Most Important Thing For Compressor Longevity!!

[PasadenaMike]

Which compressor do you recommend? Until now I am filling my Evol’s only with air which I got from dive shops. ( where I fill up my 9 liter tanks ) this because I want the air to be perfectly clean and dry. I don’t want to ruin my beloved Evol’s with moisture. But maybe recent compressor made such a flight in quality that I don’t have to worry about this anymore? How do other AAA owners fill there guns?

If you have a convenient source of dry air nearby I wouldn’t even bother with a compressor let the dive shop repair the compressor. If you need more air just get another tank

 

[Eckhearth]

Thanks for your reply @PasadenaMike !
The source is about a 30 min drive, thinking of getting a bottle to bottle booster pump so I can get really to the bodem of my airtanks before filling them up again. Although these boosters also are kinda costly.

 

[PasadenaMike]

Thanks for your reply @PasadenaMike !
The source is about a 30 min drive, thinking of getting a booster pump so I can get really to the bodem of my airtanks before filling them up again. Although these boosters also are kinda costly.

No problem. If you want a way to top top off the big carbon fiber tank the GX CS4 Is a small liquid cooled affordable compressor that tops off big CF tanks. You can run them 20 minutes and cool down is 30. I have the Omega version which the only difference is there’s tech support with it. The Omega is sold at AOA and the GX version you can find GX PUMP CS4 Portable PCP Air Compressor, Max 5800Psi/40Mpa, 12V Auto S

 

[Eckhearth]

It crossed my mind. But I am still too worried for getting moisture in my air tanks. I read so many different stories about the moisture. Some never had a problem and others having a list of issues. ( probs so many variables.. that could effect the air quality ) but the GX CS4 has my attention!

 

[PasadenaMike]

It crossed my mind. But I am still too worried for getting moisture in my air tanks. I read so many different stories about the moisture. Some never had a problem and others having a list of issues. ( probs so many variables.. that could effect the air quality ) but the GX CS4 has my attention!

I’m a moisture phobe too so when I’m filling my carbon fiber tanks directly i use a filter like this: https://a.co/d/jfSPprX and replace the internals with this https://a.co/d/gQwXhKC fyi i also have an Omega Air Charger for large scba tanks but if I could do it over I’d just have the ca4 or an Omega trail charger. I also have a habit of purging the moisture every 5 minutes while filling. Honestly I’ve never had to replace dessicent beads yet because they haven’t changed color at all so the compressor does an excellent job filtering.

 

[Pat1]

One of the reasons I chose the GX 2 is the improved engineering. Roller bearings, separation of the high pressure section of the pump from the low pressure section so there is a de-concentration of heat in the system and 2 fans, one for HP one for LP sections. Also, better compression seals in each section.
It’s just easier to fix.

 

[Pat1]

I also have an extra separator on my GX that I bought from Brancato. I don’t care for his business methods but the small Carette filter fit well on my CX2 and keeps it dry. Target Forge ( Bill Ruehl does a great job on GX compressors) did a great video on this and I got the idea for combining the components on one platform from a picture on Airgun Nation.

 

[Alandaledaniel]

My Nomad 2 didn’t last very long calling for silicone oil so yeah good point.

My Nomad 2 died after one year, and it was not being ran hard. I filled my airgun about 4 to five times per week to 3000 psi. I was stunned when it stopped working. I thought it might be an electrical problem because the compressor shook so much when it was running. Nothing electrical was wrong. I found nothing loose that I could see in terms of pressure lines. The cost of shipping and inspection was ridiculous. I finally gave up on fixing the Nomad 2. I bought a comparatively inexpensive high pressure compressor from Walmart and got an insurance policy on it. That was last year in the summer of 2023. The Walmart purchase is still running after working all last summer, a bit this winter, and now it’s being used for my summer shooting. Wow. It might make it through two summers. I never dreamed that PCP air guns could be so expensive and time consuming because of repairs and maintenance. For several years I used a scuba tank only and it worked fine until I moved and the scuba tank refill store ended up an hours drive, one way, away from my house. So, I spent money for a compressor and the expense has increased dramatically since then. Convenience has a high cost factor associated with it. AD2

 

[Alandaledaniel]

@Lowndes...hi there, a fellow peach here. I live in the northeast metro Atl area (Duluth/Buford). Where & what guns do you have/shoot?. I've got a stable of pcp's, springers, pumpers,co2, etc that don't see too much action, except for the occasional pesky chipmunk, ...and a Honda shadow spirit that I haven't ridden in like, forever! .

Now, on to a more general/ open question:...I'd love to put my airguns to good work culling farm/pasture pests or waste dump rats like our compatriots across the pond do.

Found a local Waste Management transfer station that I think would yield a good harvest of rats, from the looks of things. Went and got the site manager's contact info, but not quite sure how to cold-call/pitch them my proposition;..."er, got gun, would love to feed your rats lead pellets" .

I'm pretty sure being a corporate owned facility, there would most likely be this legal/liability firewall. Any suggestions from you guys with experience securing permissions? I know Dana @ Mountainsports has a few.

Cheers!
Al

Your problem is liability that will attach to the transfer station if anything, and I mean anything, goes wrong and either personal injury or property damage results. You could offer to sign an indemnity agreement where you assume all responsibility for personal injury or property damage; however, I don’t think that will help unless you also agree to obtain some kind of insurance to cover what you do. I don’t think that kind of insurance exists unless it is some kind of business coverage. Because the word “gun” is involved a court may hold you are involved in an extraordinarily dangerous act [a joke if you know guns, but not to the general populace who have been brainwashed to fear guns and everything related to guns]. No joke. Use the word “gun” around most urban dwellers and they start shaking. Just the word gun frightens them beyond belief.
In spite of all this there is no harm in asking. Still, be aware that you will be responsible for any harm stemming from your actions. A deflected pellet striking a person will generate big trouble for you. Check local ordinances, laws, and regulations to find out if it is legal to shoot a pellet gun where the transfer station is. Some cities and counties make it illegal to shoot any “gun” on city or county property, or within the city limits. Watch for areas classified as urban, even if not officially a part of a city. In some instances areas classified as urban, even outside the city limits, can have specialized rules applied to it that people must follow. Believe me when I tell you that rules and regulations are pouring out of various government agencies aimed at preventing the use of anything that even looks like a gun. The liberal propaganda has done its work of making the average person frightened out of their wits about guns.
Good luck.
AD2

 

[AlDubya]

Your problem is liability that will attach to the transfer station if anything, and I mean anything, goes wrong and either personal injury or property damage results. You could offer to sign an indemnity agreement where you assume all responsibility for personal injury or property damage; however, I don’t think that will help unless you also agree to obtain some kind of insurance to cover what you do. I don’t think that kind of insurance exists unless it is some kind of business coverage. Because the word “gun” is involved a court may hold you are involved in an extraordinarily dangerous act [a joke if you know guns, but not to the general populace who have been brainwashed to fear guns and everything related to guns]. No joke. Use the word “gun” around most urban dwellers and they start shaking. Just the word gun frightens them beyond belief.
In spite of all this there is no harm in asking. Still, be aware that you will be responsible for any harm stemming from your actions. A deflected pellet striking a person will generate big trouble for you. Check local ordinances, laws, and regulations to find out if it is legal to shoot a pellet gun where the transfer station is. Some cities and counties make it illegal to shoot any “gun” on city or county property, or within the city limits. Watch for areas classified as urban, even if not officially a part of a city. In some instances areas classified as urban, even outside the city limits, can have specialized rules applied to it that people must follow. Believe me when I tell you that rules and regulations are pouring out of various government agencies aimed at preventing the use of anything that even looks like a gun. The liberal propaganda has done its work of making the average person frightened out of their wits about guns.
Good luck.
AD2

Yeah, I hear you, brother...you're absolutely right on all points. Sounds like you're a lawyer or legal practioner of some sort?
Given the current negative sentiment you describe, I shoot those pesky chipmunks in my yard from the veiled confines of my enclosed deck, least I attract the unwanted interest of a neighbor, or worse, the HOA board, which is constantly on the prowl.
For what its worth, I'm looking forward to retirement in the next 5 or so years,...hopefully I can convince the ol' gal to move out to the country somewhere. Ha, it'll be easier turning water to wine,...but at least I'm allowed to dream.
In the meantime, I keep adding to the stash...I've added an Artemis M60B and Umarex Notos in the past couple of months,...and looking forward to the release of the JTS Thunderlance and Shylock, as well as the Macavity M2 later this year. It seems like just when I think this windy road is coming to an end, there's always something interesting around the next bend, beckoning irresistibly like the pied piper's tune

 

[Sr.airgunner]

These are things that I like to do.

1. Heat is the killer of all compressors. The most important thing to do that I’ve learned is after a fill keep those cooling fans running a few minutes.

2. Another is moisture purging of the compressor itself to dry it out as much as possible. After a long fill I plug the hose and open the drain and just run the compressor so it gets rid of moisture. I also like to close the drain and let it build pressure (like 1500 psi or so) and release it several times while the pump is running to purge moisture. It’s amazing how much comes out. Doing this always has helped me keep things dry. When filling large tanks I do run an inline desiccant filter (big blue one) and also a particle filter (AV inline filter).

3. Hour meter- depending on your compressor some need an oil or lube change of some sort so keep records of run times. I time my runs and write them down. I’ll be honest i don’t keep track of runs on my GX cs 2 , GX el2 compressors they’re cheap enough to toss and technically there’s no interval for lube. I keep track of my Omega Air Charger and Trail Charger only because they have greasing intervals.

4. Keep the bleed knob open , start the compressor and let it build momentum and then close the bleed knob to not strain the motor.

Very good points to extend the life of any compressor. One thing I do is an oil change after filling 4 SCBA tanks.
I use synthetic motor oil 5w30. It takes less than a cup of oil to do this. Economical insurance.

 

[PasadenaMike]

Very good points to extend the life of any compressor. One thing I do is an oil change after filling 4 SCBA tanks.
I use synthetic motor oil 5w30. It takes less than a cup of oil to do this. Economical insurance.

Yeah that works too.

 

[Lowndes]

I’ve heard of that before. If you can get it cheap than yeah makes sense

The paintballers use N2 straight from the bottle - well - thru a pressure reducer for safety. They used to give it away, provide it for free at the fields and they go thru more N2 in a day than we would use in a year. N2 is D-R-Y dry, NO moisture, it is FAST to refill a bottle or tank, and it is cold when you refill (going from high pressure to lower pressure).

 

[Sr.airgunner]

The paintballers use N2 straight from the bottle - well - thru a pressure reducer for safety. They used to give it away, provide it for free at the fields and they go thru more N2 in a day than we would use in a year. N2 is D-R-Y dry, NO moisture, it is FAST to refill a bottle or tank, and it is cold when you refill (going from high pressure to lower pressure).

The price to fill a large N2 tank from the air supplier might surprise you. Atmospheric air is 79% N2 so compressed air is nearly the same except for the humidity moisture level. One of the biggest advantages of having your own compressor is avoiding lugging a heavy tank around to fill it and use it. You can pay for your own compressor in a short time if you do a lot of shooting.

 

[WildBman]

My Nomad 2 didn’t last very long calling for silicone oil so yeah good point.

I destroyed 3 of the nomads not a fan

 

[elwoodblues]

The price to fill a large N2 tank from the air supplier might surprise you. Atmospheric air is 79% N2 so compressed air is nearly the same except for the humidity moisture level. One of the biggest advantages of having your own compressor is avoiding lugging a heavy tank around to fill it and use it. You can pay for your own compressor in a short time if you do a lot of shooting.

The tank you are taking air or any gas out of gets cold but the tank you are filling gets Hot especially if you fill too fast.

 

[bchannell]

I've been using N2 for quire a while now and no interest in going back. I pay <$18 a fill for 40 cu/ft bottle, and I use a bottle every month during summer and every other month during winter. Now that filling a lot of guns, and normally one at least every day, so you can firgure your usage. I hunt on my own property and if I were to go to a range, I'd buy me a small CF SCBA tank, like 30 or 45 min and use it to fill with N2 for the range. I would not have a problem with using just air at the range, as it would be the only time my guns would see any king of moisture, and infrequently, so I doubt it would do any harm. Luckily, I have no reason to go to a range, I have three at home.

 

[BenjeneerJohn]

Another one to keep in mind. When topping up a bottle, connect the compressor, keep the bottle closed and turn on the compressor. Let the compressor pressure come up to about the same as the bottle. Then open the bottle.

This puts less strain on the compressor.

John

 

[Grunt64]

These are things that I like to do.

1. Heat is the killer of all compressors. The most important thing to do that I’ve learned is after a fill keep those cooling fans running a few minutes.

2. Another is moisture purging of the compressor itself to dry it out as much as possible. After a long fill I plug the hose and open the drain and just run the compressor so it gets rid of moisture. I also like to close the drain and let it build pressure (like 1500 psi or so) and release it several times while the pump is running to purge moisture. It’s amazing how much comes out. Doing this always has helped me keep things dry. When filling large tanks I do run an inline desiccant filter (big blue one) and also a particle filter (AV inline filter).

3. Hour meter- depending on your compressor some need an oil or lube change of some sort so keep records of run times. I time my runs and write them down. I’ll be honest i don’t keep track of runs on my GX cs 2 , GX el2 compressors they’re cheap enough to toss and technically there’s no interval for lube. I keep track of my Omega Air Charger and Trail Charger only because they have greasing intervals.

4. Keep the bleed knob open , start the compressor and let it build momentum and then close the bleed knob to not strain the motor.

I have 2 Tuxing twin cylinders and i agree with all you have mentioned regarding heat and most manufactures don't go far enough, like with Tuxing the cooling only goes as far as the top part of the heads and nothing for the oil in the crank case. what i have done is no Miracle by any means but, will it help prolong its life? it can't hurt. I use a 5gal sports drink cooler with 1.5 gal of RV/ Marine coolant and 1.5 water inside the cooler on the return side i have a shower head. The coolant has properties to fight of rust and yet not toxic. I have made about 1/2-gal ice blocks in gal vacuumed sealed bags 3 of them, the 1st bag is a precool about 1hr 1/2 before starting the compressor and then just before use I add the other 2 and I never go any more the 125 temp. Now on the oil, reciprocating oil and without going too deep, I went with heat sinks on the crank case on each side for now, one will go on the front soon and each has its own Wal*mart usb fans, i get about 25 min ran time before the temp gets to 125. I hope this will help anyone in prolonging the life of their compressor. Thank you

PasadenaMike

 

[Grunt64]

One thing I've never understood, and I'm not being a jerk here, is what does it matter if you start the compressor with the bleed closed, as long as there's no pressure in the fill hose? I mean, it's still starting from 1bar either way. Just curious.
Another question I've had is someone on here has mentioned how detrimental it is to the compressors to pump with the inlet blocked or closed if you're pumping nitrogen. I dunno, I've done it a time or two by accident and have seen no detriment. You can tell immediately when it's starved by the sound, and I go over and open the inlet. Just curious.

Generally, shouldn't cause any immediate issues. However, there are a few considerations to keep in mind:

1. Compressor Load: Starting the compressor with the bleed valve closed might create a slight initial load on the system, even if the hose is empty. Over time, this could contribute to wear on the compressor's motor or components.
2. Moisture and Airflow: Keeping the bleed valve open during startup allows any residual moisture or air trapped in the system to escape. This can help maintain the compressor's efficiency and longevity.
3. Safety Habit: It's a good practice to always start with the bleed valve open and close it once the compressor is running. This habit ensures that you avoid accidentally starting the compressor under pressure, which could strain the system or lead to safety concerns.

While it might not seem critical in the short term, adopting best practices can extend the life of your equipment and ensure safe operation.