Compressed Air and CO2 Tank Fills
Where to get a CO2 or HPA Tank Filled.
Where can I get my CO2 tank filled? Businesses that fill fire extinguishers, local home brew shops, scuba diving equipment supply shops, and some sporting stores that sell paintball guns are among the most likely places to get your CO2 tank filled, however, just because a store sells paintball markers, doesn’t necessarily mean they have the capability to fill CO2 tanks.
Places that refill CO2 50 lb. tanks are Airgas and NL Curtis. Dicks sporting goods, Wall mart, Ace Hardware, Home Depot and Big 5 are said to fill CO2 tanks and there is a chance some of their stores do, however, it’s always best to call the location near you and ask before heading there.
Additionally, you can buy CO2 for 50 lb. tanks at local welding supply stores, keg stores, local homebrew shops, and places that fill fire extinguishers.
The first place to look for tank filling is at your local paintball store and paintball park near you. Most shops and fields have the equipment to safely fill compressed air tanks. https://www.paintballusa.org/
Always check with the store you are buying your gun and CO2 tank from to make sure they fill your tank. CO2 tanks have proven to be unsafe over the years due to overfill malfunctions and faulty metal that can explode and cause injury.
CO2 changes physical properties, where compressed air does not. It’s way faster to fill an HPA tank than one that takes CO2.
Can you fill a paintball CO2 tank with an air compressor? An air compressor is totally different than a bulk CO2 tank with a valve that fills the tank with the gas. Never use a hand or tire pump because they only can fill up to 150 psi which is much lower than what a paintball tank requires.
An air compressor is a technical piece of equipment with hoses loaded onto a fill station. Tanks for paintball guns require fills between 3,000 and 4.500 pounds per square inch that needs heavy duty compression.
One should always be trained to operate an air compressor to avoid injury when filling your tank.
Compressed air's main advantage is consistency. The more consistent pressure results in better performance. Compressed air can be affected by temperature, unlike CO2, making it great for cold weather and electronic guns. Most paintball fields charge for all-day compressed air fills. https://www.paintballusa.org/pricing
A typical setup to make compressed air for paintball guns consists of a high-pressure paintball compressor, one or more storage tanks and a fill station with two or more filling lines. The compressor takes outside air and compresses it to about 3,000- 4500 psi, which is a really high pressure.
The purpose for filling an HPA tank to 3,000-4,500 psi is so you will be able to shoot your paintball gun longer in games. For instance, if you fill your tank to 150 psi, you may get 5 paintball shots before having to refill.
This is the reason that so many players using automatic and electronic paintball markers use a compressed air tank. Better performance, safer than a CO2 tank and they can play more games before running out of air.
How long does a paintball tank last? Paintball tanks need to be retested for safety purposes every three to five years. They have an average lifespan of about 15 years. A hydrostatic test or hydrotest, visually inspects the tank for cracks and dents, then is pressurized with water to look for a drop in pressure or to see if there are any leaks.
Can you convert a paintball gun using a CO2 tank to air? You can. The ASA adapter is the key to converting any air gun that uses an air tank. It's called an air source-to-paintball adapter and screws into the gun
What's the difference between CO2 and compressed air? The main difference between compressed air and CO2 is that the pressure of compressed air is much higher than the normal atmospheric pressure while we usually store carbon dioxide at low pressure. Compressed air is more expensive than CO2, but better for the environment.
