Is there a hydro requirement on bank cylinders?

[rjack321]

Is it required that bank cylinders that are immobile be hydro tested every five years?

You are in FL. You will need to do one of 2 things:

1) A permanently installed pressure vessel will need to comply with FL State boiler code, this would basically mean you have engineered drawings, ASTM vessels, all piping complies with engineering codes, has been installed by someone licensed as a plumber/boilermaker for pressure vessels, and the building inspector has signed off.

2) a quasi permanently installed DOT cylinder "subject to federal or state inspectors" per Chapter 10. Section 1001.1 - is an exception to FL mechanical building code. These require VIP and hydrostatic requalification every five years.

The chances of you getting cited for violations of either compliance path are probably non-existent absent an explosion or injury.

 

[rhwestfall]

The chances of you getting cited for violations of either compliance path are probably non-existent absent an explosion or injury.

and should there be an accident/incident, you will likely loose everything...

 

[rob.mwpropane]

I have read about people "having the valves pulled" on cascade tanks. Is there something that prevents regular people from pulling the valves and looking inside? Or is it something you have to be certified, or is it just extremely difficult to do?

I believe the cascade tanks I'm getting should all have the CGA347 valves so maybe not really a need to pull except for curiosity and condition. Coming from a firehouse I doubt they'll have any issues though.

Thoughts?

 

[tbone1004]

I have read about people "having the valves pulled" on cascade tanks. Is there something that prevents regular people from pulling the valves and looking inside? Or is it something you have to be certified, or is it just extremely difficult to do?

I believe the cascade tanks I'm getting should all have the CGA347 valves so maybe not really a need to pull except for curiosity and condition. Coming from a firehouse I doubt they'll have any issues though.

Thoughts?

it's VERY annoying to do. You need to clamp the tanks to something and get a BIG f*cking wrench to get them off. The $50 of hydro on the bottles is worth the cost for me just to have the valves pulled and put back on. They actually have a shaft coming down from an electric motor in the ceiling with a hydraulic clamp that holds the bottle to get it off. If you google on here/paintball/glass blowing forums you can find some homemade rigs to take them off, but it's not worth it, I promise.

 

[Wookie]

If you have 1 or 2 or 10 that you got cheap and want to change the valves on, you can use the large rigid strap or chain wrench with a really long cheater bar to hold the cylinder, and a 2 foot crescent wrench to turn the valve. I happen to have all of that because reasons. If you had to go pay $200 for the adjustable and another $100+ for the strap wrench, it’s cheaper to have the hydro facility do it.

 

[rjack321]

I have read about people "having the valves pulled" on cascade tanks. Is there something that prevents regular people from pulling the valves and looking inside? Or is it something you have to be certified, or is it just extremely difficult to do?

I believe the cascade tanks I'm getting should all have the CGA347 valves so maybe not really a need to pull except for curiosity and condition. Coming from a firehouse I doubt they'll have any issues though.

Thoughts?

1) They are NGT threads and cranked in there with a ton of force. It is a serious effort to take them out and not easy to reinstall and retorque them correctly
2) Many fire dept bank cylinders are full of moisture! They are historically some of the worst of the worst

Get these hydroed and professionally inspected, any rust inside blasted out etc before you go to the trouble of installing them into a bank. Its cheaper, easier, and you know they are in servicable condition before you start. Once put together, disassembly of your bank tends not to happen for years and years.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

1) They are NGT threads and cranked in there with a ton of force. It is a serious effort to take them out and not easy to reinstall and retorque them correctly
2) Many fire dept bank cylinders are full of moisture! They are historically some of the worst of the worst

Get these hydroed and professionally inspected, any rust inside blasted out etc before you go to the trouble of installing them into a bank. Its cheaper, easier, and you know they are in servicable condition before you start. Once put together, disassembly of your bank tends not to happen for years and years.

Will do. You're the 3rd person (that I look for guidance from) that has said better to get them done professionally.

I would have thought FD cylinders would have been the cleanest? I believe all my locals are required to get quarterly tests. Not to mention, their woven SCBA tanks I don't think are allowed to be immersed in water because it gets absorbed. I would think they would want the driest air.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

If you have 1 or 2 or 10 that you got cheap and want to change the valves on, you can use the large rigid strap or chain wrench with a really long cheater bar to hold the cylinder, and a 2 foot crescent wrench to turn the valve. I happen to have all of that because reasons. If you had to go pay $200 for the adjustable and another $100+ for the strap wrench, it’s cheaper to have the hydro facility do it.

I have all that stuff. I'll look into it more. If I had tons of $$ I wouldn't think twice, but I have tons of tools and the means to remove them if it just takes a few larger wrenches and straps and elbow grease.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

I’m not really in Florida.

You are in FL. You will need to do one of 2 things:

1) A permanently installed pressure vessel will need to comply with FL State boiler code, this would basically mean you have engineered drawings, ASTM vessels, all piping complies with engineering codes, has been installed by someone licensed as a plumber/boilermaker for pressure vessels, and the building inspector has signed off.

2) a quasi permanently installed DOT cylinder "subject to federal or state inspectors" per Chapter 10. Section 1001.1 - is an exception to FL mechanical building code. These require VIP and hydrostatic requalification every five years.

The chances of you getting cited for violations of either compliance path are probably non-existent absent an explosion or injury.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

1) They are NGT threads and cranked in there with a ton of force. It is a serious effort to take them out and not easy to reinstall and retorque them correctly
2) Many fire dept bank cylinders are full of moisture! They are historically some of the worst of the worst

Get these hydroed and professionally inspected, any rust inside blasted out etc before you go to the trouble of installing them into a bank. Its cheaper, easier, and you know they are in servicable condition before you start. Once put together, disassembly of your bank tends not to happen for years and years.

We have a hydro shop about 45 min away. I am going to push to FD into taking them to him.