Mixing your own Gas (Home Brew)

[stevewirl]

sorry for bring so morbit

 

[stevewirl]

after the initial cost its far cheeper than buying gas .

alot cheeper

 

[do it easy]

If you only want first hand stories, you'll only get the survivors.

Gas blending is somewhere between a pie and rocket science. There is lots of information available through classes, the internet, books, and mentors. Use as many sources as you can find and don't blow yourself up!

 

[fweber]

after the initial cost its far cheeper than buying gas .

alot cheeper

But you have to amortize that cost some how. And then it depends on where you live and what you're paying for OCA or mix fills. Assuming that you aren't buying a compressor: You're looking at a several hundred for a O2 whip with a digital gauge or suitably large analog. If you're leaving O2 in the tanks, and still buying an air fill from your LDS, the savings may be a fairly long payback. Specially, if the LDS sells nitrox fills reasonably.

 

[rockjock3]

Nitrox as an example. Nitrox at shop $12/tank. Private blending ~$1/tank (gas cost).

Trimix (tank of 18/25 in empty doubles) ~$115. Private blending ~$50.

It will still depend greatly upon how often you fill though. One time a month can take many years to pay off the compressor and whips, but the tank rentals and gas costs will balance out in your favor a little. Now if you dive every weekend you will reap rewards quickly.

 

[fweber]

Nitrox as an example. Nitrox at shop $12/tank. Private blending ~$1/tank (gas cost).

Trimix (tank of 18/25 in empty doubles) ~$115. Private blending ~$50.

It will still depend greatly upon how often you fill though. One time a month can take many years to pay off the compressor and whips, but the tank rentals and gas costs will balance out in your favor a little. Now if you dive every weekend you will reap rewards quickly.

Unless you're using welding O2 the private Nitrox/Oxygen cost is probably closer to $2, and that's assuming 100% usage of each cylinder, which isn't going to happen unless you have a booster or are paying leasing fees on many tanks for your cascade. PLUS, the cost of the air top up. Which if the LDS is charging 12 for EAN, is probably charging what $6 bucks. So Net savings less than $4 per tank fill. 100 or 200 fills later you're saving money, assuming no booster and not including the cylinder leases.

Trimix is a lot easier to start realizing savings. If for no other reason than, at that point you are going through a lot more volume and no doubt also using EAN blends to decompress. But, at that point you're going to want a booster or compressor, and your "savings" go right back out the window.

I just can't see honestly selling someone the idea that homebrewing is cost effective. You do it because you want to, or its convenient, or EAN is not available nearby, but not to save money.

 

[nereas]

I would not do it myself unless I lived and dived in the middle of nowhere.

And then I would go ahead and buy a $10K compressor with all the right nitrox filters and a booster.

The booster allows you to suck gas out of a bank tank and force it into your scuba tank. In that way, you can push the tank pressure above the pressure in your banks. That wastes less O2 and He.

The hard part is getting access to breathing-grade oxygen and breathing-grade helium. You are going to need to beg for the oxygen, and going to need to search for the helium. If you have a gas blending card and a scuba tech cert card, the distributors may acquiesce to your requests. But there is never any guarantee.

 

[rockjock3]

Unless you're using welding O2 the private Nitrox/Oxygen cost is probably closer to $2, and that's assuming 100% usage of each cylinder, which isn't going to happen unless you have a booster or are paying leasing fees on many tanks for your cascade. PLUS, the cost of the air top up. Which if the LDS is charging 12 for EAN, is probably charging what $6 bucks. So Net savings less than $4 per tank fill. 100 or 200 fills later you're saving money, assuming no booster and not including the cylinder leases.

Trimix is a lot easier to start realizing savings. If for no other reason than, at that point you are going through a lot more volume and no doubt also using EAN blends to decompress. But, at that point you're going to want a booster or compressor, and your "savings" go right back out the window.

I just can't see honestly selling someone the idea that homebrewing is cost effective. You do it because you want to, or its convenient, or EAN is not available nearby, but not to save money.

--Sorry I was off by ~$1. 2$ is it and that changes the savings from 99.2%/nitrox tank fill to a measly 98.4% savings.
--I was talking about if you are using a compressor. That is why it could take a good amount of time paying if you are not diving often, because those can cost $20000+
--I am talking about using a blending stick to empty the tanks.

You can save money if you dive enough. I know people that work at dive shops that have trimix fill stations. They home fill because it is cheaper for them. Yes, for many it is convienence, but somebody that dives weekly or even more often utilizing lots of mixed gas) it can save them money.

Like I said in my original post (wasn't selling anybody) it depends on how much you dive.

 

[NorthWoodsDiver]

pick up the oxyhackers guide and take a blending course if you can. Be familiar with what you are using and double check things. A booster pump will make life easier and cheaper if you do enough blending.

 

[stevewirl]

a cheap 1 tamk compressor $2000 . booster pump $350 , O2 rigs ad gauges $375 . extra filter $ 80
initial cost
J cylinder of o2 $52 ( can fill over 50 fills )

if a group of divers pitch together its far cheaper

if 1 diver it takes longer but is worth it as air fills are free and handy no need to lug bottle to lds