Air testing comparison

[macado]

Thanks Brian, that is helpful. BTW-we met briefly at Extreme Exposure this winter. I think you were finishing up a Tiburon crossover.

I honestly just initially tested for CGA Grade E standard when I did the Trace Analytics test but it met all the criteria/standards for OCA. For sh*ts and giggles I did whatever IANTD standard is for Modified Grade E / Oxygen Compatible Air when I did the Lawrence Factor test.

I think there is a small price difference on the tests but the big difference is you get a fancy certification that says "IANTD / IAND (2010) - Oxygen Compatible Air." Maybe important for some people selling gas to public I guess? You can glean the same information from the standard CGA Grade E test otherwise I realize OCA is an arbitrary standard.

 

[nadwidny]

Thanks Brian, that is helpful. BTW-we met briefly at Extreme Exposure this winter. I think you were finishing up a Tiburon crossover.

I honestly just initially tested for CGA Grade E standard when I did the Trace Analytics test but it met all the criteria/standards for OCA. For sh*ts and giggles I did whatever IANTD standard is for Modified Grade E / Oxygen Compatible Air when I did the Lawrence Factor test.

I think there is a small price difference on the tests but the big difference is you get a fancy certification that says "IANTD / IAND (2010) - Oxygen Compatible Air." Maybe important for some people selling gas to public I guess? You can glean the same information from the standard CGA Grade E test otherwise I realize OCA is an arbitrary standard.

Yes. I was at EE in March for my Tiburon course with Becky so we probably did meet. That was a good week.

 

[nadwidny]

I have not lab tested my personal air in quite some time. It's almost pointless to do so. If it's bad I will be dead before the results even come back from the lab.

Moisture is the first thing to break through filters and easy to measure in near real time. If your gas is dry everything else falls into place pretty easily and your quarterly or bi-annual lab testing is a waste of money

Well to be pedantic....CO2 is actually the first to break through. Unless there was an issue with sampling or with the unit, we would always see CO2 values of less than 6ppm on newly serviced compressors. After about 10 hours that would start to climb so that the CO2 would soon match ambient values.

But yeah, test for moisture. If that is failing then your filters are toast. I managed to get a high end hygrometer when I left so i use that to check my filters. And once in a while I run a CO check from an Oxycheq analyser on my cascades just because.

 

[tmassey]

But yeah, test for moisture. If that is failing then your filters are toast. I managed to get a high end hygrometer when I left so i use that to check my filters. And once in a while I run a CO check from an Oxycheq analyser on my cascades just because.

Ooohh, a new toy!

I have continuous carbon monoxide testing as a ‘no matter what I’m pretty darn certain I’m not breathing gas that can kill me’ facility. But from what you are saying, which agrees with everything I’ve ever read, moisture is the first thing to degrade and therefore the most valuable to test. I have a humidity eyeball, but it’s almost impossible for me to see. I would love a more rigorous method for testing humidity. Can you share some details on the hygrometer that you are using?

 

[rhwestfall]

@tmassey

ouch?

RHB-CAC1S Series | Compressed Air Dew Point Monitor| Omega

Not even sure this is the item....

 

[tmassey]

How about this?

https://www.defelsko.com/positector-dpm

Seems to be available on eBay for under $400, and measures dewpoint down to -100°F. Dry enough for me.

But seeing as all I know about this is what I learned from 30 seconds of googling, I have no idea if it is fit for the purpose or not. For that amount of money, I’m not about to buy one on a whim, but it is certainly affordable enough to do some more research.

 

[Couv]

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, this is a legitimate question. What's wrong with the "Blue is good, pink is bad" eyeball?

 

[rhwestfall]

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, this is a legitimate question. What's wrong with the "Blue is good, pink is bad" eyeball?

From what I have gleaned from discussions, they are slow to react.

It that critical? IDK....

FTR - I use one (10/20/30) . As I have said, it is between my separator(s) and my filter.

 

[rjack321]

From what I have gleaned from discussions, they are slow to react.

It that critical? IDK....

FTR - I use one (10/20/30) . As I have said, it is between my separator(s) and my filter.

Mine takes about 20-25mins to turn from when I suspect its toast (based on hours). But I monitor moisture after my primary filter and change that based on the %RH. My secondary filter I change based on hours. My secondary only really ever gets grade E gas going INTO it plus the occasional slug of poorly filtered gas on start-up or at the end of the first filter's life before the spyball changes, or if I'm slow to actually get to changing the primary (like taking 15mins to finish the tank I am actually filling).
Basically there is always an "almost new" triplex filter at the end of my filtration process.

 

[tmassey]

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, this is a legitimate question. What's wrong with the "Blue is good, pink is bad" eyeball?

Wait a minute, now I have to have a reason to spend money on scuba gear?!? There has to be something wrong that I’m trying to fix? Whatever happened to buying technology just because it was there! It’s the American way!

Yes, I’m being ‘smart’...

For me, the appeal was speed, precision and accuracy — or in other words, a way to geek out. Nothing more. Like I said, I have a moisture eyeball, but it’s in a very awkward spot and it’s very blurry, which has been mentioned is a “feature” of certain holders. I could move it, buy a different housing, etc...

Or I could buy a nifty new meter instead!