This is how I fill my HPA / Paintball bottles
I’ve often been asked where and how to fill paintball air tanks, so I decided to write this article and share various options.
Paintball Shop/Arena/Field
As you might expect, you can fill HP tanks at paintball shops, fields, and arenas. However, you’ll need to coordinate with the owner. Often, they’ll only allow you to fill up if you’re playing there. The cost will vary, so it’s best to ask beforehand. You just need to figure out what’s available in your area. Personally, I often visit the KissPark in Bad Kissingen and fill up my tanks while I’m there.
Dive Shop
Another option is filling up at a dive shop. I have one nearby, so this was my first choice. However, I needed to buy an adapter or fill station. I chose this one: PPD 4500psi HP Fill Station “Screw In”. It’s important to ask first if the dive shop already has a fill station or, more importantly, if they’re even willing to fill HP tanks at all.
Once I had the fill station, I went to the shop. The station was connected to a diving tank, which in turn was connected to a compressor. Valve open, and the tank was filled. I paid 4€ to fill a 1.5L and a 0.8L tank.
Compressor
Many people have a compressor at home or are familiar with the compressors at gas stations. However, these compressors typically only provide 8-15 bar. HP tanks are normally filled to 200 bar, so that’s quite a difference. But if you have no other option, you can fill the tanks with the lower pressure, although this will only be enough for a few test shots.
There’s also the option of buying a compressor that can go up to 200 bar, but since they typically cost over 1,000€, they’re too expensive or impractical for most people.
Hand Pump
I recently bought a hand pump from Gehmann. The fill station mentioned earlier can be screwed into it, allowing me to manually pump up my HP tanks with muscle power.
Of course, it’s quite exhausting and takes a while, depending on the size of the tank. To pump my 0.128L tank up to 200 bar, I have to pump 130 times, which takes about 3 minutes. My 0.8L tank takes correspondingly longer, around 20-30 minutes. But I break it up and pump a little at a time.
One downside to this method is that the moisture filters in hand pumps are often not good enough, which can allow moisture into the tanks and, in turn, into your system. I’ve even seen some droplets forming in the fill station. However, this method gives you independence and allows you to fill HP tanks in the field if necessary. Plus, it’s a nice workout 😉
