First compressor - Let the fun begin

[beefy]

i used to maintain breathing air compressors for fire, police, and military bases, and although most of the units i worked where much larger than the junior i did have a few units in that size range.....


as to the question of

What is the limit for "continuous duty"? I would like to make up a couple of storage tanks of EaN32 and a couple of air. If I have to do this in stages what is a reasonable duty cycle? (60min on / 5min off?)

the jII and any compressor of it's size is meant to fill 1-2 bottles of air for personal use and then rest while you go out and use them. as rcontrera mentioned the idea is to do a quick fill and then let it rest.

bauer lists jII flow rate being 2.3-3.9 scfm depending on exact model so a 80 cf scuba tank will take 20-30 minutes to fill (assuming the tank has at least some left over air) i would fill 1 bottle at a time and let the compressor rest for an equal amount of time.


also if our local bauer prices are anything like mine the filters are way overpriced i use lawrence factor filters in my units the prices are often 1/4-/12 that of the stock bauer filters for the same or better performance.

High Pressure Filters - Bauer Compressors®

 

[boxy]

I would like to confirm that the technician was correct to strongly advise against running O2 through a junior.

Any compressor running at over 2000 RPM is not designed to see anything above 21%, and Bauer has a valid reason for suggesting not to use their compressors for O2, as oil does not mix well with oxygen at high pressures and temperatures inside a compressor.

I have worked around HP air for over 25 years, and it takes a very small amount of oil to cause a flash over / explosion.

Just be careful, as the potential dangers out weigh the convenience.

 

[NetPro]

I've filled about 400 CuFt of air so far and I'm waiting for my air test to come back on the filtration. I ordered a moisture monitor and check valve from RCS - thanks Ray - and will make or buy a hyper filter and do PP mixing at some point this summer. I've given up on the continuous mix plan.

Some observations.
I put a thermocouple on the filter housing and it builds up to about 30 degrees F warmer than the ambient air. (50 F ambient - 80 F housing). It seems odd that the fan blows accross the 3rd cylinder and pushes that heat right onto the filter housing.

I've run it about 1.5 hours at a time and the Flow rate is much better on the second and third tank after things warm up.

It's noisy but attaching the input tube cuts the noise significantly. I'll take some measurements next time I fill.

The amount of moisture coming out of the interstage separator is what really surprised me. I put some holes in a jug and stuck the drain hoses in it to catch the condensate. I put vents with filters but it's worthless. I'll need a new plan for that.

Jeff