Aluminum 80's made during the 70's

[FIXXERVI6]

This is exactly what I can't understand, why people refuse to get rid of them, we are not talking about a massive investment, the risk/cost of a new cylinder just doesn't add up.

People can get pissed all they want but the guy back there on the fill panel has to stand beside it, I won't fill them.

 

[Graeme Tolton]

As others have said, not worth the fight... In ontario, most shops will not fill any AL cylinders made before 1990. I have scrapped 3 of them... Not something to even argue about as He who owns the compressor makes the rules.

 

[T. Bix]

He who owns the compressor makes the rules.

That would be the Bottom line! I bought a new tank just for my trips to Florida but still have no problems using my older tanks up north well at least in the midwest.

 

[Kern]

Why I recently decided to condemn some 6351 ally tanks.

Man loses leg after gas blast - Local News - News - General - Macleay Argus

By the way, the tanks in question were in test & the testing regime in Oz is yearly.

 

[spectrum]

psiborg1812

As others have said well, it's probably not worth the fight.

From a technical and regulation standpoint the cylinders can probably be approved for use by a shop willing to work with them.

If the cylinders are 6351 alloy you may have a higher test cost burden.

If they are 6351 some shops will point blank refuse to fill them regardless of who blessed them. Some will fill only those that they inspected.

Some shops have gone so far as to blackball ANY aluminum cylinder over 20 years old regardless of alloy or manufacturer. Some shops post an exorbitant inspection fee for 20 year old cylinders, like $125. !

If you only get fills from a shop that will smile upon these then they may have some use. The catch is when out of your neighborhood you never know when you will be turned away or when your shop will turn on you.

It's not right or fair. It's not about you or your cylinders. It's about ignorance, fear and greed.

Pete

 

[diverdoug1]

In Response to T.Bix, Provided the tanks are not 6351, you are not likely to find many shops that wont. fill older tanks (INCLUDING "ginnie, devils den, blue grotto"). I have had my older tanks filled there many times. Of course YMMV.

 

[Nemrod]

Hey guys, quick question for you. I have several aluminum 80 tanks that were made in the middle 70's (one in 76, the other 75) Now i am going to get them hydro'd and visualed, however, i have been warned by several people that LDS's will only fill tanks that have been made before 75 to 2000 psi, even if they are current in hydro and vis. I have even been told some shops won't fill them at all. Any thoughts on why this is? Any reason tanks should not be filled any more even though they are within hydro? Is it all tanks or just aluminums?

Thanks in advance!

Sell them for scrap metal, they are not worth investing in. New aluminum 80s are cheap, get a couple.

In Florida it is pretty much any older tank including steels. I run into this down there all the time with several steel tanks I have. I have a couple of new Faber 85s that I put vintage decals on and the dive shop "guy" was refusing to fill those "old" tanks because they are "dangerous" etc.

The aluminums are not worth the effort, scrap them.

N

 

[T. Bix]

In Response to T.Bix, Provided the tanks are not 6351, you are not likely to find many shops that wont. fill older tanks (INCLUDING "ginnie, devils den, blue grotto"). I have had my older tanks filled there many times. Of course YMMV.

Of course my "mileage varies"....... I stand by my earlier statement.. I gave in and purchased a new tank from Jim at Underwater Adventures in Leesburg just for my trips to Florida but still maintain my older ones for diving up here.

 

[rjack321]

If the scrap value is ~12 I will give you ~14 for your old unwanted tanks-seriously.

Just PM with picks and details.

Too bad I just chucked the last 2. Not that you'd want to pay shipping from Seattle anyway.

Basically I didn't want to bother striping their nasty looking yellow paint, invest in $35 hydros for a 24yo cylinder that may not last another 5 VIPs, nor stand next to them while filling them in the garage.

I found some used Catalinas were $60 each on Craigslist that were worth investing the time and money and sweat in to strip and hydro.

 

[ZzzKing]

Disregard the above post and search for "6351" here on Scubaboard.

It doesn't have anything to do with overfills, it's related to the alloy used for the cylinder. And for the record, if your tanks are Catalinas, you're not affected (so see who made your tanks first).

Never-the-less, some shops refuse to fill the old aluminum tanks. Scubatoys refused to fill my Catalina AL80 so I don't take my aluminum tanks to them for fills. My other shop fills them with no problem. The other shop has problems filling my HP steels to their proper service pressure so I take them to Scubatoys. I'm lucky I have two good shops so close.

Ultimately, it's up to the shop and what they feel comfortable with.