Deco Cylinder Mishap

[cavemn]

About using the plugs on DIN valves: the XSScuba convertible valves have a small pressure relief hole in the side. With the plug tight and the valve open the gas escapes through this vent and you hear a loud hiss. It also limits the rate of loss of gas. So for this particular valve using the DIN plug would help to pick up a leak and to limit the rate of leak.

All three of my tanks have the valves with the side vent.

Thanks, Ian and I are using Highland SS plugs, but I would like to switch my O2 tank plugs to vented ones.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[suprane]

Is there a certification required for using 100% oxygen?

Yes!! Advanced Nitrox! That teaches you HOW to use it safely. But that's not saying that the average diver could not buy or use it if he felt so compelled. I personally don't know that it is very rigidly enforced.

 

[DandyDon]

Yes!! Advanced Nitrox! That teaches you HOW to use it safely. But that's not saying that the average diver could not buy or use it if he felt so compelled. I personally don't know that it is very rigidly enforced.

I think your medical background gives you a lot more knowledge than some of us. My favorite thrift store had some old medical O2 bottles for sell. I considered buying them to see if I could get the valves to move, or off - until I saw the graphic youtube video about a guy losing his hand that way. I went back and suggested the manager call local authorities to remove the bombs for safe disposal, which she did.

 

[Tristan.ak]

I was thinking about this and usually cars and especially with my truck I have a small short and i get shocked every now and then. This could have been the source of the ignition point since it is a large spark and it has fuel: plastic, carpet, and vinyl.

 

[Dive-aholic]

With the reports of an explosion, could the burst disk have been plugged our doubled. I'm not trying to point fingers or start anything but on other threads we've discussed the pros/cons of doubling or even plugging burst disc. I know this is a fairly common practice for a lot of cave and tech divers.

Absolutely not. Aluminum cylinders are not double disked or plugged, ever. David knows this.

 

[Dive-aholic]

The question I keep expecting to see is, does Dave use any 6351 tanks? Does he o2 clean himself? Any idea when this tank was last cleaned?

I have o2 bottles that aren't cleaned in between hydros, wondering it I should devote a weekend to cleaning valves soon...

David is fairly new to diving and newer to tech diving. Gear is new and compliant. No issues there. That being said, as has already been stated, valves are only clean until they leave the clean room. There have been a few incidents recently in which I suspect the fill whip contributed to ignition. I'm not saying that happened here. I don't know where David got his last O2 fill.


My personal policy is to clean valves every VIP and clean cylinders every hydro.

 

[boulderjohn]

Yes!! Advanced Nitrox! That teaches you HOW to use it safely. But that's not saying that the average diver could not buy or use it if he felt so compelled. I personally don't know that it is very rigidly enforced.

Depending upon where you live, it can be very hard to find a dive shop that will fill your tanks with higher percentages of O2, let alone pure O2. In South Florida (where I am now), such shops are common, but when I go back to Colorado I will only have couple of shops in the entire state with that ability, and each one will very much check your credentials. Remember that the biggest risk is in filling the tank, so the shop that fills it has a great incentive to be careful about it.

It would not be difficult for a do-it-yourself kind of guy to get the equipment (etc.) needed for this. Hopefully in getting the equipment and the know how, they will also learn that there is no point in doing it without the accompanying training, and the risk is not worth the reward without that training.

 

[openmindOW]

This incident has got me thinking. I have 100% O2 bottles for SCUBA Rescue in my garage. Is this an unsafe practice?

 

[The Chairman]

This incident has got me thinking. I have 100% O2 bottles for SCUBA Rescue in my garage. Is this an unsafe practice?

It could be. If you aren't sure, take a cylinder handling class. To be sure, this was a real snake in the grass. No way to anticipate the results at all.

 

[openmindOW]

It could be. If you aren't sure, take a cylinder handling class. To be sure, this was a real snake in the grass. No way to anticipate the results at all.

I've done all the PSI classes and I VIP tanks for my shop. I know Instructors, including me, who put the DAN O2 Rescue Paks in their vehicles before going off to teach or dive.