AL80 Overfilled

[chrpai]

Thanks all. I'm not ignorant of overfilling but I guess I just got my 3AL cherry popped. (Usually I only do it for steel.)

I'm going diving on Friday and will bleed them down then.

 

[flots am]

I have 2 AL 80's (Luxfer 1999ish) that I dropped off on Monday. Today I picked them up and they both show 3800 PSI! :shocked2:

Should I bleed them down? Is the damage (if any) already done? I'm all for cave filling LP steels but not AL's.

My tanks are DIN (Pro Valves) that are clearly marked 3000PSI same as the crown markings on the tanks.

I'd dive it, but I'd also tell the shop that you want your burst disks replaced for free. They're the weakest part of the deal (intentionally) and could easily have been stressed during filling, making them more susceptible to failure at an inconvenient time.

You should also note that if it's 3800PSI now, they were very likely at or above 4000PSI while filling.

flots.

 

[halocline]

I would not tell the shop, it might make them less likely to do it again....

 

[chrpai]

Wonder what the chances of getting the mods to delete this thread are then? <evilgrin/>

 

[flots am]

I would not tell the shop, it might make them less likely to do it again....

Seriously? I would hope they wouldn't do it again. I'm all for a good fill, but if my 3000PSI AL tank had close to 4000PSI in it, I'd be pissed. Also, I'm pretty sure that if the DOT inspector found one of these "overfills" there would be substantial fines involved.

If you want more gas, use bigger tanks.

flots.

 

[Superlyte27]

I've been diving since 1996. I've never had a DOT inspector check any of my tanks.

 

[Bhtmec2]

I've been diving since 1996. I've never had a DOT inspector check any of my tanks.

Been diving since the 70's and never seen DOT checking any of mine or anyone else's tanks yet.

 

[nimoh]

Seriously? I would hope they wouldn't do it again. I'm all for a good fill, but if my 3000PSI AL tank had close to 4000PSI in it, I'd be pissed. Also, I'm pretty sure that if the DOT inspector found one of these "overfills" there would be substantial fines involved.

If you want more gas, use bigger tanks.

flots.

I'm guessing that it was a mistake by the shop to fill to 4000. I think what halocline meant is that if you complain about it, then in the future you will be lucky to get 3000psi.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Seriously? I would hope they wouldn't do it again. I'm all for a good fill, but if my 3000PSI AL tank had close to 4000PSI in it, I'd be pissed. Also, I'm pretty sure that if the DOT inspector found one of these "overfills" there would be substantial fines involved.

If you want more gas, use bigger tanks.

flots.

You've obviously never been to north Florida where 2400 psi tanks are routinely filled to 3600-3800 psi. It's been going on for a couple decades without any citations ever bing given.

I've been diving since 1996. I've never had a DOT inspector check any of my tanks.

Way back in the day (prior to my entry into diving in 1985) there was a period of time when a few DOT inspectors were trying to over assert their authority and cite shops for overfills, even though the tanks in question were not being used in interstate commerce. The middle ground here is that divers get their personal tank hydro tested every 5 years for safety purposes, but the DOT for a brief period tried to insist that filling an out of hydro tank or over filling a tank was illegal as it could potentially be used in interstate commerce. It's a thin argument right up there with arresting some one because they might rob a bank absent any constructive steps to do so.

 

[liztribe]

The rated pressure of a scuba tank is not just there to tell you what the tank can tolerate but also there for the safety of those using it and filling it. If that tank were left in a car in the heat, that fill could have been very dangerous. The tank could be fine but there's a reason they're hydro'd at a proper facility, not in a scuba shop by hooking it up to a compressor and overfilling it once in a while. Of further issue are the tank threads, or the valve which may not be able to handle that pressure. No one likes getting a bum fill and it's always nice to get a solid fill to 3200-3300 PSI but a tank being filled to 3800 PSI is just someone forgetting about it while it was hooked up to the compressor and as was mentioned before, it was probably actually filled to 4000-4100 PSI before it cooled. It happens, one person working in the shop, filling tanks, customer comes in and starts asking questions, shop employee forgets about tanks. The tank should have been bled down by the shop before it even got to the customer and the employee should pay better attention in the future.

Shops need to smarten up and properly train their employees to fill tanks and if they're mixing gas, make sure they have the proper certifications to do so. Overfilling is not acceptable. Shops should also enforce that proper procedures be followed when tanks are being filled, technically, the tank should be hooked up in one room and the employee should turn on the compressor/banks from another room, in case the tank does explode. No one should ever be in the same room as a tank while it is filling. This is one of the reasons why: Beaver Aquatics tank_explosion_ I am sure there are many other examples of tanks exploding out there, I've seen a few gruesome pictures myself and recall that last year in Florida an experienced tech diver died when a tank exploded in his apartment. This particular tank exploded at an estimated pressure of 2200 PSI, well below its rated pressure and was in current VIP/hydro. Filling tanks is quite a risky business, considered by DOT/TC to be a hazardous occupation, so why fool around and risk it by overfilling a tank? If you want more volume, get a bigger tank.