Compressor

[Nwcid]

I know a compressor is still a bit in my future but I have been kinda looking around at stuff. I found a compressor that I don't know what the status is other then it was replaced with a new compressor. I know nothing about it other then what you see in the pics. I am assuming it will need serviced/rebuilt and not sure what kind of cost is involved in that. Also since I can find no info not sure how high of pressure it can go to. If it is something that might be a worthwhile deal I will see if it is for sale but would also need to know a reasonable price range.

I have tried looking online for details about the company or this unit and find nothing other then it is an aircraft company of some kind.

[Dusty2]

I couldn't find a lot of info on their diving compressors but I did find that they are an english company that is owned by Bauer. They are rotary screw type compressors rather than piston type. They are used a lot in southern England but I'm not sure about U.S. distributors.

Southern Air Systems
29B Parham Drive
Boyatt Wood Ind. Est.
Eastleigh
Hampshire
SO50 4NU

Tel: 023 8064 4206
Fax: 023 8064 4306

Here is a PDF for one of their compressors.
https://www.shropshirefire.gov.uk/sites ... df-115.pdf

[Nwcid]

Dusty I dont think that is the same place.

This compressor is a Subsea Air Systems and the address is from right there in Seattle with 206 phone number. You can see it on the bottom right hand of panel in the lower picture.

I have been able to find lots of "listings" for them but not a website, http://www.google.com/search?client=saf ... 8&oe=UTF-8

[Dusty2]

Maybe but that may also be who sold it here locally. That sounds like the guy that used to do a lot of compressor work in Seattle if I'm not mistaken. Call Mike Roth at Roth dive services in Port Townsend . He does a lot of compressor work and may know your answer. Also Randy Williams, RDW on the board is very well versed on compressors.

[Jeff Pack]

or ray contreras. Ray is my go to guy on compressor questions.

[CaptnJack]

The case is really not all that relevant. I suspect the block is probably a Mako though. I don't think the company is in business anymore, if they are obviously bring it to them

[rcontrera]

CaptnJack is right ... you need to show us the compressor itself. That one looks like one of the 80s vintage re-packagers. Even Mako didn't make their own compressor back then... they repackaged Bauer blocks. If the air compressor has not been running regularly, you may be in for a full valve job and possibly a ring job.

Get the picture and post it for us.

Oh ... and for reference, you can get a brand new continuous duty compressor starting at about $7000. Or one of the small compressors for about $3500. You can use that for your negotiations.

Good hunting!

[Nwcid]

Thanks for the info. I assumed the "ID" plates would work. Next time I am there I will get some pics of the whole unit.

[Dusty2]

Remember, Cost of the compressor is just the beginning. Compressors are a double edged sword. There is allot of cost involved in maintenance and upkeep not to mention a lot of cost getting it set up and ready to pump safe gas. Owning your own rig can be very costly so don't jump in till you are aware of the REAL cost. Odds are your talking a complete rebuild and that can run as much as 4 grand.

[CaptnJack]

Running costs are dirt cheap relative to buying gas. Capital costs, not so much. If you do pull the trigger on something of this vintage the only way its going to be worthwhile is if you do everything yourself. Actually that's true of any compressor setup, which is sorta like sidemount or a CCR. You gotta be adept at working on your own equipment, tinker, willing to trust your life to your own work, and not cut corners.

Although with your fire station deal, why would you want your own compressor at all?.

[Jeff Pack]

Cheap and compressor should never be in the same sentence...

[Nwcid]

I have no problem working on stuff myself. I have been looking at lots of costs also.

Yes we get free air ($15/year dues) from our team compressor and that is very nice. We are VERY active divers compared to most of our team. I would say Beth and I have done more dives the the rest of the team combined. I look at the fill log books and my name only occasionally broken by someone else. I know this is a talk we might have to have but the cost of maintenance (which I have no problem paying for, in fact I included a "donation" to the team when the dues were paid) becomes higher and they look at us as "heavy users" that dynamic might change. My argument would be that we are better divers for it but you also have to understand the mentality of the group I am dealing with.

Next is the fact that we are looking into tech and mixed gas. I did get the O2 hacker book and it is great. I know I can do PP filling and where I will be starting. It would be nice to have some other options. Right now I own over a dozen tanks so depending on how much diving we have been doing I can be sitting in town for a couple hours filling. As we all know compressors are not usually about cost but convenience.

[Dusty2]

That last sentence is the core truth. If you only factor cost then it isn't worth it but the convenience factor is what it's all about. Especially for those that don't live close to a shop. That and the "I own my own compressor" factor. Lets face it, as Americans we spend allot on things we COULD live without but we love them just the same.

[Jeff Pack]

My own compressor, my own fills, knowing what my fills are and relying upon them are all factors in the decision.

[rcontrera]

My own compressor, my own fills, knowing what my fills are and relying upon them are all factors in the decision.

There's the most important point! While there are some dive shops in the NW that have fantastic air systems, there are others that have no idea what they have installed nor how to take care of it. I showed at the NW Dive show a portable filter that goes between your tank and the fill hose that filters the air before it goes into your tank. It is for people that are in strange areas and don't trust the air they are getting. However, my best customers for this are dive shop employees that get free marginal quality air.

So, unless you are lucky enough to have one of the quality air system owners pumping your air, then knowing the quality of your own compressor’s air is the biggest benefit to compressor ownership.