Brand new tanks: to rinse or not to rinse?

[seascaper]

Lovely, sparkly SCUBA Folk,

Brand-new tanks have arrived, still in plastic bag with little blue plastic plug.

Q: Do I set the valve & fill 'em up, or is it advisable to give 'em a quick rinse-out first?
Qi: If the latter, soap? Vinegar? Both?

The weather's nasty so it will take day(s) unstable-inverted for them to drip-dry.
Yes, I'm erring towards lazy, as there are a dozen of them and it's already a manic-busy catch-up week.

Best etc,

'Droid

 

[sh1513]

Shouldn't be any need to rinse. Remove the plug give them a quick visual check, fit valve and fill.

 

[Tug]

Like sh1513 said, just remove the plug and do a quick visual. Most tanks come "clean" from the factory but it's always important to double check.

 

[guruboy]

I'm assuming these are aluminum.

In general, a brand new tank should be fine. Nothing to wash out. Chances are, you'll have to pay for a VIP when you take it in for a fill. Or an O2 cleaning if you want nitrox using partial pressure blending.

If you're worried about debris, tip them over on a piece of wood and gently knock with a rubber mallet. See if anything falls out.

 

[boulderjohn]

Chances are, you'll have to pay for a VIP when you take it in for a fill. Or an O2 cleaning if you want nitrox using partial pressure blending.

Well--maybe.

The aluminum tanks I have purchased say right on them that they are clean from the start, but they cannot claim to be oxygen clean from the start because they don't know what kind of valve you are going to put on it. At the same time, a brand new valve will tell you that it cannot be used in a pure oxygen setting under any circumstances. That is because the standard scuba K-valve cannot meet oxygen standards because the gas flow has too many turns. That dilemma is addressed in the latest instructional materials put out by PSI for their tank inspection class. Technically, there can be no such thing as a scuba tank approved for oxygen service, but we do it all the time. It is, frankly, a real liability issue for the inspector.

If you walked into SOME scuba shops with a brand new cylinder with the plug still in it and a brand new valve in its plastic wrapper and asked for a fill, they will put the valve in and slap an inspection sticker on it at no cost. SOME will even put an O2 sticker on it, since there is nothing they are going to do to make it any cleaner. Others will charge for both. Make a call and find out.

In some cases, the shop's decision will be based upon very understandable ignorance. I just came to understand the tank valve issue when I had to recertify as an inspector this past year; I had never heard anything about that in previous certifications and recertifications. If I had not been up for renewal this year, I would still not know about it. Before that, when I had purchased some Thermo valves and saw in its literature that it could NEVER be used in oxygen service, I called Thermo. The guy I spoke to did not explain about the gas pathway, but he did confirm that they could never be used for oxygen. You could almost hear him winking as he spoke.

 

[guruboy]

IIRC, it is not the turns but sharp turns (i.e. 90*) that are an issue for O2 compliance.

 

[seascaper]

Lovely- I'm off to set valves.
Thanks folks.

Best wishes for the mid-winter/summer solstice (drunken?) festivities season!

 

[RayfromTX]

Earlier this year I purchased 6 of the new Faber got dipped galvanized hp cylinders. They came with the blue steel valves installed and a viz sticker.

I pulled a valve to look and there were a few sparkly bits inside. I believe they are from the threading of the tank or valve but that is confusing because the videos that I have seen of that process show it to be a wet process. It is possible that they came from the chrome on the threads of the valve.

I blew it out with compresses scuba air and it was clean after I did that. I pulled all the valves. Two of the six had sparklies.

I will always inspect new tanks. I would not be shocked to see more sparklies the next time I pull the valves. Screwing the valve into the tank may be the source of them.