on air the rest of the year.
If you aren't filling 200 tanks a month 8-12 months of the year you are fooling your self that a compressor will make you any money. If you aren't selling $15,000 of scuba equipment a month at 25% margin you can't even break even. Convenient maybe, but not with a compressor less than 7-9 cfm and at least 4 storage tanks.
Jim Shelden

I don't think he was trying to make any money. I think he was trying to save money (which still probably isn't realistic)