Air compressor's

[john j]

If you are going to do something like that for your buddies, my opinion is that you should have all of your buddies pitch in to buy the compressor and have them also pitch in to buy the gasses and maintenance supplies, etc.  When I say "pitch in", I don't mean that they give you money and you go buy the stuff.  I mean that if there is a part you need, that they buy it and bring it over and they install it.  Also have them buy oxygen for example and bring it over and fill their own tanks.  Have a written agreement among your group that the compressor and the equipment is a shared resource and that you all are responsible for upkeep, system design and for doing fills and that it is not a for profit venture.  Then make sure you document all the manitenance in a log book and also document all fills and gas analysis with a fill station log.  Your  friends should fill their own tanks or at least rotate people who do the filling so it isn't always you doing it.  My point is that if it is a shared resource, it must really be shared.  Anyone mixing nitrox or trimix should be certified to do so.  I would still reccommend insurance through Willis    They are a broker for Lloyds of London. I would expect insurance might cost over $1000 per year for this.  The problem is that if someone gets injured and it is due to a problem with the gas or it is even perceived that there might have been a problem with the gas, you will almost certainly get sued.  Even if you are not at all responsible, you will still have to defend yourself which could cost tens of thosands of dollars.  And consider this...your friend or his family may not sue you, but if his insurance company had to pay out for a lot of medical bills or for a life insurance claim, then your friend's insurance company will sue you, because they will want to recover their losses if they can.  Isn't America wonderful?

Regarding air quality tests, do a google search on "breathing air analysis laboratories" or something like that and you should find places that will do the analysis.

I think you might find that setting up a fill station with quality equipment is frightfully expensive, unless you can get some very special deal somehow.  You might be looking at $5k to $20k depending on what you are doing. There is more than just a basic compressor needed.  You need filters, fill whips, gauges, fittings, cylinders and the list goes on.  If you can get a RIX oil-less compressor, I would reccommend that.  No oil can get in the air and the user can do a full compressor rebuild on his own.  No machine shop required for rebuilds.  More expensive up-front cost, but at your first rebuild, you will be loving it.

I don't want to discourage you, but that's the reality of it from my viewpoint.  I do have a fill station and I'm completely "off the grid" so to speak and very happy to be that way, but I only fill my own tanks for my own use.

At times I have had discussions with folks about starting a fill station club or something like that where there is a fee to join and then there are monthly dues or whatever.  The fill station is located at some neutral location and everyone has a key.  When you need a fill you just go there and do it yourself.  On paper it looks interesting, but in order to make it work, you need a good size group of people to keep the per person cost reasonable.  Trouble is, the more people you bring in, the more problems you will have with theft, broken equipment, improper use, etc.  Or you go there expecting to get a trimix fill only to find that someone used all the helium and didn't replace it or they left a valve open and it's empty.

Well that's my opinion anyway.  Good luck with your plans if you decide to do it.