Hand pump

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  • heleo
    Member
    • Aug 2015
    • 94

    #16
    Re: Hand pump

    Your advice is incorrect and dangerous.

    1. There is chemicaly NO difference between welding oxygen and medical oxygen both can be a hazardous gas to handle and you do not want to fill balloons with it.

    2. You have confused flow as in how much air is shifted with the pressure (force per unit area is delivered. You are correct in that a small compressor is pants for blowing up balloons because it has a very low flow rate but can easly get up to 180 times the pressure to burst an 18" balloon or 45 time the pressure to pop a hot water bottle.

    If you are wanting a cheap fast pump go to a large builders mercants and buy a wet and dry vacum cleaner, most can blow and use it only for balloons.

    Comment

    • snh61
      Member
      • Sep 2017
      • 93

      #17
      Re: Hand pump

      I have even heard that there is not much difference in purity of the welding and medical oxygen, as both are supposedly obtained with the same technology. One of them has just the required stamps on the paperwork. (But take that as an unconfirmed sidenote).

      Comment

      • wildheart
        Senior Member
        • Apr 2015
        • 859

        #18
        Re: Hand pump

        Also oxygen isn’t particularly dangerous on itself. It’s an oxidiser, so accelerates the speed fires. It should be safe unless the ambient oxygen of the room increases. Then an ember could turn into a wildfire in seconds. Hydrogen is much more dangerous to fill balloons with. But it’ll only go up in flames when combined with oxygen. I wouldn’t recommend either though. Compressed nitrogen or ambient air is the safest.
        How big will it go? Only one way to find out...
        My website: loonerstories.weebly.com

        Comment

        • srob2
          Senior Member
          • Dec 2017
          • 352

          #19
          Re: Hand pump

          Originally posted by BalloonBoyUK
          There's three different kinds of air-compressor here, that you're (unintentionally) confusing:

          1) Small air-compressors that are sold in mechanic, garage and car-parts stores, that run off a 12v battery, or that can be plugged into the mains. However, although fairly cheap to purchase, these tend to not be of any use for balloons, as they don't produce enough pressure to inflate even an average-sized 11"/12" balloon, without a real struggle. They also tend to be used by tattoo artists and/or professional art artists who do spray painting. Try doing a 14" balloon, or bigger, and you'll get absolutely nowhere fast with these! So I wouldn't recommend them!

          2) Professional air-compressors, that are sold for use in outdoor environments, and some larger car-parts stores. These tend to be very expensive, often £300 or more (about $350 US or more), and can be refilled or repressurised, which is the noisy part. These will run off the mains electrical, but they're big, bulky, heavy, and noisy - which renders them prohibitively out of the range for most looners. Unless you can get one cheaply, it's not a good choice for the average looner, even if you do live on your own, as they're loud, and neighbours will notice the noise!

          3) A pressurised cylinder of air/oxygen. These tend to be hireable only, rather than purchasable, and come with a small, rubber nozzle, that can be used to fill the balloons up with (just like you would, when filling a balloon from a helium cylinder). However, these are again, very expensive to hire; you often have to leave a cash deposit or set-up an account, plus you can only usually borrow the cylinders for 28 days, or you start incurring extra fees. You'll also need transport to ferry the cylinders from the hire place to where you live, as these things are big, and very heavy (often 25-50 kilograms in weight)! Unless you are in the medical industry, or have lots of money, this is the most expensive option. However, it is an option, should you really need it, and if you're desperate.

          You'd ultimately be far better-off getting a Zibi balloon pump, or something similar, purposely designed by balloon engineers, for inflating all sizes of balloons. They'll be cheaper, better, quieter, and more reliable. Plus, you'll own the thing outright, and if you don't like it, you can always sell it on afterwards, if you upgrade or get something bigger, better, or whatever!
          I am referring to the 2nd, Professional air-compressors, new cheap ones here are about half that. Expensive just for looning, but worth it if you fill a lot of tires or use air tools.

          Comment

          • snh61
            Member
            • Sep 2017
            • 93

            #20
            Re: Hand pump

            Originally posted by wildheart
            Also oxygen isn’t particularly dangerous on itself. It’s an oxidiser, so accelerates the speed fires. It should be safe unless the ambient oxygen of the room increases. Then an ember could turn into a wildfire in seconds. Hydrogen is much more dangerous to fill balloons with. But it’ll only go up in flames when combined with oxygen. I wouldn’t recommend either though. Compressed nitrogen or ambient air is the safest.
            Thats because you do not know much about how compressed oxygen is way more dangerous, than at normal pressure.

            Do NOT handle compressed oxidizer gasses without proper training and understanding!

            Oxygen under pressure can self-ignite with other materials, such as oil and grease.

            Comment

            • BalloonBoyUK
              Banned
              • Dec 2018
              • 500

              #21
              Re: Hand pump

              Originally posted by heleo
              Your advice is incorrect and dangerous.

              1. There is chemicaly NO difference between welding oxygen and medical oxygen both can be a hazardous gas to handle and you do not want to fill balloons with it.
              For what it's worth, oxygen, you're talking about 100% pure oxygen, which is - as you say - used for welding and medicine. That is, as I stated in my post above yours - the very thing I WASN'T talking about.

              It is possible, to hire helium and/or compressed air. These can be used for filling balloons, and I have hired both over the years, used them for balloons safely, and been careful about doing it.

              Like with anything in life, it can be dangerous if people misuse it, but that's the caveat - don't misues it, and you'll be fine, with the proper training of course.

              Comment

              • john1bl
                Senior Member
                • Jan 2014
                • 114

                #22
                Re: Hand pump

                If you are looking into the compressed gas route you might look into SUBA gear find a used tank and used regulator and have it filled at a SUBA shop. The first stage puts out about 150 psi and most nozzles had handle this pressure. If they ask what you are doing just tell them you need a good quite and portable compressed air source. You might have to shop setup the inflation system and you just rent the tank of air. This will put you an file so that they won't ask for a certification.

                Comment

                • heleo
                  Member
                  • Aug 2015
                  • 94

                  #23
                  Re: Hand pump

                  Originally posted by BalloonBoyUK
                  For what it's worth, oxygen, you're talking about 100% pure oxygen, which is - as you say - used for welding and medicine. That is, as I stated in my post above yours - the very thing I WASN'T talking about.

                  It is possible, to hire helium and/or compressed air. These can be used for filling balloons, and I have hired both over the years, used them for balloons safely, and been careful about doing it.

                  Like with anything in life, it can be dangerous if people misuse it, but that's the caveat - don't misues it, and you'll be fine, with the proper training of course.
                  I refer you to your opening of your point 3 "A pressurised cylinder of air/oxygen" you have mentioned oxygen singular. As stated by others pressurised oxygen can make greases and even aluminium burn just by contact.

                  Comment

                  • BalloonBoyUK
                    Banned
                    • Dec 2018
                    • 500

                    #24
                    Re: Hand pump

                    Originally posted by heleo
                    I refer you to your opening of your point 3 "A pressurised cylinder of air/oxygen" you have mentioned oxygen singular. As stated by others pressurised oxygen can make greases and even aluminium burn just by contact.
                    True, I did, but then subsequent posts corrected that erroneous issue. That's the good thing about reading an entire thread. You get to see where people correct things, they've inadvertantly made errors on.

                    Comment

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