Booster - ing safe in small rooms?

Outlaw

hello guys,

am afraid the title does not really reflect on my question, but here it is.

all the pictures i have seen with boosters in action, are all in open spaces, like in the back yard, big garage etc. i am about to purchase a booster and i have O2 tanks (34L) but i plan to keep them in the store room where i usually pack my stuff.

Do you think it would be a greater risk pumping in there? this goes out to those who pump their gas. what is the procedure you are using.

P.S an article about how to boost would be useful. i am talking from start to finish, how to connect the whips, open valves etc...

Thanks to all.

Spyros.

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rdmmdr

get a copy of oxygen hacker handbook. you should start there. As to small rooms verses big areas, most of us use a large area in the event of a fire/explosion we don't lose the whole house. and it is much easier to control possible ignition sources, water heaters, pilot lights, electrical panels. Remember NASA best engineers thought that they could handle an enriched o2 environment they were wrong. if you assume that you will have a fire and plan for it, you will probably never have one.

rick

caveseeker7

Spyros, here a link to the Oxyhacker handbook recommeded above:
Vance Harlow's
OXYGEN HACKER'S COMPANION. Get it!

Here's one to a tank fill gone bad: fill_your_own_tanks

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Eoin

I have the handbook as mentioned above, get it - very informative. I would also recommend doing a Blender course, even just for insurance purposes! (and yes, I know you are not actually "blending")

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nigelh

I boost indoors, in my workshop.

I run my own version of 'oxygen clean' standards which largely consists of controlling what I personally cleaned and knowing that everything 'upstream' conforms. I don't keep inflammables (oils etc. or cardboard) near the booster and the needle valve is always in line to try and stop anything happening quickly.

I wondered about building a 'panel' but decided I want to be able to see everything before I open the valves.

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4ster

I built a "mixing shack" away from the workshop. Just in case.

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diverreb

I boost and mix in my garage simply because that's where my system is and that's where I keep all my tanks.

If you follow the O2 fill guidelines and basically make sure all your stuff is O2 clean and you open & fill slowly you won't have any problems.

Similar to rebreather diving, don't be casual and cavalier about it as it has the potential to do some real damage if you try using shortcuts.

Richie

finbar.taylor

Having been stood next to a booster that when bang I would suggest having a large room and plenty of space for the resultant shock wave to disipate. For about 4 days after the one that went bang next to me I though I was going to suffer permanant hearing and balance problems.

Also in a larger room if a hose blows and is flailing arround youve got room to get out of it's way!.

Fin

cool_hardware52

I agree, there's good reason why NEC requires clear space in front of a electrical panel, so you can jump back when the excitement starts. Same goes for HP O2.

Tobin

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JS1scuba

I get a chuckle when i read some of these local myths.

Gas mixing, transfilling, decanting, boosting, etc is as much an art of technique as it is a science. The good thing about having been mixing gas for close 18 years is I have had my hand on most every piece of mixing equipment available. Boosters of all kinds driven by air, electric, and water cooled diaphram pumps. Mixed in cylinders as small as lecture bottles (1 cuft) to tube racks with 20,000 cube of gas in it. I've mixed in super clean rooms to the filthiest slop house you can imagine. Great BFD I have a resume of mixing. So what?

The so what is this. PAY ATTENTION to what you are doing, dont have distractions, have a method, PAY ATTENTION and you will be fine.

Granted it would be wonderful if we could all have an oxygen boosting room that looked like the one in the photo ........ permanent mounted cylinders with welded manifolds and IR heat detectors that shut off the oxygen flow and dual thickness CB walls. But then this was paid for with our tax dollars at the Groton CT Sub Base to run the oxygen for the hyperbaric unit. But this place was slick.

Then we have the guy with a little booster driving it off his Sears compressor, or the guy with a transfil whip moving gas from his twinset to his CCR bottle.

If you are neat, clean, using good technique you can mix with anything, with good repeatable results. If you are a pig, don't pay attention, get sloppy, do it while pissed (not angry just drunk) you WILL have problems.

So long as you have sufficient air in a room where the temperature is reasonable, follow good clean rules, and manage your technique you can boost in any room. NEVER modify the booster exhaust system, that is part of the cooling system.

Stay focused. Pay attention and you should have little to no problems.

Cheers

JDS

Attached Images

oxyroom.jpg (161.2 KB, 187 views)

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