5000 PSI ASME Storage Tanks For Sale

[benha]

Hello!

A buddy of mine and I recently acquired four 5000 PSI ASME storage vessels and all the valving attached to them from a fire department compressor truck.

I can't quite tell the volume of these things from the markings on the neck, but they're similar in dimension to cylinders Bauer advertises as holding 1.47 CF atmospheric, and 436 CF working.

We don't need the cylinders (we were interested in the compressors and the cylinders came along as part of the package) and are looking for someone that would like to buy them.

Strong preference for someone that wants the whole shootin' match. The cylinders and I are in the SF Bay Area. They're heavy so a local buyer would be ideal, but I'm willing to palletize them and ship them. I think the pallet would be in the neighborhood of 1600# so it's a big thing to ship.

Email for more info and pictures:
ben@mitchellfamily.com

-Ben

 

[TrimixToo]

Location?

 

[benha]

They're currently in South Lake Tahoe, but at some point soon (urgency depending on how much demand there is) I'll go get them and bring them to the SF Bay Area.

 

[Billy Northrup]

Price?

 

[benha]

Here are some photos. Haven't had a chance to clean them up yet, but they're ridiculously stout.

For those that don't know, ASME tanks are special animals. They're so heavily built they never need to be hydro tested and are good "forever." The walls on these things are absurdly thick. Something in the neighborhood of 1".

There are four cylinders and two Kunkle relief valves (one per bank) as well as miscellaneous plumbing/valving.

As best I can tell, these are equivalent to those advertised here:
ASME Pressure Vessels for breathing air and gas storage

A new 5000PSI four tank bank from the above link runs $12,560.

These tanks are about 35 years old but again, have no rated service life and never require hydro so should basically be as useful as brand new ones.

I'd like to sell the whole shootin' match for $4000 but I'm willing to entertain all offers.

-Ben

 

[iain/hsm]

For those that don't know, ASME tanks are special animals. They're so heavily built they never need to be hydro tested and are good "forever."

And I thought they never need a hydro only when they are stamped ASME VIII Div 1 (or 2) Apendix 22. Yet yours say (bottom line) MAX TEMP 6600psi CASE 1206 -20 when I guess they really ment to say pressure. And the weight I thought was due to the heavy wall thickness because they use a low tensile steel than a high tensile and have a corrosion allowance.

Also one cylinder, the shorter of the two has a 1 inch taper thread direct into the cylinder end when to comply with the "no hydro" Apendix 22 they normally have a 2 inch parallel boss with an 0-ring seal in order for the ASME inspector to comply with the required visual inspection, the 2 inch hole being better than that one inch taper hole to see down inside I guess.
And the 2 inch parallel thread to 1 inch taper thread Boss (when and if fitted) can be replaced out as that small taper thread form rots out due to rust without which rendering the cylinders scrap. But my question is in the photo of the trucks in the compound why do they all have the bonnets (hoods) up?

 

[benha]

The bonnets (I owned Land Rovers for years. I'm good with the lingo.) are up because the truck these came from was in a scrap yard. We rescued them.

As for the markings, I've had difficulty finding info to help in deciphering them, but my understanding is that these are ASME tanks that don't require hydro. Importantly, they were owned by a fire department which means proper maintenance was surely done. There's lots of evidence up til around 2005 of maintenance tags on other equipment and these things have no hydro stamps on them so that suggests to me it's not required.

I believe the cylinders are all exactly the same - length included. The apparent length differences are likely a combo of photo perspective and uneven mounting in the frames.

Given these things were made in 1980 is it possible (likely?) that the ASME standard for new tanks has evolved since then, accounting for the differences you've noted?

-Ben

 

[iain/hsm]

The bonnets (I owned Land Rovers for years. I'm good with the lingo.) are up because the truck these came from was in a scrap yard. We rescued them.
-Ben

Hahaha I did wonder for the life of me I couldnt work it out, thought it was some sort of American "Hot Rod" engine convension gathering, As for the "Landie" British equivalent of your Oshkosh meets London Bus.

But would agree the cylinders do look ASME builds even down to the 1/4 tapping in the forged down neck
Its a hard call but I would have considered shot blasting them and a new cost of paint before selling
We would pay $80 each extra just to paint them. But also when selling to divers for breathing air they may wish to peek inside just to see the internal condition.
Further I would blank up those open pipe ends, shows care, especially if it rains where you are.
For me the hard call is on the price. Your cheap for an ASME build cylinder but most scuba shops have the thin wall DOT spec (hand carry weight) cylinders but with hydro every 10 years so its going to be interesting

 

[benha]

yeah. I was planning to clean/paint before posting photos but I wanted to get them advertised and start trying to drum up interest and ... unsurprisingly ... once you do that the first thing people want is photos. All the open ends are plugged at this point. I need to get them back from my buddy and then I'll clean them up and re-photo.

I was thinking they might be interested to someone that wants to put them on a yacht / liveaboard dive boat. Getting storage cylinders on and off for hydro is enough of a hassle that having permanent ones below decks could be worth the investment.

 

[2airishuman]

And I thought they never need a hydro only when they are stamped ASME VIII Div 1 (or 2) Apendix 22. Yet yours say (bottom line) MAX TEMP 6600psi CASE 1206 -20 when I guess they really ment to say pressure.

They have different pressure ratings depending on the maximum temperature. "Max Temp" appears in a couple of places with different PSI ratings.

The H in the cloud-shaped device is the ASME hallmark.

I'm not sure how to decode the rest of it. On the other hand, I am very happy with my 450cf 3AA-rated bank bottles, which I was able to lift out of my pickup truck all by myself, and which cost a fraction of the price of ASME tanks.