Curious about your home filling setups

[rjack321]

A capitano and some extra filters and banks is what some (now defunct) shops around here should have had for 50 cylinders a day

Instead they had a ~20cfm unit with a dedicated LP compressor and membrane. And a $5k booster as well. 10,000+cf of banked gas, etc. It got bought and 8 months later they folded. The payments on all that + the rent costs led to impossible accounting with the customers available.

I'm not sure, but I've seen similar issues at a couple other shops now to. There's value in staying small + cheap and using more of your time when you have an occasional run on gas.

 

[rjack321]

BTW I have a 3cfm compressor with 2000cf of banked 32%. It works out nicely, using the compressor to fill a couple of tanks, but the banks get tapped when I am pressed for time or have alot of cylinders to fill.

Banks are cheaper than a bigger compressor. No real depreciation either.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I don't think we ever pumped 50 tanks in a week. If I had a class running 6 students, me and a couple of DM's. Call it 10. If I had 2 nights of pool and OW on the weekend that would be 30 tanks. Over the weekend we didn't go back to the shop and everyone got refills at the dive site. Maybe a few other people from the shop would be going with us for the weekend or going in the pool so maybe I'd fill a few more. Call it 40. The only way I'd ever even hit 50 in a week is if the paint ball guys from down the street came in. That would have been a heavy week.

If we weren't teaching we might go to Missouri with a couple of other people so we'd have 5 or 6 sets of doubles and some decompression bottles to fill but most of that was ours. As hard as I tried, I couldn't find anyone to pay me for it. LOL

 

[MikeFerrara]

BTW I have a 3cfm compressor with 2000cf of banked 32%. It works out nicely, using the compressor to fill a couple of tanks, but the banks get tapped when I am pressed for time or have alot of cylinders to fill.

Banks are cheaper than a bigger compressor. No real depreciation either.

One of these days I'll get myself another little compressor just because we don't hardly dive anymore without one. I don't go to the quarries much anymore and to get anything but air, I have to drive WAY out of my way.

 

[Hoosier]

We crossed posts and I think my last post pretty well explains it but the bottom line is there were no air sales. The compressor was just a cost associated with teaching and getting equipment dealerships.

I don't think I had too much compressor. I had 5K in the compressor itself and maybe another 3K in banks, hyperfiter, hose, whips and stuff like that. Call it 8K. that was a Bauer Capitano (I think) which only pumped about 5 cfm...I really did need the banks. It was set up nice with auto drains BIG filters auto shutoff and so on but it wasn't much of a compressor.

The problem was just low volume and lots of overhead. No one in their right mind would devote capitol and retail space to a fill station with nothing to fill. LOL

Thanks for your answers.

I have seen many LDS that invested too much on the filling station and aren't getting enough business on an air fill. This fact is more obvious on a nitrox fill. Hence, the nitrox filling price is much higher and nobody wants to get a nitrox fill. And, eventually, a serious local divers are getting their filling station. So, LDS is losing anohter business...


I am sure you read the thread about $75 unlimited trimix fill per month on TDS.

Don't you think that that idea is feasible in mid-west. The shop owner told that 30~40 members are their breaking point....

Note: I like your signature. It is my favorite chaper.. I might read that chapter more than 50 times.

BTW I have a 3cfm compressor with 2000cf of banked 32%. It works out nicely, using the compressor to fill a couple of tanks, but the banks get tapped when I am pressed for time or have alot of cylinders to fill.

Banks are cheaper than a bigger compressor. No real depreciation either.

LOL~~your 2K CF filling station is more than an individual set up. I might open an air filling station...

True, the bank tank price is going up annually. Even, you might be able to get some profit on the bank tank.

 

[cdennyb]

I agree with rjack321,
doing the fills at home in your evening hours when you work long hours during the week saves lots more than just money. I mix 36% and sometimes a bottle of tri-mix. I figure the convienence is worth at least $3-5/fill.

My compressor is just a small gas driven MaxAir35and I take iton dive trips as well. Being portable instead of electric makes the benefits far greater IMHO.

db

 

[rjack321]

LOL~~your 2K CF filling station is more than an individual set up. I might open an air filling station...

What can I say, I'm addicted! Actually I rarely fill anyone else's tanks. I have maybe 3 or 4 times. Unfortunately there's just too much liability from parents, siblings, wifes etc. that I don't know sueing my butt.

I have about 86 hours on my unit over the past year. And I couldn't dive from Feb thorugh May of '06. Considering the nearest shop with mix is 45 minutes each way, I think I'm doing pretty good on the fuel savings alone. Nevermind the actual gas costs.

I haven't taken the Alkins on the road yet. (I have electric though.) I have so many tanks, 21 not counting the argon bottles, that it would have to be a pretty hefty trip to justify swapping to a gas engine and packing a K of O2 as well.

 

[Hoosier]

What can I say, I'm addicted! Actually I rarely fill anyone else's tanks. I have maybe 3 or 4 times. Unfortunately there's just too much liability from parents, siblings, wifes etc. that I don't know sueing my butt.

I have about 86 hours on my unit over the past year. And I couldn't dive from Feb thorugh May of '06. Considering the nearest shop with mix is 45 minutes each way, I think I'm doing pretty good on the fuel savings alone. Nevermind the actual gas costs.

I haven't taken the Alkins on the road yet. (I have electric though.) I have so many tanks, 21 not counting the argon bottles, that it would have to be a pretty hefty trip to justify swapping to a gas engine and packing a K of O2 as well.

Remember, your addiction is very tempting so that it makes me to follow you. BTW, I will be in Seattle this weekend.

 

[rjack321]

I'd offer a "guided" dive, but have another out-of-town guest to dive with both days already. Sorry.

 

[captndale]

I had a 5 HP Capitano that served my needs quite well when I owned an inland shop. Shortly after I sold my dive shop the new owner purchased a much larger compressor from another shop that was going out of business. I bought the Capitano back from him, changed the 3-phase motor out for a single-phase one and put it in my garage. I use it with a bank of 10 cylinders and a booster (for He and Ar). I have the parts to for assembling a nitrox stick, but have never gotten around to putting it together - I just partial pressure mix.