Bad memory? O2 Clean required for less than 40% nitrox

[rob.mwpropane]

The "yellow and green label" is frustrating to say the least. Only found one shop near me that needed it. I don't get my feels there anymore since they started that rule.

I wish my LDS would give me feels, I might actually go there more often.....

This is how it works at every shop I've ever used. If they bank nitrox you don't need oxygen clean up to 40%. If your tank will see anything more than that as with blending in your tank then you do. Simple, and universally done this way. Well perhaps except where scared silly works. First time I've ever heard of someone wanting oxygen clean for preblended nitrox fills.

An LDS near me requires 40% cleaned, but not O2 cleaned for PP blending. The VIP sticker has the year / month, the 40%, and the 100% to be checked off. If you PP blend, shouldn't you need the 100% punched? They do not bank anything, but if they did, I would expect them to need the 40% punched out.

How does one go about cleaning for 40%, but not for 100%?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

This is how it works at every shop I've ever used. If they bank nitrox you don't need oxygen clean up to 40%. If your tank will see anything more than that as with blending in your tank then you do. Simple, and universally done this way. Well perhaps except where scared silly works. First time I've ever heard of someone wanting oxygen clean for preblended nitrox fills.

This is exactly what Jupiter Dive Center requires. Don’t even try reasoning with them. I’ve tried, others have tried. Fogetaboutit. They won’t budge.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

This is exactly what Jupiter Dive Center requires. Don’t even try reasoning with them. I’ve tried, others have tried. Fogetaboutit. They won’t budge.

Stupid rules, but their compressor / shop, their rules. I can't stand that.

 

[Jcp2]

The "yellow and green label" is frustrating to say the least. Only found one shop near me that needed it. I don't get my feels there anymore since they started that rule.

I’ll get the yellow and green label because it matches my yellow tank and will let me get banked nitrox fills from that shop. The other shop will only give me air.

 

[HKGuns]

After taking my Nitrox training, I brought my tanks into the LDS for O2 cleaning as I thought it was required.

My LDS owner told me not to waste my money, as they banked 32% and O2 cleaning was only necessary if I was going to ask for a special mix that required PP blending. Which makes a lot of sense, as with banked 32% you're never actually dealing with Pure O2 in the tank or valve which is what can be hazardous.

Policies obviously vary, but this approach makes the most sense to me.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

I wish my LDS would give me feels, I might actually go there more often.....



An LDS near me requires 40% cleaned, but not O2 cleaned for PP blending. The VIP sticker has the year / month, the 40%, and the 100% to be checked off. If you PP blend, shouldn't you need the 100% punched? They do not bank anything, but if they did, I would expect them to need the 40% punched out.

How does one go about cleaning for 40%, but not for 100%?

That's the other shop...

 

[Marie13]

After taking my Nitrox training, I brought my tanks into the LDS for O2 cleaning as I thought it was required.

My LDS owner told me not to waste my money, as they banked 32% and O2 cleaning was only necessary if I was going to ask for a special mix that required PP blending. Which makes a lot of sense, as with banked 32% you're never actually dealing with Pure O2 in the tank or valve which is what can be hazardous.

Policies obviously vary, but this approach makes the most sense to me.

If your shop banks 32%, you only need O2 cleaning if you’re going to request custom mixes above 32%. If you’re getting 28% or whatever, they should be watering 32% down with air.

 

[Jcp2]

If your shop banks 32%, you only need O2 cleaning if you’re going to request custom mixes above 32%. If you’re getting 28% or whatever, they should be watering 32% down with air.

I prefer my breathing gas without water, thank you very much. I thought that was the whole point.

 

[rjack321]

Another interesting thing I come across with gas companies is, when I asked what they did to O2 clean their large (k type bottles) and medical cylinders they stated nothing in particular other than looking inside to make sure there was no moisture and the cylinder was clean.

They are typically rinsed with hot water (or steam) after hydro and once they dry upside down that's "clean"

They are also never filled from an oil lubed compressor
They are not used underwater (so no internal corrosion or flaky rust or aluminum oxide particulates)
They have dedicated slow opening valves made with oxygen compatible materials

 

[iyakonboats]

This is exactly what Jupiter Dive Center requires. Don’t even try reasoning with them. I’ve tried, others have tried. Fogetaboutit. They won’t budge.

So, even for banked EAN they require O2 cleaning?

I second a question someone else had, how can you be O2 cleaned for banked EAN only, as compared to O2 cleaned for 100%. Let's keep all factors to a brand spanking new tank, no hydrocarbon based lube, and O2 rated orings, and your standard valve ready for 40% Nitrox service, as our baseline. Now, I recently got tanks from Faber that were "O2 cleaned for premix EAN" but they, Faber, wouldn't allow the dive shop to label it as O2 cleaned in their VIP. So, it begs the question, is there some difference between "O2 cleaning for premix" and "O2 cleaning" in general (to accept 100% into the tank for a pp fill)?

Is there some wild assumption that everywhere you go will always have banked EAN, or they'll partial pressure fill in their own cylinders before putting the final mix in yours? What about enriching a mix and using O2 to accomplish it? It's been widely accepted you don't need O2 cleaning for banked <=40%, so what changed with Faber and their stance? (Mind you, this is what the dive shop told me).

Now, I don't buy that an O2 cleaned tank will maintain that exact degree of cleanliness through it's one year VIP cycle, unless you're getting fill from somewhere with air so pure it makes the baby Jesus' breath smell like a fart, it's very likely you're introducing trace amounts of contaminants. Would it be safe to agree that it's likely the contamination points likely to introduce hydrocarbons into the tank are likely the grease used? Not saying only, but perhaps the biggest contributor to contamination is likely that?