Smallest compressor for diving

[captmikem]

I meant Triplex filter and Monoxide, not dioxide. Fingers don't always type what I am thinking....

From their website:
THE P-FILTER SYSTEM FROM BAUER
Function of the filter system:
Rough removal of oil and water droplets through inbuilt strainer
Removal of water vapour H2O using molecular filter sieve
Removal of oil vapour and odours CxHy with activated carbon
Safe conversion of carbon monoxide CO into non-toxic carbon dioxide CO2
All filter cartridges exceed the limit values of DIN EN 12021, the European Pharmacopeia and DIN EN 8573-1 for industrial air and gases:
* Oil and aerosols: < 0.1 mg/m3 (DIN EN 12021 max. 0.5 mg/m3 )
* Carbon monoxide: < 5 ppm (V/V) (DIN EN 12021 max. 15 ppm (V/V))
* Water vapour: < 10 mg/m3 (DIN EN 12021 max. 25 mg/m3 )
* Odour and taste: taste- and odourless * Sulphur dioxide: < 0.5 ppm (V/V)
* Nitrogen monoxide / dioxide: < 1 ppm (V/V)

[Cowboy Sailer]

My fingers don't always type what I want them to!

[Pete7]

I am not sure I follow this, Carbon Monoxide shouldn't need filtering out because it shouldn't be anywhere near a compressor intake. Can it be converted to CO2 with a filter? I am doubtful.

The small light and easily powered compressor for divers has been a holy grail for divers for years.

Diving club tried one of the little Contri sub Italian compressors for a while to use when away from civilisation. We probably got 5 years of gentle use out of it before it needed a series of rebuilds which despite our best efforts were never totally successful. The small German Bauer with a petrol engine is probably the most cost effective solution.

Pete

[Bulawayo]

I dont think you want hear this but by far the most popular cruising boat diving compressor we have come across (and use ourselves) is the Bauer Junior II.
Ours runs of an intergral Honda petrol engine.

[ski69sail]

Hi There.
I recently had a chat to a guy who has spent his whole life repairing , maintaining and installing dive compressors. His recommendation was the Bauer Junior with a petrol motor. The electricity required to run a compressor on a yacht is huge. I now have a Bauer Junior 11 with a Subaru Petrol Engine.

Ray

[seandepagnier]

What about a compressor that only reaches 500-600 psi and can take 8 hours to fill a 4 liter tank? I believe it's been proven that the faster the compressor works the less efficient it is and the more heat it must generate, so a slow compressor would in theory use less energy.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

What about a compressor that only reaches 500-600 psi and can take 8 hours to fill a 4 liter tank? I believe it's been proven that the faster the compressor works the less efficient it is and the more heat it must generate, so a slow compressor would in theory use less energy.

Your right and there is a graph in one of my dive books that shows why this happens. Trying to fill a 300 bar cylinder would be a nightmare using a small compressor. However, 600 psi isn't going to make it, you want 3000+psi or 230 bar if you are in Europe, for a diving cylinder.

Pete

[clownfishsydney]

As others have said, the best is probably the Bauer Junior II with petrol engine (Honda). With electric you need at least 8 kw generator to run, even though the electric motor only draws 2.2 kw The Bauer Utilis 10 is smaller, so that may be better for you, but much slower to fill a tank.

I am presently converting my Junior II (which we have had for 11 years) to petrol so we can take to the Great Barrier Reef this winter. Will fill two 80 cf tanks from 75 bar to 220 bar in 40 minutes.

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Your right and there is a graph in one of my dive books that shows why this happens. Trying to fill a 300 bar cylinder would be a nightmare using a small compressor. However, 600 psi isn't going to make it, you want 3000+psi or 230 bar if you are in Europe, for a diving cylinder.

Pete

Why isn't 600 psi good enough? If you get an hour at 3000 psi then you would get 12 minutes at 600 psi which is very useful.

if it takes 2.2kw 40 minutes to fill 2 tanks, that is about 700 watt hours per tank. This seems very low so I'm not sure it's correct.

Consider filling to 600 psi over several hours. This would use about 1/10th as much energy with a high efficiency 3 stage compressor costing only a few amps.

[hoppy]

Normally you want to be doing your safety stop by the time you are at 50 bar (720PSI), so I can't see any point in charging to 600PSI. You might as well carry a couple of full tanks which could give you 10 or so 12 minute dives. Or given that you will be so limited in what you can do with only 600psi, then you might as well get a hooka

[Neemorna]

Hi I am interested in purchasing a hookah. Can I get a few more details an some photos of the second hand one you have?

[Duchie]

Re , hooka unit , I don't have a photo handy , but the brand name is Hookamax, should be able to find it online under Hookamax Dive Systems There's a photo of the unit ,and it's called " The Hookamax E2005c-12v battery Hookah system .

[millhouse_44]

I run a pretty old Bauer Purus dive compressor that I bought used and had rebuilt. It weighs 45 KG. 220/50 power rated at 2.2 KVa. I have a 5 KW genset. I installed it under the aft bunk on the stbd side fit perfectly. Had to upgrade the switch breaker to 20 amp from 15 due to start spike but it runs at about 12-14 amp. I also had to buy a fan to blow more air into the compartment for cooling. I run the intake line out the porthole to get fresh and cool air. Have to drain water off every 10 minutes. Fills to about 2400 PSI in 20 minutes. I don't bother going more because of heat generated. I personally would not use a gas powered unit but without a generator you're limited in options. Happy with this setup fory purposes and only need diesel fuel not gas also can save that fory dinghy!!

[clownfishsydney]

Originally Posted by boat_alexandra

Why isn't 600 psi good enough? If you get an hour at 3000 psi then you would get 12 minutes at 600 psi which is very useful.

if it takes 2.2kw 40 minutes to fill 2 tanks, that is about 700 watt hours per tank. This seems very low so I'm not sure it's correct.

Consider filling to 600 psi over several hours. This would use about 1/10th as much energy with a high efficiency 3 stage compressor costing only a few amps.

A compressor that can only pump to 600 psi will only fill a tank to 600 psi, no matter how long you run it for. As 600 psi is essentially an empty scuba tank, it is of no use.

After 11 years running my Bauer compressor, filling over 3,700 tanks, I can assure you that the figures I quoted are accurate.

[hoppy]

Just looking at Bauer Junior II and it mentions Diesel and something called "Yachting package", but I can't find any information about them.


Junior II and Oceanus Portable Scuba Diving Air Compressors