Fill Station System Equipment & Capabilities
Gas Blending System for Recreational & Technical Diving
Columbus Scuba’s fill station is built to handle everything from recreational air fills to technical trimix blending. Our system includes dual Bauer Vertecon compressors, 30-bottle cascade storage banks, continuous flow nitrox blending, and on-site helium and oxygen for custom technical gas blends. This page outlines our equipment, capabilities, and the systems that ensure clean, dry, properly mixed gas for every fill.
Dual Bauer Vertecon Compressor Setup
Columbus Scuba operates two Bauer Vertecon 10HP compressors, each delivering 13 SCFM (standard cubic feet per minute). Both units are capable of filling to 6,000 PSI, though our banks are filled to a maximum of 4,500 PSI for standard operations.
The Bauer Vertecon is a four-stage, high-pressure compressor designed for continuous-duty scuba air production. Each unit features Bauer’s integrated filtration system with P2 B-SECURUS canister filters, which remove contaminants, oil vapor, water vapor, and odors to ensure breathing-quality compressed air that meets DOT/TC and industry standards.
Our primary compressor is configured for air fills and continuous flow nitrox blending, allowing us to produce banked nitrox 32% on demand. The secondary unit provides backup capacity and assists with standard air fills, ensuring we can maintain service even during high-volume periods or maintenance cycles.
Cascade Storage Bank Systems
Air Banks
Max Capacity: 13,000 Cubic Feet
Our air fill system consists of 30 T-bottles organized into four banks, providing approximately 13,000 cubic feet of total air storage capacity.
Bank 1 (Low Pressure): 10 T-bottles filled to 3,600 PSI
Banks 2-4 (High Pressure): 20 T-bottles filled to 4,500 PSI
The cascade system works by filling customer tanks progressively from lower-pressure banks to higher-pressure banks. This method reduces compressor workload, increases efficiency, and allows for a greater total number of fills before the banks must be refilled. With 13,000 cubic feet of air storage, we can handle high-volume fill days without delays or wait times.
Nitrox Banks
ASME Cascade Bank
Our banked nitrox 32% is stored in a dedicated 4-bottle ASME vertical cascade bank system filled to 4,500 PSI. This separate nitrox bank ensures we can handle high-volume nitrox fills without depleting air reserves or requiring custom blending for every nitrox fill.
The ASME vertical cascade system is fed by our primary compressor’s continuous flow nitrox blending system, keeping banked nitrox 32% available on demand for recreational divers.
Nitrox, Trimix & Custom Gas Blending
Columbus Scuba’s fill station offers both continuous flow blending for banked gases and partial pressure blending for custom technical mixes.
Continuous Flow Nitrox Blending:
Our primary Bauer Vertecon compressor is equipped for continuous flow nitrox blending, which produces enriched air nitrox by blending pure oxygen with filtered air during the compression process. This system fills our 4-bottle ASME nitrox bank with 32% nitrox, providing fast, consistent nitrox fills for recreational divers.
Partial Pressure Blending:
For custom nitrox blends (22%-40% and higher), trimix, and pure oxygen fills, we use partial pressure blending. This method involves filling tanks with precise amounts of oxygen and helium, then topping with air or nitrox to achieve the target mix. Partial pressure blending allows us to create any custom gas blend a technical diver needs.
Gas Booster Pump:
We use a Haskel gas booster pump to transfer 100% oxygen and helium from supply cylinders into customer tanks during partial pressure blending and 100% oxygen fills. Booster pumps allow us to fill high-pressure technical diving cylinders regardless of the storage cylinders pressure.
On-Site Gases:
Columbus Scuba maintains on-site supplies of 100% oxygen and helium, ensuring we can handle custom trimix blends, high-oxygen nitrox, rebreather diluent, and pure oxygen fills without delays.
Filtration System & Air Purity Standards
Columbus Scuba’s fill station uses Bauer’s integrated filtration system with P2 B-SECURUS canister filters on both compressor units. These multi-stage filters remove:
- Particulate matter (dust, rust, debris)
- Oil vapor from compressor lubrication
- Water vapor and moisture
- Odors and volatile organic compounds
The P2 B-SECURUS filtration system is designed to produce Grade E breathing air as defined by the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) and meets DOT/TC standards for scuba air purity.
Air Quality Testing & Monitoring:
We conduct regular testing of air purity and moisture levels to ensure every fill meets industry standards. Daily monitoring of the compressor system includes checks for temperature, pressure, filtration efficiency, and system performance. Filters are replaced on schedule or as needed based on usage and air quality test results.
Our commitment to air quality means divers can trust that every tank filled at Columbus Scuba contains clean, dry, contaminant-free breathing gas.
What Our Fill Station Can Handle
Columbus Scuba’s fill station is built to serve recreational, technical, and rebreather divers with a wide range of gas blending and filling capabilities.
Maximum Fill Pressure: 4,500 PSI
Gas Types Available:
- Compressed air (banked)
- Nitrox 32% (banked, continuous flow blended)
- Nitrox custom blends (22%-40% and higher, partial pressure)
- Trimix (custom blends, helium and oxygen on-site)
- 100% oxygen fills
- Rebreather diluent fills
Tank Types We Fill:
- Aluminum cylinders (no 6351 alloy)
- Steel cylinders
- Stage bottles
- Doubles (manifolded or independent)
- Rebreather cylinders