Compressor/Nitrox Questions

[cobaltblue]

Hello, My compressor is on the way. It should be here by the end of the week or early next week. I have a couple of questions that I think may be better answered here as I want the "real" answers and not the "official" answers from Bauer. The unit in question is a Junior II G. (The G is for the gas model) I know some like electric better but my boat doesn't have a genny and I will be using it between dives while off shore sometimes.

Anyways;

Do I need extra filtration to PP Blend my own Nitrox?
What type do you think I need?
Has anyone made a stick for one of these and used it with any success?
What is everyone doing to check the quality of air they are making? (I'd be p****d if an LDS screwed up, I'd feel silly if I killed myself with bad air)

I have about a million more questions but these will give me something to chew on for a while. I'm also re-reading Oxy-Hackers Comp.

Thanks in advance, David

 

[Hoosier]

The extra filtration is always good idea, but it is up to you. I have seen some divers using the stock filtration for CB without any issue. The extra filter doesn't make your air hyper filtered air. The religious maintenance can be much better than the extra filter. And, if you don't plan to do a cold water diving like in an artic water or PP blending, even hyperfilter is an overkill, too.

 

[akscubainst]

Extra Filtration - I would say yes, the compressor filter works but does not produce O2 Compatible air.

I'd suggest something similar to this - http://www.lawrence-factor.com/pa96hyper.htm

Alot of folks have made sticks and they work fine. - According Bauer it voids your warranty though.

I have my air tested quarterly. There are several labs - TRI - Analytical Chemists- I think Nuvair does it as well.

Dave

 

[cobaltblue]

Thanks for the answers so far. I will be doing a lot of coldwater diving. Lake Michigan into late November and as early as late March. I like the filter idea is there a solution that's slightly less expensive. If that's what I need to get, I'll get it. However, has anyone used anything that works well but leaves some budget for other Scuba Toys?

Thanks again!

 

[Hoosier]

Thanks for the answers so far. I will be doing a lot of coldwater diving. Lake Michigan into late November and as early as late March. I like the filter idea is there a solution that's slightly less expensive. If that's what I need to get, I'll get it. However, has anyone used anything that works well but leaves some budget for other Scuba Toys?

Thanks again!

If you are interested in getting the brand new Lawrence Factor Hyper appliance, please let me know...

 

[Surface Tension]

If you are continuous blending you don't need oxygen compatible air, or tanks, or regulators..... Make sure the filters you are using have a CO catalyst since you have a gas powered compressor. Use the temp correction table in the Bauer manual and replace filters accordingly. I would buy a repackable filter canister from Airtex

http://www.airetex.com/

Give them a call and ask them which one for a Bauer PO. Unless you dive a lot, this will be much cheaper than buying a large filter tower, but it will also be more trouble as you'll have to pack your own filter.

I continuous blend with a Junior II but I was lucky enough to come across a used 30,000 cu. ft filter housing. I pack my own filter cartridges and it has reduced my cost per fill to about a quarter per fill for the filtration.

Read the oxyhacker and make your setup accordingly. It's a great resource. I'll send you some pics of my setup if you would like.

Have fun and be careful!

Dave

 

[pescador775]

Cobalt, see above, sound advice. Be advised that there will be an initial investment for chemicals. The CO catalyst, monoxycon, costs $120/qt. Charcoal can be obtained cheaply. Vaporshell 13X is somewhere in between. You will need pads. Compressed Air Specialties carries. No extra filter is needed and would be a pain aboard a boat. Follow the mfgr recommendations for filtration change out. Don't be concerned about "bad air". That is an overblown concern which occurs rarely with large machines which are run in an overheated condition. In any case, bad air which is generated by the compressor always carries a taste or odor of oil or distillate, or may smell like smoke. However, don't let your machine breath engine exhaust, that is a little different and don't depend on your filter to "clean" it. The filter will eliminate the odor and about 1/2 of the CO and you are screwed. Your little Junior is not likely to overheat but don't run it in direct sun if temps are over 80F. Relax and enjoy the freedom and convenience of your new air compressor.

 

[rcontrera]

I think that a big thing that has been missed here is the fact that you are on a boat. While continuous blending is no big thing after the proper training, it requires that you bring aboard and store an oxygen cylinder.

My suggestion is to just do your nitrox blending t home in a controlled environment and not try to fool with a cylinder of oxygen on the water. Or, install a simple to use membrane system that doesn't require oxygen. Of course, that is bucks!

Just my $.02

 

[oxyhacker]

I agree. Even though continuous blending is a lot more benign that PP mixing, oxygen handling is just unpredictable enough that I would rather not be doing it on a boat unless it was a big one, and steel. You never want to be doing bad things with O2 without that you have an "exit strategy" and a clear path to safety. Especially because on a portable compressor you have a tank full of gas a few inches away from where the oxygen is being compressed.

There was a rebreather that caught fire on a boat a while back. The boat was completley engulfed within a few minutes and everyone aboard had to swim for it while fragments from exploding tanks flew by. The RB was, according to all reports, one of the more thoroughly tested and widely used, commercial units. It should not have caught fire - but it did.

That said, you don't need o2-clean air for PP maxing, since the mixing takes place upstream of the filter and the filter, lines and tank will never see anything higher then 40%.

I think that a big thing that has been missed here is the fact that you are on a boat. While continuous blending is no big thing after the proper training, it requires that you bring aboard and store an oxygen cylinder.

My suggestion is to just do your nitrox blending t home in a controlled environment and not try to fool with a cylinder of oxygen on the water. Or, install a simple to use membrane system that doesn't require oxygen. Of course, that is bucks!

Just my $.02

 

[cobaltblue]

Please correct me if I'm wrong but the way I see this is as follows.

If I do PP mixing, which is probably the way I'm leaning, I can do that safely using the current filtration that came with the compressor. I plan on changing it very regularly to keep the air as clean and dry as possible anyway. Is this correct? Thanks for all your help.