Last updated on October 15th, 2023
In this article we are going to talk about how to fill a paintball tank with Air Compressor. This guide will talk about all the Do’s and Don’ts you need to follow during filling the paintball Tank. So Let’s start!
Step 1: Tank Type:
The first thing that you need to determine is the type of paintball Tank you will be using so you could identify the available capacity. Mainly, there are two types of tank: HPA and CO2.
HPA paintball tanks are powered by high-pressure air that is stored inside the tank itself. These tanks typically have higher capacity than other types of paintball tanks, making them ideal for players who want to fire more shots without having to refill their tank as often. However, they can be somewhat expensive since they require specialised equipment to fill with air. The maximum available capacity of HPA varies from 3k to 5k PSI (pounds per square inch).
CO2 paintball tanks use pressurized carbon dioxide gas to propel the paintballs out of the marker and onto your target. This type of tank has some advantages over HPA – it’s cheaper and easier to refill, but it also has some disadvantages. CO2 is less consistent than HPA in terms of how much power it delivers to the paintballs, so your shots may not be as accurate as you want them to be. In addition, CO2 tanks can freeze up in cold weather, which can disrupt your game. The tank size of CO2 could vary 100ml – 1200ml.
Step 2: Find out PSI Limit:
The second crucial step in filling the paintball tank would be determining the correct PSI of the tank. To identify how much PSI your paintball tank holds, you should look for a number on the tank, usually there’s a label with all the important information. This number tells you the average capacity of the tank. Most tanks hold around 4,500 – 5,000 PSI. You should not put more air in the tank than the mentioned PSI.
Pro Tip: Keep a nipple cover on your tank fill valve. This will keep all the mud, dirt and debris out of this Fill nipple. So when it’s time to fill your tank, you don’t have any issues with your tank or regulator.
Step 3: Empty the Tank:
Once you have determined the max limit of the tank, now it’s time to remove any air from the tank. This is a pretty simple process: run a spare remote line to the tank, with the other hand empty, and simply turn the valve. Remember to let the air slowly escape. You don’t want the air escaping quickly because it can sometimes crack the gel coat on some tanks. You should also try to control how cold the tank gets as it vents. If you let it get too cold, you could damage the o’rings in the regulator.
PRO Tip: Do NOT dry fire your marker. This is going to blow the detents out.
Step 4: Attach Tank to the Fill Station
Now it’s time to attach the fill valve of the tank with the fill station. Fill stations usually have a quick disconnect attached to the compressor. In order to attach, just pull the collar of the disconnect back, insert your fill valve and then release the collar so it could move forward. Next step is to spin the collar, if it spins easily that means that it’s locked correctly and you’re good to go.
Step 5: Pay attention to Gauges
Now I guess this is a bit hard part as it requires more attention. We need to closely watch the two gauges – the one of our tank and the other on the fill station. Because one of the two gauges could be broken and inaccurate – you never know, so for that reason you need to have a close look at both of them. In case one gauge is broken, you can rely on the other one.
Step 6: Don’t go for “Fast” or “Super hot” Fill
Some fields offer fast or super fill which you might wanna avoid. The reason is that most of the filters are not cleaned regularly so along with air, the fill station will push some water droplets and debris into the tank. So instead of jamming the lever forward for Fast fill, we need to push the lever very slowly. Push slowly to a point where you start to hear the air insertion sound from the tank.
Step 7: Finalise
Once we’re done with the refilling, there’s something we need to take care of which is often ignored. That is the excess air in the filling station that gets passed into our paintball tank. We need to remove that extra air through the fill tank valve which can be simply done by pressing the valve attached to the compressor. This air will release with some loud sound. Don’t worry about the sound.
Lastly, just detach the hose, the same way you attached the easy disconnect. Hold the collar, spin it , and then pull the collar backwards and just detach. Now you’re good to go to the field. Happy Paintballing!
Dos and Don’ts before filling a tank:
- Do check the “hydro date” on your tank and never fill the tank after expiry unless you get it inspected again.
- Don’t use any lubricants like oil or grease on filling nipple, because during filling, heat generates that can react with oil and might cause explosion
- Avoid direct exposure of the tank with sunlight because this can also result into fire.
- Don’t fill too fast because you may end up in less filling as the PSI will reduces during fast filling. It means 3000 tank will only be filled 2500 in the end.
- Make it a practice to always clean the gun after playing and to store separately both gun and tank.
- Leave a small amount of air in the tank for good life of the tank but also don’t leave the tank fully filled, because it can damage the gun or can cause an explosion. So neither fully fill nor fully empty.
- While connecting the tank make sure to connect the O ring properly and keep twisted the tank until it gets fixed completely leaving no leaking.
- While disconnecting the tank, always fire some fake shots to release some pressure and then slowly unscrew it and separate it from the gun.
- Always have a keen eye and ear on any leaking and faulty sealing.
Few careful points to take care of and you are good to enjoy your efficient tank and gun life.
FAQs:
Why using a Regular Tire Compressor is a bad idea?
Lots of paintballers ask if they could refill my compressed air tank at home with an air compressor. The simple answer is “No” and let me explain why. The PSI of your air tanks are normally between 3k to 5k PSI (although some have near to 1k). On the Other hand, the regular air compressor would hardly go up to 150psi. So despite hard effort, your tank would be staying empty no matter how hard you try. The tank will go completely empty after just a few shots (or even after a single shot). Although there are no serious repercussions besides disappointment.
Why do we need to watch both gauges (Paintball tank and on compressor) ?
One of the two gauges could be broken and inaccurate. That is why we need to have a close look at both of them. In case one gauge is broken, you can rely on the other one.
Why avoid super/Hot filling ?
Most of the filters are not cleaned regularly so along with air, the fill station will push some water droplets and debris into the tank. So we need to fill the gas slowly but not going too hard on lever.
How to know if fill valve attached correctly to fill station?
If the collar spins around the spin valve very easily that means it has attached correctly, and then you need to spin it till you can’t spin anymore.
What is alternative Cheap fills?
Anything closest to cheap filling is a scuba tank which could be refilled by a fire station. Make sure to look around your nearby fire stations before getting a scuba tank. This is quite common for smaller teams on practice or players who cant’t go to field regularly.
