Air Fill Station Help

Greatest ION · 09-09-2012, 01:43 PM

We recently caem into possession of a 4.5k compressor, 3 Large 4.5 k tanks, and a fill station (little black box) so that our team can fill our own air at our own field. We have a small problem though and would love to pick the field owner's brains on how to fix it.

Our "little black box" the thing most players use with a simple button push to fill their tanks is having a problem. Everything works just fine on the fill, and it fills tanks up to the pressure of our Supply tank, but disconnecting paintball tanks from the black box is proving difficult. Somewhere in our line there is back pressure not being released we think because we cannot disconnect the fill hose form the fill nipple on the paintball HPA tanks. We must flip the little black box over and with a wrench loosen the connection behind the gauge (furthest right when looking from underneath box) until the air bleeds back out. Once the air is bled out we can then disconnect tank.

Could anyone add insight to this problem or know where on these little black fill station things which part controls the bleed valve or back pressure? Thanks for your help in advance. Will upload pics of the setup later for visual reference.

UPDATE: PICS below, the last pic shows what we loosened to temporarily fix our problem. the arrow points to a joint when loosened allows us to bleed the pressure out of the line connecting to small paintball gun HPA tank and disconnect it. That takes longer than it seems it should though (about 6-7seconds) Additionally with this temporary fix method, since we loosened the marked connection a bit it wastes a little air and leaks a bit when filling a tank through the same port, then when the button is release the remaining pressure to paintball tank line is release slowly (about 6-7 seconds)...and there is still pressure in the box after that with air source shut off. if you push the button again with no paintball tank hooked up it bleeds the remaining pressure out in a few seconds. The gauge shows pressure the paintball tank was filled to until you push the button again with nothing connected, then it bleeds out.

one showing the black box connected to tank which was connected to compressor on the left (not shown) and the other of underside of black box. Just showing so you can make sure we set this up right...Ignore generator in background and sorry somehow they got flipped upside down.

bigfootguy2002 · 09-09-2012, 04:58 PM

PM'd!
-Will

rcontrera · 09-09-2012, 09:47 PM

Your fill valve has a problem. Ideally, you should be pushing air through while the button/lever is actuated and then, once released, it should vent pressure off. If it isn't venting pressure, you have probably blown a seal somewhere that is blocking the bleed path. Additionally, you have to be REAL careful loosening that fitting under pressure. It is dangerous for you and is damaging to the fitting (they are not made to be moved under pressure) and may just gall and lock in position ... open or closed ... requiring that entire portion to be replaced.

Greatest ION · 09-09-2012, 10:30 PM

Could you be more specific on "fill valve" we are new to this. And i dont really understand it much myself, if a seal is broken shouldnt it leak, not hold pressure? Thanks

rcontrera · 09-09-2012, 11:50 PM

The fill valve is that part that the button or lever is attached to. If you have operators that pound the button when filling, quite often they will mushroom the push pin and that can jam the vent hole. Additionally, if you are pumping wet or dirty air, corrosion or "gunk" can also clog up the vent hole. The whole valve is only about $150 and a full repair kit is about $60. But before you spend any money, you need to see what it is that you actually have installed. Who knows ... there may be an additional vent valve on your system that you just haven't found yet.

**TargetIndy** · 09-10-2012, 07:10 AM

That fill panel looks to be one of the old Kalibur fill panels. It uses a different valve than the one Ray's showing you. If you unscrew the push button, you can remove it. Attached to the button is a shaft with several small o-rings on it. Chances are one of the o-rings is nicked.

Greatest ION · 09-10-2012, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TargetIndy

That fill panel looks to be one of the old Kalibur fill panels. It uses a different valve than the one Ray's showing you. If you unscrew the push button, you can remove it. Attached to the button is a shaft with several small o-rings on it. Chances are one of the o-rings is nicked.

That is exactly what it is, a Kalibur! but we already fixed that..first thing we did was take that rod out and replace all the o-rings...amde the button push and release nicer but did not affect the problem of backpressure not releasing at all.

Fresh o-rings on the shaft and no leaks whatsoever, it just won't release the remainging pressure when you release the button and therefore will not release the paintball tank from the fill nipple connector. Like i said the only solution we have so far is to loosen the top metal piece where the red arrow points and waste a little air as we fill (it leaks then) and then the leak continues after the button is released until remaining pressure is gone and we can remove the paintball tank....Next time we tinker with it we will probably open up that brass valve completely and look around.

**TargetIndy** · 09-10-2012, 04:12 PM

It looks like somebody may have plugged something they shouldn't have. Looking at your picture, on the right hand side of the valve should be two ports. The port closest to the button is where the air drains. Check and see if that port has been sealed.

Greatest ION · 09-12-2012, 10:32 AM

If you mean the port on the right side of the valve in picture, there was a little leak at one point in our adventure through there and there is nothing screwed in there. We just need to open up the valve and peek around. It's not too fragile in there or hard to breakdown is it?

Trips · 09-12-2012, 12:11 PM

You could, as a quick fix, install a slide check just before the Q/D fitting at the end of the fill hose. that would dump the air in the line allowing you to disconnect without disassmbling a line whille under pressure.

Greatest ION · 09-12-2012, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trips

You could, as a quick fix, install a slide check just before the Q/D fitting at the end of the fill hose. that would dump the air in the line allowing you to disconnect without disassmbling a line whille under pressure.

^ This. we have already thought of that man and if we can't get it to work properly that is our back up plan, a little extra step but would still function fine. Thanks for the tip.