air compressors

[bluelite]

So there I was minding my own business when my brother said,"If what's in our tanks is just compressed air, why can't we fill them with an air compressor?" Not having anything other than a vague feeling that that was somehow wrong, I replied,"If it was that easy, you would see air compressors in the back of every truck at the fields." So, give me the technical info. What would be the difference?

 

[dr.strangelove]

You can fill paintball tanks off of compressors... industrial SCUBA compressors that is. Your average houshold compressor only goes to about 300 psi, while your tank hold anywhere between 3000 and 5000 psi.

 

[TyroneD.Ni]

But then how much would and industrial compressor cost and where would u get one? im sure fields could save alot by getting one.

 

[Recoil]

Originally posted by TyroneD.Ni
But then how much would and industrial compressor cost and where would u get one? im sure fields could save alot by getting one.

I was talking to someone about this the other day... think they retail for about a grand...

 

[smartecosse]

the prohibitive factor in running a high pressure compressor isn't so much the initial purchase price but rather the ongoing maintenance costs.

 

[L J]

compressors that do 4500 are a few grand....not really worth it, and those ones are petrol ran, so ud need to buy a generator aswell or sumthing

 

[Zwitta]

H-Pac

look at most of the tournys in the UK, they use H-Pac, its just a big truck with an air compressor in it, they run a hose from it that carries the HPA and then they have a table set out with a load of fill points, each one regulated to give either 4.5k or 3k. You just walk up when you feel like it, fill and leave, it works a charm.

So yes, it is possible, but I have no idea about the costs of doing it yourself.

 

[L J]

well, the new self fill station hpac have got is a dream...no queues ever..its great ill stick with Hpac thanks not worth a few grand

 

[TyroneD.Ni]

i wonder how they would get 4.5 k or 3k on a couple of hoses? is it a massive compressor basically.

 

[Zwitta]

How they do it

If your asking how they get 4.5k on one fill point and 3k on the other despite them being on the same hose... well... think about how your 3.5k air system outputs at 800psi, it takes the pressure and regulates it, brings it down to a suitable level.

Also, as you suggest, H-Pac is a big compressor however there are also some big air tanks inside the truck which store air at something like 6k. These tanks provide the air for the self fill station, the air doesn't come straight from the compressor, this allows for lots of people filling at 4.5k, if the fill station were to be run directly off a compressor, then the players would have to sit and wait for the compressor to slowly pump out compressed air and fill their bottles, but with the H-Pac system, you can open up the valve quickly, and the pressure equalizes in no time.

Hope that helps.