Air displacement drum pump

Jeez you guys are brave!, ide need a full Kevlar hazmat suit.

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Ditto, I spray HF all day ,And I thought I was brave.

It’s ok, you can say what you were really thinking…

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So how big an air compressor would that require?

I don’t know but I’m going to find out if a pump that puts out 22 cfm’s with an 80 gallon tank will do it.

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Dangerous? Doesn’t everyone transfer SH in one of these?
Bomb suit

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Do what, exactly? Send it sky-high in thirty seconds?

Make sure and plumb your tank with 1” pipe and hose. Might as well make good use of all that air power.

In retrospect, I kinda wish I did mine with 1” pipe and crushproof hose. I’m betting my buddy’s shop compressor could’ve given me a few more gpm with larger plumbing. But I’ve only got a 20 gallon chem tank, so there’s a matter of diminishing returns: does it really matter that much if I can fill the tank in 1.5 minutes instead of 3?

@Sasquatch any air compressor should do. The bigger the compressor and plumbing, the better the flow rate.

Last year, when I was using the 5 gallon carboys, I built a mini air displacement system powered by my battery operated Ryobi compressor. That gave me around 2 gpm, which I was happy with, since it was about 4 times faster than using a siphon pump.

I don’t think that little compressor would be up to the challenge with the additional volume and head-pressure in a full size drum. But I’m guessing a little pancake compressor would be up for giving you a few gpm out of a drum. You only need to hold a pressure between 10-20 psi, and move a few cfm of air.

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Thanks Infinity. That’s what I was guessing. I’ll give it a go and we’ll know for sure! :+1:

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I hear you, but if the regulator on my compressor goes, I am more worried about that thing blowing than the SH. Have an 60 or 80 gal vertical compressor (can’t remember how much without looking).

I actually have two regulators on it, one on the compressor, and one down the line by the driers.

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First test.

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Cheapy HF air compressor. I paid around $43 for it new on sale. I mainly bought it to pump up tires. I tried to upload directly to PWRA but it wouldn’t let me. :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

I made one too and love it! It’s nice not having to mess with a diaphragm pump to refill my tanks on the trailer. I just use a short section of Flexilla for my fill hose. I usually give it a quick flush with clean water but much quicker than having to flush the diaphragm with tens of gallons of water. I’ll have to compare sometime to know for sure but I bet it pumps out every bit as fast as my 7 gpm 100 psi 12v Delavan.

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Are you using FZ garden hose?

So cool, guys. I feel like I started a thing.

Just don’t call me when your shop is soaked in bleach and they’re picking plastic shrapnel out of your face, @Sasquatch. Make sure and keep that ball valve open when you’re pumping air into the drum!

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Im glad you shaved for the test, That had to take awhile.

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Yes; 5/8” by 20’ or so. Factory ends replaced with pvc fittings to avoid any issues with the aluminum fittings disintegrating.

In retrospect, I should’ve found some 3/4” for faster flow.


On a side note, I hit my first snafu with this setup a couple weeks ago. They shipped me a drum that had coarse threads in both bungs.

Had to make due with a drill pump for a couple days (bad idea: it started leaking from the shaft almost instantly from using it with bleach, and it ended up seizing the chuck in my drill. Hoping some pb blaster can get it un-seized.)

Now I have a 5 gpm 110v transfer pump as a backup to my air displacement system.

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I talked about this in another thread but I don’t think I mentioned it here. I might’ve though. Anyways, I was pumping sh using the air pump. I usually hang around 12-15 psi. I was standing there and all of a sudden “BOOM”. The top cracked in two spots for a total of about 3/4 around it. I’m pretty sure it already had a really small crack. Only a couple of inches or so. That had to have been what caused it. Just be sure to do an inspection of the top to make sure there aren’t cracks. Nothing blew off of it or anything it just made me jump…lol

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Did they give you your deposit back on that drum? :rofl:

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@WaterProEC, in case you missed it:

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