null
Can I Fill My Paintball Tanks at Home?  Paintball Air Tank Questions and Answers!

Can I Fill My Paintball Tanks at Home? Paintball Air Tank Questions and Answers!

Posted by Adam Connolly on 7th Mar 2022

Compressed Air for Paintball Guns? Can I just Use My Shop Compressor?


Paintball markers run on compressed air, and I have a nice shop compressor for air tools, can I use my shop compressor?

The answer is simply no. Paintball tanks use compressed air up to 4500psi. Your average shop compressor only goes to 150psi. You could fill a paintball tank to 150psi and get approx. 5 shots maximum off that low of a pressure. Electronic paintball markers and newer mechanical markers can shoot a paintball as low as 105psi, so why does it not work? Well, it would work to use a shop compressor to run direct to a paintball gun, but you would need to run around connected to it! This is completely un-workable.

Your paintball tank can be filled to 4500psi (Carbon Fibre tanks only) and the internal air capacity is measured in ci (cubic inches) so the more “ci” the more shots per fill you will get off your air tank.

3000 psi vs. 4500 psi Air Tanks

When you are looking for a paintball air tank, you have the choice of either 3000psi or 4500psi. 4500 psi is more pressure and will give you significantly more shots from a single full fill. No professional or serious player uses 3000psi. Think of it as a stepping stone to 4500psi. We will always recommend a 4500psi Carbon Fibre tank from Gladiatair over a 3000psi due to the following reasons.

  • 1.Shots per Fill

The 4500psi tanks get significantly more shots per fill than 3000psi tanks. Based on pressure alone over 50% more shots per fill!

  • 2.Weight

45000psi tanks are lighter because they are made from aluminum and a carbon fiber wrap.

  • 3.Capacity in ci

4500psi tanks are available with bigger internal capacity or volume. This means less refilling and more shots per fill!

  • 4.Ergonomics

3000psi tanks are heavy and cumbersome on your marker compared to 4500 carbon tanks.

What tank should I choose?

The 4500 Gladiatair 68ci, 77ci, and 88ci are the most popular options. If you are a bigger player and want the ultimate in shots per fill, Paintballshop.com even offers a U98 tank. The “U” stands for ultralight and they are lighter than the 3000psi tanks! The most popular size is the U77 Gladiatair!

https://paintballshop.com/gladiatair-u77-ultralight-68ci-4500psi-tank/

If you are on a budget, go for the C68 air tank. It is cheaper than the ultralights but has the same performance in terms of shots per fill.

A 3000psi tank is a great option if your local paintball field only fills to 3000psi! Getting a 4500psi could be considered a waste of money if you only can get 3000psi fills at your main field.

Where can I fill my Paintball Tank!

If you want to get your paintball tank filled, 95% of all paintball fields run compressed air, and getting it filled at one of those is the best bet. Other places to get them filled would be a scuba dive shop, or possibly a fire brigade. The paintball field is the best option.

If you want to go remote and have your own air supply, the Shootair range of tanks are amazing. They are expensive, but you get a large 4500psi carbon fibre bulk tank that is portable and good for many fills of your paintball markers air tank.

We cannot fill your air tank before shipping, it is illegal to ship pressurized vessels, especially at 4500psi!

Can I fill my paintball tank from a scuba tank?

Yes you can! We sell a Scuba fill station for only 99.00 and they clip directly to a scuba tank!

Be aware that most scuba tanks are only 3000psi and cannot fully fill a 4500psi paintball tank. Iit will however get you ¾ full and still work, but not ideal. This is where the Shootair solution comes into play!

Regulators

Every paintball air tank needs a regulator to go on the top. They hold the pressure inside the bottle and only release a set output pressure that paintball guns like to run on. Around 750psi is normal and the paintball marker will then have another regulator inside to step it down further! They also attach the tank to the marker!

Warning:

A 3000PSI air tank needs a 3000psi regulator, and a 4500psi tank needs a 4500psi regulator. DO NOT PUT A 3000psi regulator on a 4500 tank or a 4500psi regulator on a 3000psi tank. If you do, you are risking severe personal injury at your cost. The regulator has safety burst discs that rupture when a pressure is exceeded. So, by using the wrong regulator the wrong pressure safety burst disks are being used.

Factor in the cost of a regulator to your paintball marker package. We offer 3 styles of regulators

4500 Gladiatair Regulator

https://paintballshop.com/gladiatair-4500psi-warriair-regulator-high-pressure/

Dye DTS 4500 Regulator

https://paintballshop.com/dye-dts-regulator/

3000psi Gladiatair Regulator

https://paintballshop.com/gladiatair-3000psi-warriair-regulator-high-pressure/

We hope this helps you in your choice of picking an air tank and regulator!

Check out this video where we compare the various air tanks!

Adam Connolly

Paintballshop.com