Air fills on Nitrox tanks

[Firediver32]

Here is my dilema. I can fill my own tanks (21% only), at work with a fire department compressor that is tested and certified as "grade E" air. The compressor is tested annually at least. If I have my tanks o2 cleaned for nitrox use (<40%) fills, can I switch from nitrox to air and vice versa without having them re cleaned?

Dan E

 

[H2Andy]

yes, i do this all the time

now, if you're going to go above 40% O2, that's a different matter if you partial
pressure blend. grade "E" is probalby not going to be good enough (as far as i understand these things, which is not much)

 

[David P]

I qualify Andys statement with a maybe. It maybe ok to do nitrox up to 40% depending on the method to pump the nitrox. If its an oldschool shop that partial pressure (pumps pure O2 then fills with air)fills then no. If the shop uses membrane or "stick" blending your fine and don't need to spend to have the tanks cleaned.

 

[H2Andy]

well.. ok...

i'm just used to everybody banking nitrox these days

 

[Hoosier]

well.. ok...

i'm just used to everybody banking nitrox these days

Yes, you are in the heaven (FL) of scuba diving.... There used to be two weeks waiting for the nitrox fill in a certain area.... LOL~~~

 

[pickens_46929]

Blending stick is the way to go... buy it or build it...

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

I always heard grade E was clean enough for PP blending, then I read about the various levels of E in Oxyhacker.

 

[loosebits]

Grade E is not clean enough for tanks exposed to high fractions of O2 (>40%). What you want for that is called modified-Grade E or sometimes OCA (oxygen compatiable air).