Hi
I am interested in a 'scubapumps' electric hookah which is made in the US and sold for about AUS $430 (plus $200 postage to Aus). I want it for cleaning my yacht's hull.
They are advertised on eBay.
Does anyone have one of these units or know anything about them?
They are a fraction of the price of the Australian made version.
Also wondering how big an inverter would need to be to run the unit off the batteries.
Cheers
Thanks Graham
I am inspired to do more research and buy the 'bits' as you suggest.
What sort of filter are you referring to?
Dave
I made a hookah compressor outfit many years ago with a
low pressure 40 psi diaphragm compressor 50 feet of hose and the second stage of a scuba regulator
It was entirely successful used it for years on my cruising yacht without a problem You could feel the pulse of the compressor when in the water and if it stopped for any reason there was enough air in the hose to get you up
It worked well
Cheers Hiko
. we had the proper compressor in the yard for over a year without a hire
. we had the proper compressor in the yard for over a year without a hire
I use a Bravo Electric "Access" Twin diaphragm compressor as used to inflate Zodiacs etc. This 12volt 9amp compressor puts out 180litres/minute at around 2.5-4.5 psi. this flows through a five metre hose to a floating(Inflatable) Accumulator then 15m hose via an inline filter. Moisture condenses in the floatie thus the filter does not have much to do.
The regulator is a low pressure one designed especially for the hooker and has a knob on the side to adjust flow. This can be adjusted from a "sip" for shallow, gentle work, upward to suit the diver and the usage.
I find this adequate for hull cleaning and the occasional scallop harvesting but would not recommend going deeper than 10m. The whole rig cost me around $350 (Used comp. new hoses, floatie, filter and regulator)
RogerG
After much research into the compressors used in 12 volt hooker systems I think I have found the source. Obviously the companies that "assemble" these units don't make them, they just buy off the shelf.
The units offroaders use to pump up their tyres invariable have a duty cycle time of between 30 minutes and forty minutes. For a hookah unit a 100% duty time is best. These pumps use sealed bearings for the crankshaft and an aluminium piston with a "rubber" piston ring, there is no other lubrication. The 4 X 4 forums have heaps of info on these pumps and get fairly vocal over the issues of quality, the pumps vary from $80 up to $400 but the difference in quality is negligible. The only advantage the dearer units have in is better warranty.
So where to find 12 volt air compressors with a 100% duty cycle, air suspension units for trucks etc such as the Viair units. The reason they look identical to the bought hooker units is because they are.
There was a used hookah system on e-bay. Auction finished yesterday and it sold for $1,830.
People I have a couple of comments:
1- I am a commercial diver and there is no f'n way that i would use anything other than a certified for human breathing hookah unit. Think about what you are doing. You are using this to breathe with. I know of countless incidents where people have been killed by using inferior quality breathing and air supplies. I have seen people use a scuba cylinder with a long 1st and 2nd stage to clean boats. For the cost of a scuba cylinder (~$200 brand new) and refills ~$10 this should fit your needs and be a hell of a lot safer.
2- I am involved in the regulation of marine water quality and you really need to check your local regulations as to whether in water hull cleaning is legal in your state. I know that a number of State do not allow it at all. In SA you need an exemption from the EPA and this is only given under a number of strict circumstances. These include being antifouled less than 12 months ago, not been out of SA waters for more than 6 months and you do not use anything more abrasive than a scourer. If there is anything hard on the hull (ie barnacles) the boat needs to be slipped.
The issue with in water hull cleaning is the spread of marine invasive species. if you have anything growing on your hull and you jump in the water to clean it it can spread the pest into a new area which can decimate fish stocks and leave it dominating the whole ecosystem. The case in point is the spread of the European fan worm. This is the fan worm that is in your local marina all other Aus and when people clean there poorly antifouled hull it comes off and can colonise new areas significantly impacting the local ecology including fish stocks. The second issue is the release of copper into the water which can contaminate sediments and kill local species.
It does not matter what equipement you use, if it is not maintained and serviced properly it could kill you. If hoses, regardless of how long they are, become infected with fungii spores they can kill you. The same applies to compressors, tanks, regulators
etc. This post is refering to low pressure, deck snorkle type of equipement, NOT SCUBA.
I have built many of these over the past fifty years ( My first was as a 13yo) And before anybody thinks that I don't know what I am talking about, I am ex RN Swimmer/canoeist/diver with many years experience including rebreathers and nitrox.
I spent many years as a clearance diver and later as a salvage diver.
Remember! Keep it clean and well maintained and do not take shortcuts.
RogerG
RogerG
If you have built many 'hoohahs' in your day how about sharing your experience and informing those who are interested how to do it properly.
I am all for doing things safely and would appreciate your advice on building and maintaining a suitable system. Surely this can be done well and safely without having to buy the 'commercial' overpriced units on the (Australian) market.
http://www.boatsales.com.au/accessories/bravo-electric-pump/
These people have them at $399 but anybody who sells RIBs are likely to have them.
In the next few days I will put together detailed instructions on D.I.Y. hookas using a Thomson type diaphragm air pump. Complete with photos and diagrams. NO COST!!!! Anybody who is interested in a copy on CD just leave me a message with your email addy.
Cheers
RogerG
RogerG
I would also like to take you up on that offer.
My email is [email protected]
Cheers
Cal n Di
Hi there RogerG,
I would very much like a copy of instructions if you still have them :)
My addy is [email protected]
Cheers,
LeonJW
Hi Folks
I offered to send info, on CD, to anybody who needs it. Anybody who wants one please leave you POSTAL address in my message box or email it to me. Several people seem to think that it is possible to physically send CDs via email! If you have discovered how to send solid objects via email then I would be very interested to share this information with you! I have an expensive and not very reliable satelite conection so large emails are out of the question.
RogerG
I'm interested in building a device.
Roger can you please email me the details.
[email protected]
Thanks
