All about cylinder inspections & training

[dmdalton]

reefraff once bubbled...


The damn thing is a bomb waiting to go off

Steven

Let's not get overly melodramatic. Tanks are NOT bombs waiting to go off. They are very safe high pressure vessels which require appropriate handling. In Hydro they are pressure tested to 5/3 their working pressure (5000 psi for a 3000psi AL tank) not to see if they will burst but to see how much they stretch and if they return to the appropriate size. There is a very good safety margin built into them. That does not mean that their handling should be taken lightly, but they are very safe to use and handle and anyone with reasonably correctable eyesight who is inteligent enough to dive can do more than an adequate job of VIPing a tank.

I always take mine direct to the hydro shop, cost is $16 vs $35+ and now they even put a VIP sticker on it, which I don't need because I do my own. Many LDS won't even send tanks to be hydroed unless they have 4.

Dave D

 

[jamiei]

checked with an lds in town and they charge $20 for the hydro, but they send them out of town and it takes 2 weeks... they also charge $20 for vip. they rent tanks for $7 though, so i might not even bother buying one... if i do though, what would you suggest the max i pay for a steel 72 or alum 80, both of which need a hydro.

 

[roakey]

jamiei once bubbled...
if i do though, what would you suggest the max i pay for a steel 72 or alum 80, both of which need a hydro.

I won't hazard a guess, but what you DO want to do is offer to pay for the hydro and buy the cylinder if, and only if it passes.

Never buy a cylinder out of hydro.

Roak

 

[MikeFerrara]

I am really suprised so many divers are interested in getting vip training. I could see it if you have alot of tanks.

Here is a take on the subject that I haven't seen here. I am trained to vip tanks but I hate doing it. First of all I wear byfocals and looking instde a tank at a mirror is hard. Second I work a day job so my wife does all the vip's. That means I don't get much practice so I just let her do it. I keep my cert up to date and sometimes she will as me to have a second look at something. Aside from that I stay out of it.

IMO if you only have one or two tanks you should stay out of it too.

I don't remember what the class costs but if it is $200 like someone said I don't see it being cost effective for most divers. In fact, if you gave me $200 up front I would do vips on that one tank for the life of the tank, you, or my store.

 

[SDAnderson]

Not to be overly dramatic...

dmdalton, you're correct, scuba tanks are quite safe, so long as they are used, serviced and inspected within standards. You're also correct, anyone with decent eyesight and a functioning brain should be capable of learning to perform an inspection.

If you've got the time, the money and the inclination, there's no reason not to learn how to do your own inspections. PSI is the most common (but not the only) source of training. Twenty minutes in the back of the dive shop is not sufficient training, however.

If you do decide to do your own inspections, the price of messing up can be very serious. Take it seriously and practice, practice, practice.

Steven
PSI Inspector 13092

 

[jamiei]

of course i would only buy the tanks after they passed the hydro... just wondering if anyone had any inputs on purchase prices of a used steel 72. I can buy an alum 80 for $130 total. For me to have a hydro and vip done will set me back $40 on a used tank... so what should i offer for the tank? There's no use in me buying it unless i could get if for say... no more than $60 if its aluminum, right?

 

[jamiei]

anyone have any info on who makes LP steel 72's? Also, i found a place here in GA that will hydro and vip my tanks for $10 each and have them done in 24 hours. That beats the heck out of $20 hydro and $20 vip and having to wait for two weeks....

 

[FredT]

72s were made by several companies and "branded" tanks were common. Most were made by PST, Heiser, Norris, or Faber and marked or "branded" to the distributor's specs.

FT

 

[dmdalton]

jamiei once bubbled...
...... Also, i found a place here in GA that will hydro and vip my tanks for $10 each and have them done in 24 hours. That beats the heck out of $20 hydro and $20 vip and having to wait for two weeks....

But gee, you won't get a "free" airfill!
;-0

Good job! See what a little time doing research can get you!:mean:

Dave D

 

[FredT]

jamiei once bubbled...
just wondering if anyone had any inputs on purchase prices of a used steel 72.

I'll bite.

I'll pay up to $25 for an out of date 72 provided it has a valve that is repairable and the owner lets me look inside. I'll go up to $30 if the owner allows me to have it hydroed and the deal is off if it fails.

I've seen 72's for at little as $5 at garage and estate sales. Normally $20 is about average. Do research and find out what to look for as far as tank linings and coatings. Some tanks are effectivly scrap if the interior lining or exterior "paint" is bad since the coatings cannot be economically removed... others literally fall off wth the application of an inexpensive chemical. Some are no sweat to remove with a tumbler or car wash pressure washer. On a really "unknown" tank don't pay more than the valve is worth, say $15.

BTW A commercial hydrotest facility may NOT do a good job of drying tanks. After all a tank of CO2 is pretty sure not to rust. Be sure to inspect and be ready to clean and dry the tank once it's returned to you, and DO NOT let them set at the hydro shop after the testing is completed! The LDS is supposed to take care of those little details for you. Regretably many do not, but charge you for it anyway.