Benefits of a boot on a tank?

[dkktsunami]

More stuff to drag around.

 

[beanojones]

Really have to separate this question when you ask it:

1. Boot on a aluminum tank?

2. Boot on a steel tank?

The steel tank does not have the extra material that an aluminum tank doeson the bottom, and it does not have a natural resistance to corrosion that aluminum does. Not puting boots on a steel tank will shorten the lifetime of the tank, because you will chip/wear away the galvanization on the bottom of the tank. (Not to mention the cannot stand upright and all that.)

Aluminum you are only worried about what the tank does to other things.

 

[captain]

Really have to separate this question when you ask it:

1. Boot on a aluminum tank?

2. Boot on a steel tank?

The steel tank does not have the extra material that an aluminum tank doeson the bottom, and it does not have a natural resistance to corrosion that aluminum does. Not puting boots on a steel tank will shorten the lifetime of the tank, because you will chip/wear away the galvanization on the bottom of the tank. (Not to mention the cannot stand upright and all that.)

Aluminum you are only worried about what the tank does to other things.

Actually a steel tank is the last one you should put a boot on. I have steel tanks that are 30 to 50 years old and never had boots on them and the galvanize on the bottom is fine. All boots do is promote corrosion.

 

[Charged]

I can fully understand that a boot can promote corrosion on steel tanks, however, cant a proper tapwater rinsing after the dive(s) protect the tank?

 

[beanojones]

Actually a steel tank is the last one you should put a boot on. I have steel tanks that are 30 to 50 years old and never had boots on them and the galvanize on the bottom is fine. All boots do is promote corrosion.

And I have had steel tanks lose lots of materials of the bottom from getting banged around. (Because the boots kept falling off the tanks and the tanks got dinged on the very bottom.) They ended up failing from internal corrosion, so I have no idea how that would have affected long term wear. But there was a noticeable loss of material from the bottom.

The 72's (which the tanks must be if they are that old) just in general last longer. Haven't really seen a 72 corrode from having a boot on it. Then again I haven't really seen a 72 corrode for any reason. They are built like tanks (rimshot).

The bigger steel tanks all seem to have all kinds of corrosion problems, in comparison. But they get it all over the tank. Never seemed to concentrate around the boot.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Never seemed to concentrate around the boot.

...and yet...

 

[evil_xander]

Sparticle, nice tank...

I have a couple of steel tanks now 3yrs old, still looking like new. I do take the boot of every couple of months or so to visually check them, and always rinse them meticulously with fresh water after a dive.

 

[captain]

I can fully understand that a boot can promote corrosion on steel tanks, however, cant a proper tapwater rinsing after the dive(s) protect the tank?

I would only use them to be able to stand the tank up during storage. Rinsing without taking the boot off is not sufficient especially if the tank is used in salt water.