Can you fill pcp from pump if air is only 10% rh without dryer kit

[FlyFisherMan101]

Hi i was curious i live in a very dry climate in winter im my furnace room the humidity is usualy
Not more than 10-12 % relative humidity. Can you fill a pcp with your hand pump or comressor
Without decicant moisture filter at this low humidity.. thanks

[EdinGa]

I've been hand pumping for years without a filter and I've never seen any moisture inside my guns. Don't let the pump get hot and if it does, stop and open the bleeder screw quickly to expell the moisture.

[AlanMcD]

The reality is that when it comes to compressing air as much as we need to for PCP usage, there really is never an ambient temperature and pressure relative humidity level that is low enough to prevent water or water vapor from making it into our guns on its own (it would have to be down around 2% or less).  As Eddie said the key is to keep the heat down . . .

The way to do it with hand pumps is to keep the pumping session short - like about 50 strokes max after charging the line, then vent the pump and let it cool for 10-15 minutes.  The base of the pump acts as a heat sink cooling the charge air and thus condensing out the water vapor, which then gets blown out by venting the pump (and the venting also acts to help cool the pump).  If you use this technique then the dryer is not really needed.

[FlyFisherMan101]

Thanks a bunch that was exactly the info i was looking for ..happy shooting

[tennx]

Thanks a bunch that was exactly the info i was looking for ..happy shooting

I put a filter on my Benjamin (easy install) for just incase..…good luck

[avator]

Oh boy... I'm gonna take a ripping for this but, here goes..   

As with all my guns, a drop of non petroleum based oil down the air chamber (how you do it varies by platform) is the best medicine. It protects the inside of our guns from moisture.
I periodically put a drop or 2 in the foster fitting of my hose whips before connecting to the gun or tanks.. what ever I am filling. If moisture gets in, it gets shot out.
It's all good, y'all do you and I'll do me. I live in one of the most humid areas in the US (lower Alabama in the woods) and I have yet to inspect one of my guns and find signs/damage from moisture. I don't use those big gold filters any more because I feel they put more strain on my compressors than needed. I use the supplied filters and check/change the tampons when needed.
However, I might add... If I lived closer to coast lines I might reconsider due to the corrosive salt in the air.

[tennx]

Oh boy... I'm gonna take a ripping for this but, here goes..   

As with all my guns, a drop of non petroleum based oil down the air chamber (how you do it varies by platform) is the best medicine. It protects the inside of our guns from moisture.
I periodically put a drop or 2 in the foster fitting of my hose whips before connecting to the gun or tanks.. what ever I am filling. If moisture gets in, it gets shot out.
It's all good, y'all do you and I'll do me. I live in one of the most humid areas in the US (lower Alabama in the woods) and I have yet to inspect one of my guns and find signs/damage from moisture. I don't use those big gold filters any more because I feel they put more strain on my compressors than needed. I use the supplied filters and check/change the tampons when needed.
However, I might add... If I lived closer to coast lines I might reconsider due to the corrosive salt in the air.

Different strokes….end of day all about peace-O-mind…..good luck

FYI..also do a drop of lube…lol

[MisterAP]

I do a couple of drops of silicone chamber oil every other fill or so. I have the small filter with a foam circle at the compressor end and the cigarette like filter at the other end.

No idea what the inside of my air cylinders look like but the rifles seem to work quite well since purchase 2-3 years ago.

[null]

I like the fact that my EC-3000 automatically lubes my guns with silicone when filling.

[FlyFisherMan101]

I was watching a video from a guy named Rick on an airgun channel on youtube and he said
that the hill pump dry kit deccicant pack on the pump wont remove any moisture from the air
if on the low pressure side ? He said the moisture comes from compressing on the high pressure
output side ? This doesnt make sense as in the laws of physics if you put dry air in your pump
then compress this air and send it to your gun then whare is the moisture comming from.
You CANT get moist compressed air if the air coming in has no moisture in the first place right ?

[Back_Roads]

  Moisture get squeezed out of the air as it is compressed and heated, way more than any passive absorption material, on the intake, has been proven by those who have ran a pre filter, and a secondary High pressure post filter and inline moisture indicators, that still was trapping water the external filter missed.

[avator]

I don't think you'll ever get it 100% dry. Best to take measures, such as a lube, to protect the guts of the gun.

[FlyFisherMan101]

Thanks guys this does make sense.I also have one of those little tampon
filters on the high pressure side and i cheak it every time i do a fill from
2000 -3000 psi with my pump.The little tampon filter is always bone dry.
Guess rick was right that some of the moisture would still remain in the air
befour compressed but hill syas its not more than 5 % so i guess i can live
with that.I watched a video on youtube and the person shooting the pcp
i could clearly see a vapour puff from the muzzel so they obviously
didnt get all the moisture out.There is no vapour comming out of the
muzzel on my pcp according to high speed video with camera at
end of muzzel .This could change in summer when out humidity gets
to 80-90 % on some days .Thanks again

[Back_Roads]

The vapor Puff can happen with totally dry air, it is caused by the cooling effect of quick depression of air.

[FlyFisherMan101]

Thanks Back_Roads

[null]

We got a Discovery when it first got debuted that has had unfiltered air in it the entire life of the gun. Has thousands of rounds through it. Last time I did the o rings on it, the whole gun looked fine on the insides. I do use silicone, but that's it. I leave them alone.

[Madd Hatter]

I was watching a video from a guy named Rick on an airgun channel on youtube and he said
that the hill pump dry kit deccicant pack on the pump wont remove any moisture from the air
if on the low pressure side ? He said the moisture comes from compressing on the high pressure
output side ? This doesnt make sense as in the laws of physics if you put dry air in your pump
then compress this air and send it to your gun then whare is the moisture comming from.
You CANT get moist compressed air if the air coming in has no moisture in the first place right ?

Think of hp air like a sponge. If you just squeeze it as hard as you can will get water out of it. Now, take that same sponge and put it in a press under say 4000psi you will get even more water out of it. Descant doesn't dry air fast enough at atmospheric pressure but squeeze the ____ out of it and the descant can do it's job.

[avator]

Personally, I don't like using those bead things.. I have seen them crumble and plug things up. If anything I use the tampons and check them often.
Again... this is a personal opinion.

[AlanMcD]

Desiccant beads are a great way to pull water vapor out of air, but Bill is right that they can break.  In fact, if a drop of water hits them, they actually "explode" from the rapid infusion of water.  This can throw off dust, so it is a good idea to have a quality filter after them, as that dust is sharp silica or ceramic, depending on the type of bead used.

I use a huge desiccant filter to feed my Shoebox, but I have traps for liquid water before it, and a 0.1 micron filter to make sure the air is clean as well as dry.  That helps keep the o-rings working well for longer too.

[avator]

It's just like the exterior of any metal object, such as guns.. if you leave it exposed to humidity and moisture without being protected with some type of lube or oil, it will corrode and rust. It may be worse inside because it's under pressure. You're not going to get compressed air 100% dry.. it's best to protect the metal.