There was ounce a scuba shop operator here that had this amazingly complex array of banks, tanks, manifolds and compressors. So complex in fact he was the only one who could operate it. Often when shop help tried sometimes things like back filling between various banks happened. Do you make money tending tanks and knobs or the customer?
Any location is going to have a space, client/volume profile. Are you filling AL80's or more boutique tech centric? Do shop constraints create irritating compressor noise around the customer? Here in California some locations have a significantly higher on peak power cost, I mean HIGH. With electricity cost(maybe), time, demand and temperature it's about managing over mechanics. Have the closing crew queue the empties up, come in the morning fire up the compressor, open the whips and let her run fill the stragglers as they come in. Top the banks off, rentals are full and let the day begin.
Personally I prefer regulated 3500 and 3000 filling stations (two banks) each behind a bank. Check tank, whip it, in the water bath and get the customer in front of new gear, up coming opportunities, training and what they saw on the last dive. Then if no bite it's time "lets get you checked out" preferably with an air fill card and shop calendar of events. You hand the customer a cool and consistently filled tank with face time. You hot fill someone they tell everyone, in all fairness, I do too!
Any location is going to have a space, client/volume profile. Are you filling AL80's or more boutique tech centric? Do shop constraints create irritating compressor noise around the customer? Here in California some locations have a significantly higher on peak power cost, I mean HIGH. With electricity cost(maybe), time, demand and temperature it's about managing over mechanics. Have the closing crew queue the empties up, come in the morning fire up the compressor, open the whips and let her run fill the stragglers as they come in. Top the banks off, rentals are full and let the day begin.
Personally I prefer regulated 3500 and 3000 filling stations (two banks) each behind a bank. Check tank, whip it, in the water bath and get the customer in front of new gear, up coming opportunities, training and what they saw on the last dive. Then if no bite it's time "lets get you checked out" preferably with an air fill card and shop calendar of events. You hand the customer a cool and consistently filled tank with face time. You hot fill someone they tell everyone, in all fairness, I do too!