Gas Boosters

[warmwaterdiver]

Gas Boosters, can you hire them?

I've been looking at my gas costs this summer and it doesn't make good reading! I'm planning to continue diving OC next summer and if anything, will hopefully be doing more trimix diving than this year. So I was looking into doing some He blending at home. My LDS do not stock He but are willing to add the O2 and air top, and have an analyser.

Initially looking at how many fills I'd get out of a J, cascading, costs, etc, its obvious that a booster would help get the most out but considering that I'll only be looking at a 6 month trimix season (and a good chance I'd be on a box by the end of next year) its not worth me spending over £1k on a booster, but does anyone hire them? (or sell secondhand/recon ones?)

Alternatively, anyone in my region got a booster and would be willing to go halves on scavaging the dregs out J's next year?

Or is it a case of, once down to 40ish bar thats it?

[milldog]

this is soooooo shinny Gary

Gas Booster

only £699

[nickb]

Can't you persuade your LDS to get a few Js of He in for you? If you're doing a lot of trimix diving it might be worth their while.

Gas boosters ain't cheap, even those mini-boosters are getting on for a grand when you factor in all the hoses & fittings you'll need.

If you have a cascade of 3 (or more) Js, you ought to be able to scavange quite a bit of gas if you manage it correctly. Each cylinder costs about £6/month to hire, but you won't pay any extra for the delivery/pickup charge. And the more cylinders you take, the lower you can negotiate the gas price

[Finless]

I know Colinicky bought a booster second hand and I think the price was well under a £1000 - hopefully he will notice this thread and post a reply.

Don't forget you will have a good resale value on the booster pump when you decide you don't need it anymore.

Just because you have smaller cylinders on a CCR doesn't mean you don't need a booster pump.

[warmwaterdiver]

Originally Posted by Finless

I know Colinicky bought a booster second hand and I think the price was well under a £1000 - hopefully he will notice this thread and post a reply. Don't forget you will have a good resale value on the booster pump when you decide you don't need it anymore.

I just didn't want to spend £1k on something I used for no more than 10 times before going 'RB'

Originally Posted by Finless

Just because you have smaller cylinders on a CCR doesn't mean you don't need a booster pump.

I was thinking more along the lines of using less gas in total with a RB therefore less wastage, when it gets to filling 3's rather than twin 12's I'll have less to moan about

Hiring a booster (if its possible) would have to be cost efficient. If I was to waste the last 50 bar of He, with a J costing say £100, that would equal around £25 worth of He being returned unused. If I use say 1.5 J's a month, hire charges could be no more than £35 a month to make it worthwhile.

Originally Posted by nickb

Can't you persuade your LDS to get a few Js of He in for you? If you're doing a lot of trimix diving it might be worth their while.

I need to speak to them

Originally Posted by nickb

If you have a cascade of 3 (or more) Js, you ought to be able to scavange quite a bit of gas if you manage it correctly. Each cylinder costs about £6/month to hire, but you won't pay any extra for the delivery/pickup charge. And the more cylinders you take, the lower you can negotiate the gas price

As you say Nick, cascading would help, but again working the hire charges into account, it would have to cost efficient. 4 J's hire charge is £25 a month, with the benefit of 4 J's cascading, do you get extra He worth say half that? (I'd probably have 2 J's at a time anyway)

[Sakara Drinker]

Originally Posted by milldog

this is soooooo shinny Gary

Gas Booster

only £699

I emailed them the other week. The price doesn't include regulator, hoses and fittings.

Originally Posted by Divetech Ltd

The prices quoted are for unit only, supplied without hoses,inlet pressure regulator, and filling connections with gauge. I usually deliver the DTB10C boosters and go through the unit with you at no cost.

The air driven DTB5C is £699 including vat ( Popular with many who fit their own frame housing )

The stand alone DTB10C type 1 costs £3959 inc vat

The DTB10C type 2 costs £4780 inc vat

The DTB10C type 3 costs £ 9100 inc vat

Our hose package costs £ 410 inc vat which consists of the following:

So still looking at over a grand.

[Mal Bridgeman]

Originally Posted by warmwaterdiver

Hiring a booster (if its possible) would have to be cost efficient. If I was to waste the last 50 bar of He, with a J costing say £100, that would equal around £25 worth of He being returned unused. If I use say 1.5 J's a month, hire charges could be no more than £35 a month to make it worthwhile.

Hi Gary I've been having similar discussion with another He supplier and he is suggesting that all I'd need to do is return the J when I can get no more out of it, he will measure the pressure left and charge for what's been used. I expect I would pay a premium for this but less than the cost of a booster I suspect.
Would that work for you?
Mal

[warmwaterdiver]

Originally Posted by Mal Bridgeman

Hi Gary I've been having similar discussion with another He supplier and he is suggesting that all I'd need to do is return the J when I can get no more out of it, he will measure the pressure left and charge for what's been used. I expect I would pay a premium for this but less than the cost of a booster I suspect.
Would that work for you?
Mal

cheers Mal, again its all down to the cost and if any "premium" was payable, but YES absolutely, which gas supplier was it?

EDIT: cheers for the PM Mal

[NotDeadYet]

Factor in a grand for a booster, another year of open circuit gas costs... it all mounts up. Might not be that much of a stretch to a rebreather. As much as I'd like a booster I haven't really needed one yet.

[milldog]

Mal

was that a big named gas supplier?

Graham