Consensus on Overfilling Tanks?

[Boston Breakwater]

Hello. You should absolutely, positively, undoubtedly, vehemently, NEVER, EVER Overfill tanks. It is Illegal.
However...........if, a tank is overfilled. You should bleed it down to be D.O.T./O.S.H.A. compliant.
If, one of your tanks is overfilled??????? Accidently, I have attached a chart to show how potentially dangerous it can be.
Cheers.
I personally wouldn't recommend accidently overfilling Aluminum, or H.P. Steel tanks. (Seriously.)
View media item 209679

 

[Jack Hammer]

Hello. You should absolutely, positively, undoubtedly, vehemently, NEVER, EVER Overfill tanks. It is Illegal.
However...........if, a tank is overfilled. You should bleed it down to be D.O.T./O.S.H.A. compliant.
If, one of your tanks is overfilled??????? Accidently, I have attached a chart to show how potentially dangerous it can be.
Cheers.
I personally wouldn't recommend accidently overfilling Aluminum, or H.P. Steel tanks. (Seriously.)
View media item 209679

OMG! I never knew. And to think almost every cave diver for the last 60+ years has been wrong and we should have all died since . . .

 

[Blackcrusader]

Hello. You should absolutely, positively, undoubtedly, vehemently, NEVER, EVER Overfill tanks. It is Illegal.

Illegal where? Sometimes people claim things are illegal when they are not. What is overfilling? Filling it past it's test pressure rating? Or say having an AL 80 tank filled to over 115 bar? The tank test pressure is 300 bar or higher. DIN valves are produced in 300 bar pressure ratings. There are AL 80 tanks rated to more than 200 bar for fills as well.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

OMG! I never knew. And to think almost every cave diver for the last 60+ years has been wrong and we should have all died since . . .

Maybe they are all dead and they don't realize it. Kind of like stupidity. When you are dead, everyone knows it but you.

 

[bletso]

It is only illegal if something happens, but how can one determine if the cyl was over pressurised? Actually, I am not even sure it is illegal, but the lawyers would certainly have a field day with it. What is definitely illegal is to fill a cylinder that is out of test AND offer it up for transportation. If the cyl was filled before it is out of test, then you can offer it up for transport. Your own cyl and you filling - not illegal. Perhaps ill advised, but not illegal.

 

[Couv]

I have attached a chart

Thank you for the chart, but better check the math. If an Al 80 holds 77 cu ft at 3000 (it does) then it cannot hold 83 @ 3100 ( < 2.7 cu ft per 100 psi is all you get)

 

[Bob DBF]

Actually, I am not even sure it is illegal, but the lawyers would certainly have a field day with it.

Well, to start DOT issues regulations, not laws. If you ignore a regulation and get caught, you will be punished. The first thing one has to do is find out if DOT has any jurisdiction over the equipment and persons that are ignoring a regulation. Since the department is set up for commercial commerce, actions of individual citizens with their personal property are not automatically included under their regs.

Now following the safety requirements of DOT is a good idea, and to get tanks filled you will need a hydro, and a yearly viz (which is not a DOT standard). But these are inforced by the dive shop, not DOT.

 

[Rusty Shackleford]

On a now unfollowed FB feed I saw someone claim he had seen regulators " explode " from using overfilled tanks and it was a life threatening risk to dive them as they might do so U/W
Rather than respond, I just left the room and shut the door behind me.
Not someone I would likely enjoy diving around.
I see old steel 72s dove that are older than me that have had many thousands of overfills up to 3200 psi. I don't like being near them being filled but the odds of anything untoward happening are less than being killed by a falling coconut I would imagine.

How would a regulator know it’s on an overfilled LP tank or on a correctly-filled HP tank assuming the same working pressure?

 

[100days-a-year]

Rusty, I just can't address all the issues those Karens pose. My guess is always either money or control.
One of the reasons I don't dive charters and owned my own compressors or worked on boats with them if I couldn't find a reasonable shop to do fills.
Always some goon pontificating about things that directly conflict with observable facts. And Karens trying nanny everyone they can.

 

[jadairiii]

That smile on my face when I check my double LP 104's and watch the spg climb to 4000!