TheShark
09-27-2005, 05:06 PM
Newb question time! I've only done the self-fill thing a couple times, but will be doing it more and more often as the only 4500 station is self-fill. Each time I've done it very carefully as I'd prefer not to blow my nuts off. I have no desire to "flash fill" the tank as I have read about the potential consequences of doing so.
I guess my question has to do with "what is normal" when filling a 4500 tank.
From the experiences I've had so far, this is what happens when filling: As the tank fills up with more and more PSI, it requires more input pressure to continue filling. I gather the safest way to fill is to turn the knob open just until the pressure on your tank beings to rise, filling the tank as slowly as possible. Once you get to a certain point, the 2 pressures reach equilibrium, and you have to open the valve more to get increased input pressure. By this time the noise is usually quite loud, as lots of excess air is being vented out for some reason. I continue to open the valve (which makes more and more noise) until my tank gauge starts going back up again. I usually get to about 4000 PSI before I get scared that I'm doing something wrong due to all the noise, and just decide 4000 is enough.
My questions are:
1) Are my presumptions about needing more and more input pressure to fill the tank as the gauge nears 4500 correct?
2) Is the loud excess air venting normal, as well as the increasing noise as the tank requires more and more input pressure?
3) As long as I continue to increase pressure just enough to make the guage slowly rise, are my nuts in danger? :spit_take
Thanks guys
I guess my question has to do with "what is normal" when filling a 4500 tank.
From the experiences I've had so far, this is what happens when filling: As the tank fills up with more and more PSI, it requires more input pressure to continue filling. I gather the safest way to fill is to turn the knob open just until the pressure on your tank beings to rise, filling the tank as slowly as possible. Once you get to a certain point, the 2 pressures reach equilibrium, and you have to open the valve more to get increased input pressure. By this time the noise is usually quite loud, as lots of excess air is being vented out for some reason. I continue to open the valve (which makes more and more noise) until my tank gauge starts going back up again. I usually get to about 4000 PSI before I get scared that I'm doing something wrong due to all the noise, and just decide 4000 is enough.
My questions are:
1) Are my presumptions about needing more and more input pressure to fill the tank as the gauge nears 4500 correct?
2) Is the loud excess air venting normal, as well as the increasing noise as the tank requires more and more input pressure?
3) As long as I continue to increase pressure just enough to make the guage slowly rise, are my nuts in danger? :spit_take
Thanks guys