Tigerman
Contributor
The tank wont get heated up at the same rate as the room its in either though..
Cold Tanks?
- Thread starter TMHeimer
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zimmo
Registered
So the real threat here is because many materials behave differently at low temperatures. Metals go through what's known as a ductile-brittle transition and plastics/polymers go through a glass transition. In either case the structural properties could change drastically - when they enter these low temperature conditions the material can behave like glass and it will shatter or snap instead of plastically deforming under stress.
The materials we care about and their transition temperatures:
Steel (4130) for tanks (< -100 C generally)
Aluminum (6061) for tanks (NONE generally)
various o-ring and seal materials (< -30 C generally)
As a result cold temperatures shouldn't cause too much of a problem, especially if you're just storing the tank. If I were using it at -30C I would worry about the o-rings, but depending on the specific material they could be fine down to -100 C. Personally I would worry a lot more about freezing to death than my tank failing in some way.
The materials we care about and their transition temperatures:
Steel (4130) for tanks (< -100 C generally)
Aluminum (6061) for tanks (NONE generally)
various o-ring and seal materials (< -30 C generally)
As a result cold temperatures shouldn't cause too much of a problem, especially if you're just storing the tank. If I were using it at -30C I would worry about the o-rings, but depending on the specific material they could be fine down to -100 C. Personally I would worry a lot more about freezing to death than my tank failing in some way.
Minus 40 fahrenheit is common here, but we only encounter it if we are ice diving at night at altitude. There are people here who do that, amazingly. The only issue with cold storage of tanks for several hours at that temperature is the functioning of the valve. And of couse, don't lick a cold tank or your tongue will get stuck, just like on a frozen flagpole! Merry Christmas and Happy Diving to All!
DivemasterDennis
DivemasterDennis
further food for thought...
we teach class 3 nights a week all winter up here
20 aluminum 63"s in the trailer with the cascade
routinely -10*f in jan,feb.
outta the trailer , onto a bc , hook up your reg ,soak in the pool
try not to get your fingers stuck to metal-looks stupid!
oh yeah,.... always put your lead weight belts in the water to warm up first!!!exciting to watch otherwise!
o rings can be issue,use best quality
other than that,no probs
have fun
yaeg
we teach class 3 nights a week all winter up here
20 aluminum 63"s in the trailer with the cascade
routinely -10*f in jan,feb.
outta the trailer , onto a bc , hook up your reg ,soak in the pool
try not to get your fingers stuck to metal-looks stupid!
oh yeah,.... always put your lead weight belts in the water to warm up first!!!exciting to watch otherwise!
o rings can be issue,use best quality
other than that,no probs
have fun
yaeg
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