Do new tanks need Hydrostatic testing?

[Geoffrey Raiser]

Hello,

I'm a newbie and hope this question wasn't just asked yesterday...

I was in the new local Gander Mountain store and was looking at their scuba tanks. The clerk told me that their brand new tanks had to be hydrostatically tested before they could be filled. Is this true? It seems to me that the factory would test the tanks before sending them out.

Thanks for your time!

Geoffrey

 

[SparticleBrane]

VIP'd maybe, but not hydro'd if they are new.

 

[deepstops]

http://www.gandermountain.com/outdoor/scuba.asp
First of all, this is like buying scuba gear from Bass Pro Shops.....

The clerk is clueless (regarding scuba gear at least).

 

[ALaderer]

New SCUBA tanks do not need a hydrostatic inspection, but they will need a visual inspection before they can be filled. The hydro is good for 5 years from the date of manufacture. Check for a month and year stamp on the shoulder of the tank

 

[jbd]

Whether a new tank will need a hydro or not will depend on the date of manufacture. If the tank sits at the retailers for 5 years before being sold, assuming it was bought by the retailer just after being manufactured, it will need a hydro. Most likely the clerk was referring to a visual inspection.

 

[captndale]

All new tanks are required to be hydrostatically tested. They are all tested before they are shipped. No tank is ever shipped from the manufacturer without being hydrostatically tested. That is what that date stamp on the tank is for. It is the verification of the original hydro test at the time it is manufactured.

 

[Web Monkey]

I was in the new local Gander Mountain store and was looking at their scuba tanks. The clerk told me that their brand new tanks had to be hydrostatically tested before they could be filled.

The only way it would need a hydro is if it had been 5 years since it was manufactured. This is not entirely impossible, since some places get good deals buying expired or almost expired tanks.

More probable is that he didn't know what he was talking about.

It probably needs a Visual Inspection (VIP) but unless you're going to get fills there, I woulnd't bother. A good percentage of shops won't fill tanks they haven't inspected, so you'll be better off having it inspected where you plan on getting your air.

Terry

 

[tedtim]

As others have said, the hydrostatic test if required every five years. See this site as an example for how to read the tank markings. Or, you might look at page 59 of this guide from Luxfer. I am sure that there are many others out there as well as information in your manuals.

What the shop is telling you is inaccurate unless they keep a stock of tanks older than five years.

 

[mike_s]

ALL tanks are tested before they leave the factory. They stamp the manufacturing date on the side of the tank, which is the first hydro date.

this will explain how scuba tanks are made and show the initial hydro done at the factory

 

[del_mo]

Maybe they come with dents!