"Spare Air" clone, SMACO mini tank with hand pump fill to 3000 psi

[Popgun Pete]

Right now the Internet is positively crawling with numerous offers of what appears to be a "Spare Air" clone complete with tank filling accessories and a hand pump. Interestingly this hand pump is claimed to reach 3000 psi! When I read these adverts my thoughts went to untested cylinders and poorly designed hand pumps filling air cylinders with burnt lubricant products with adiabatic heating and dieseling. At least the pumps have a water condensate trap, but what controls and safeguards are in place to ensure breathing air is safe? My guess is none. I wonder when the safety regulators will descend on these like a ton of bricks.

SMACO SCUBA | eBay

https://www.gearbest.com/diving/pp_3002726615029587.html?wid=2000001
View attachment 527792

 

[BRT]

Right now the Internet is positively crawling with numerous offers of what appears to be a "Spare Air" clone complete with tank filling accessories and a hand pump. Interestingly this hand pump is claimed to reach 3000 psi! When I read these adverts my thoughts went to untested cylinders and poorly designed hand pumps filling air cylinders with burnt lubricant products with adiabatic heating and dieseling. At least the pumps have a water condensate trap, but what controls and safeguards are in place to ensure breathing air is safe? My guess is none. I wonder when the safety regulators will descend on these like a ton of bricks.

SMACO SCUBA | eBay

https://www.gearbest.com/diving/pp_3002726615029587.html?wid=2000001
View attachment 527792

Do you think anybody has ever had the energy to hand pump one to 3000?

 

[Popgun Pete]

Well "Spare Air" themselves offer a very similar unit at a much higher price, so it must be doable, the question here really is how well does this work and have all safety standards been observed. 3,000 psi is well into serious pressure levels and you are looking at a bomb if things come apart. Admittedly a small cylinder has less risk, but scuba tanks exploding have demolished dive shops in the old days and that was only 2,250 psi!

By the way when I was editing this thread the site never responded and just sat stuck on “save”, hence that is why there are duplicates which I hope to have removed (problem has been reported).

 

[BRT]

Well "Spare Air" themselves offer a very similar unit at a much higher price, so it must be doable, the question here really is how well does this work and have all safety standards been observed. 3,000 psi is well into serious pressure levels and you are looking at a bomb if things come apart. Admittedly a small cylinder has less risk, but scuba tanks exploding have demolished dive shops in the old days and that was only 2,250 psi!

By the way when I was editing this thread the site never responded and just sat stuck on “save”, hence that is why there are duplicates which I hope to have removed (problem has been reported).

Spare Air sells a hand pump? Seriously I saw the Chinese units and to me it is just a step too far.

 

[eelnoraa]

3000psi by bicycle pump??? It will be more like 100psi.

 

[broncobowsher]

Bicycle pump with a tiny piston. Yes, it is doable. There are people who would hand pump full sized scuba tanks. It can (and has) been done.

 

[Bob DBF]

I wonder when the safety regulators will descend on these like a ton of bricks.

When enough people die, it may be looked at, but the number is pretty high. And besides The scuba industry is self regulating.

If selling crap to gullible people was a crime, this would be towards the bottom of the to do list.


Bob

 

[Popgun Pete]

Spare Air sells a hand pump? Seriously I saw the Chinese units and to me it is just a step too far.

Here it is Custom Hand Pump includes Adapters

About 3 times the price of the Asian clone. USD 299.00 on special.

 

[eelnoraa]

Bicycle pump with a tiny piston. Yes, it is doable. There are people who would hand pump full sized scuba tanks. It can (and has) been done.

Wait a minute, average bicycle pump has piston area of what, at least 1 sq inch (~1" diameter), right? You need to apply 3000lb on the bicycle pump. Really doable?

 

[Popgun Pete]

3000psi by bicycle pump??? It will be more like 100psi.

These pumps if they are anything like the ones used to pressurize air pistols have a 3 stage system with a pump inside a pump inside a pump. They are elaborate and expensive, so how many corners have been cut in these Asian clones? The inner seals and "O" rings on the final inner pump stage get very hot and the materials used need to be durable, if not the pumps cook out their innards and fail. The Swedish FX hand pumps are very expensive and are shown here, they cost many times more than the clones which can be found for under 80 bucks.

This is the patent diagram, FX Airguns AB hold the patent. The third stage of the pump is a displacement rod, same as poking your finger in a brim full glass of water which displaces the volume of your finger that spills over the edge. The cross-section of the rod faces the pressure and is very small, almost like a needle, which is why these hand pumps can hit 3,000 psi. It takes hundreds of pump strokes and they state it is about 600 to fill a 0.5 liter tank, assuming the pump keeps working. For a 400 buck Swedish hand pump that is possible, but one for 80 bucks?