Air tank primer 101

I am finally getting more than just 14.7 psia air in my tank ( loud applause and shouting 😆 )

What I’d like to do is post the things I’ve learned in getting my tank filled for newbies and hopefully the experienced folks will add their experience also.

1) Whether you buy a scba (firefighter tank) or a scuba tank fill fittings will more than likely be needed.
1a) A 4500# scba can be filled at a safety equipment place or a fire station but will need an adapter for a paintball or scuba shop.
1b) A luxfer 106 cu ft scuba tank has a din 300 valve and can be filled at a dive shop but will need either a firehouse (scba) adapter or a paintball adapter if filled elsewhere.

2) A firefighter or safety equipment friend can make your filling life easier.
2a) Most (if not all) fire stations or safety equipment companies are Not keen on filling your tank, all they can see is the liability issue.

3) A dive shop can fill either tank (scba tank will need a din 300 adapter). The din designation has to do with the thread configuration. Some scuba tanks are din 200 (shallow hole) or they can be a din 300 (deeper threads). A din 200 fill hose won’t seat well in a din 300 tank valve, its too short to get a good seal. A dive shop din 300 fill connector will fit a shallow din 200 tank valve, it’s ok if a couple of threads are left sticking out.

4) Tank adapters run from $60 to $90.

5) Some dive shops have 3000 psi compressors which they can pump up to around 3600# psi. Some dive shops have 4500# psi compressors.

6) A paintball shop may say they have compressed air but what they mean is they have a bottle of nitrogen with a compressor that can fill your tank up to 4500# (a paintball adapter will be needed unless it’s a paintball tank).
6a) I will be keeping my 106 cu ft tank in a closet in my house so I have a concern with a large bottle of nitrogen (N2) inside a closet where possibly a child can hide in. Nitrogen displaces oxygen and in a small area can lead to death i.e… a person is playing and hides in the small room where the tank of N2 is. If the tank has a small leak it could have filled the room with N2 and the person will pass out before they can get back out.
This is an extreme example but one I feel people using N2 should be aware of.

7) Be prepared to pay an extra $25 to $40 for an initial tank inspection. Just because the tank is new does not mean a shop will accept it as new. They will want to inspect it and place a inspection sticker on it.

8) If you’re not a certified diver they may or may not fill the tank. If you are not certified and they will fill it don’t be surprised if they need to place a ‘not for breathing air’ sticker on it.

9) Be willing to accept a lower pressure, i.e. tank will hold 4350# but the shop can only give you 3600#, this is better than not getting it filled.

10) If you decide to go the shoebox route be prepared to add the cost of dessicant filters to the setup, possibly before and after the shoebox.

11) When buying a tank ask and learn about adapters that you may need, just because it comes from an air rifle company doesn’t mean the tank will come with the proper fill adapters.

12) Get the shorter fill hose if you can, the longer hoses waste more tank air.

13) I bought the Luxfer 106 cu ft tank with a gauge and long hose. I just found out that the foster fitting on the end of the hose has no shutoff inside of it. So, where I thought I could use the hose gauge to show me the tank pressure this won’t work. When you open the tank valve the air blows through the foster fitting. So I”m not sure where they filled the tank to.
Now I see why Joe emphasizes how much a tank gauge can help.
I could take the hose off and plug the gauge but that will be a pain to do on a regular basis.

It’s been an experience getting my tank filled but I’m just about there.

edited 06/01/14

Later