Care and feeding of pony

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billt4sf

billt4sf

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Vincennes, France near Paris
# of dives
500 - 999
Tank, that is.

I have 6L pony tank that I use when I go diving in Indo. I take off the valve to get it on flights, and when we returned from RA about 6 months ago, we stored the tank in Bali while we went to the US. It has now been sitting empty with duct tape across the opening for 6 months.

Planning next trip in December to RA, again the valve will be off for the flight.

Yes I use it for nitrox only.

Is there anything I should do with it now? Maybe wash it out?

Thanks,

Bill
 
billt4sf:
Tank, that is.

It has now been sitting empty with duct tape across the opening for 6 months.

Bill
Click to expand...

Do you mean you stored it empty without the valve on and duct tape across the opening? If you stored it empty like that all sorts of funk and moisture can enter.

Honestly, I would take it to who ever and have it maybe tumbled but certainly vis-ed, and o2 cleaned...especially if it is getting partial pressure fills.
 
Last edited:
It is likely fine but.... I'd do a visual on it at a minimum and that will tell you where to go with it next. It's way better for the tank to leave it valved with a few hundred psi in it of course but if it was sealed with tape immediately after draining for the ride home it is doubtful anything got in if the seal remained intact. What Matt said concerning the PP blending holds.
 
How would you deal with this situation?

1) Tank sitting empty with a piece of tape over it for 6 months, as described.

2) We fly (tank open) to RA and dive there a couple weeks. First op Mermaid.

3) We fly to other points in SEA (tank open for flying) and spend 1 - 2 - 3 weeks in some non-diving locale.

4) We return to Bali and occasionally dive around Bali or close by.

REPEAT 2 - 4.

Thanks in advance.

- Bill
 
Bags of desiccant for the non dive location, that you recharge in the oven?? And get the shop to blow out your tank of any desiccant dust before using again? They do put them in vitamin bottles, so I assume they are fairly non toxic.
 
Please, get it oxygen cleaned if you get nitrox fills done by partial pressure blending, or if you get rich fills. Probably ok as a fire hazard if you get it filled with pre-mixed EAN32.

Flammable stuff can get in there; duct tape won't keep it all out. And where has your valve been all that time, and how do you know flammable stuff didn't get into the valve or its threads?

Or so I'm told by the aerospace engineers, who like to do their thing in totally dust-free clean rooms.

Probably not likely to go up in flames, but it's an inexpensive thing to do which might just save a life.
 
6L cylinder is just over 40 cu.ft at 3000psi which is plenty for a pony. If you are using it as a pony and not a stage why not just fill it with air and avoid the oxygen clean issues.
 
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