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jay[_4_] jay[_4_] is offline
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Default Breathing air from a compressor

On Jun 11, 8:59*pm, Richard J Kinch wrote:
jay writes:
I assume it's not safe to breathe air from an oil lubricated air
compressor at sea level.


I do it all the time and so do my kids. *We hook it up to a scuba
regulator and practice scuba diving in the swimming pool. *Never
detected any irritation or as much as a scratchy throat from doing this
for long periods. *Boat and pool repair guys do this to work underwater..

The compressor consists of some metal and clean hydrocarbon oil, so
there's nothing particularly toxic in low amounts. *The amount of oil
entrained into the air must be way below any OSHA limits for oil vapor,
since the oil consumption of a well-running compressor is miniscule. *
I'm sure that running a lathe with kerosene cutting fluid and hot chips
generates more oil vapor into the lungs via ambient air than this.

I was working with this every day I might add a filter canister.

Now in filling scuba tanks to 3500 psi you have to be scrupulously
clean, but this is only 90 psi.

I'm more worried about microbes growing in the puddle in the bottom of
the compressor tank. *But the intake filter should keep out most of the
nutrition for them, so there's just clean distilled water and rust in
there.

http://www.truetex.com/scuba_lp.pdf


Thanks for the adapter drawing. I could use an old full face HOKA or
SCUBA MASK. This is strictly top side usage only.