Even market leaders do not shy away from this.
A close examination of such certificates quickly reveals that they are usually certificates for DIN EN 12021:2014 issued by the manufacturer itself.
DIN EN 12021:2014 is a European standard that clearly specifies how the breathing air must be composed and what concentration of pollutants may be contained in the breathing air. These self-generated certificates supposedly give the user the certainty that their compressor always supplies pure breathing air that complies with the standard.
Only the small print refers to possible air pollution in the intake area and to the manufacturer's installation instructions.
But this is a fallacy, because the compressor only compresses the air that it draws in.
If the compressor is located near a large parking lot, a busy road, in poorly ventilated small rooms, etc., it can suck in too much CO or CO2 and pump this harmful gas into the breathing apparatus.
How can a manufacturer guarantee this by means of a certificate without knowing the local conditions?
Many users believe that the downstream filter system of the compressor filters out these pollutants, but this is an absolute misconception. The term "FILTER", which has been used for decades, is also incorrect. It is actually a drying unit. The so-called filter cartridge is filled with MOLECULAR FILTER and a little activated carbon. The molecular sieve only filters out the residual moisture contained in the compressed air, and the small amount of activated carbon filters out the oil odor contained in the moisture.
The dryer unit does not filter CO or CO2 from the compressed air in any way. The standard applies less to the manufacturer and more to the operator, who must ensure that the air pumped into the cylinders complies with DIN EN 12021:2014 at all times.
Many users are not aware of this, but in the event of an accident, the filling personnel bear the responsibility. For this reason, only systems with ONLINE air quality monitoring are actually used in the public sector so that no accidents can occur and the filling personnel are not exposed to any liability risk.
