Mixing your own Gas (Home Brew)

[StraitsdiverGeo]

I'm sure there a few out there that mix gas at home in the garage. I was wondering if any of those divers have ever had any issues. Please no second hand storys, I have heard boat loads of what could go wrong, or I read some place. I would just like to know if you have any first hand experiance with this.

Thanks in advance.

George

 

[nereas]

You should take a gas blenders course, or two, before you try doing this. TDI teaches one for nitrox and another for trimix. The courses will teach you what to be cautious of, such as any bends in your O2 line, or filling too fast.

The main thing is to do the math, then fill the O2 first, very slowly. This is where you could get into trouble. Then let the tank cool, and top it up to the pressure you determined from your math.

Then you add the next gas, presumably air, if you are mixing nitrox. Or helium if you are mixing trimix. Again let it cool, then top it up.

The secret to a successful mix is slow filling (for safety), cooling, and topping up.

The issue with O2 is danger. The issue with He is expense. Therefore you need to be careful with these.

 

[fweber]

Sorry. But, no horror stories here. Then again, I'm anal, I go slowly, I double check everything before proceeding to the next step. And, I've taken a blending course. If you have an instructor that blends and is willing to teach the course. It's money well spent.

 

[ppo2_diver]

No horror stories here either. I second the statement to make sure you are properly trained prior to doing it yourself.

 

[IceBergSlim]

I'm sure there a few out there that mix gas at home in the garage. I was wondering if any of those divers have ever had any issues. Please no second hand storys, I have heard boat loads of what could go wrong, or I read some place. I would just like to know if you have any first hand experiance with this.

Thanks in advance.

George

Somebody once told me it's expensive.

 

[Whitelightnin]

Mixing is like diving. There is a certain amount of risk involved. If you have the proper training & are careful & diligent, the risk is small but still, it is there. It is not an unreasonable amount but it may be more than you are willing to accept.

Don't let fear of the unknown stop you from getting started if that is your interest. Just get the proper training.


I was very nervous when I started but now, it's just like breathing. Very normal.

 

[Kingpatzer]

Is there savings to be had by doing your own fills, or is it just something to do for fun but not savings?

 

[Capt.Rich]

You should take a gas blenders course, or two, before you try doing this. TDI teaches one for nitrox and another for trimix. The courses will teach you what to be cautious of, such as any bends in your O2 line, or filling too fast.

The main thing is to do the math, then fill the O2 first, very slowly. This is where you could get into trouble. Then let the tank cool, and top it up to the pressure you determined from your math.

Then you add the next gas, presumably air, if you are mixing nitrox. Or helium if you are mixing trimix. Again let it cool, then top it up.

The secret to a successful mix is slow filling (for safety), cooling, and topping up.

The issue with O2 is danger. The issue with He is expense. Therefore you need to be careful with these.

Excellent advice! Couldnt have said it any better.
I home brew and know 4 other groups of people who home brew as well.
I havent heard/had any problems.

The only thing I would add is to check the inside's of your tanks on a regular basis for rust and/or contaminants.
Ive mentioned this to several friends who say that rust in tanks shouldnt be a problem so long as you never drain them completely.
This is normally true so long as your not transfilling any tanks.

The oxyhacker guide is a great beginning for anybody thinking about getting into it.

 

[fweber]

Is there savings to be had by doing your own fills, or is it just something to do for fun but not savings?

Probably NOT! Unless, you're buying a lot of Mixed Gas. The biggest pro is convenience, although at the cost of your own time. It's starts with a transfill whip with an accurate gauge for Partial Pressure blending. But it quickly becomes apparent that you still have to go to a shop to get an OCA fill and that you waste a lot of O2 without a booster. So next comes the compressor. Now, with the compressor, it seems such a waste to leave anything in the O2 cylinders and so. Follows, the continuous blender.

Ultimately, you end up with several high pressure O2 and helium cylinders chained to the wall. A small synthetic lubricated compressor, fed by a static continuous blender, perhaps two if you want to CB trimix, no less than 2 O2 analysers, but probably more like 3-4 as you wouldn't want to trust everything to just one(they do fail and having a second opion is sometimes the only way to recognized this), 2 of these are probably mounted to the wall for pre and post blend, and 1 one of them still has to be travel worthy for last minute double checks, and because you can now mix helium you'll want to deco on O2. And so, you start thinking about how you would like a booster, so you can get a good O2 fill, instead of just cascading off the tops of the cylinders before they are relegated to the CB rack.

And so it has gone........... last weekend my buddies and I breathed through $700 worth of gas. If only I had never started any of this........... I wouldn't be enjoying such an amazing adventure.

 

[stevewirl]

a gas blenders course is the best advice i could offer and then mix under the watchful eye of an experienced blender .

enjoy the savings and do what the manufacture says .

keep bottles lines and compressors in service .

and remember analise or die