I'm just a home filler, but I got rid of the one suspect tank that I owned. The benefit of keeping that tank really didn't justify the risk even if it is quite small. No problem with old steels, but I avoid old aluminums if possible.
Do you fill 6351 T-6 Tanks
- Thread starter wedivebc
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The two shops I get fills at most often will not fill them. In fact won't even take them in to try and have hydro'd. A number of hydro places in my area won't mess with ANY aluminum tank more than 15 years old. No matter what the make or alloy. Their business, their decision. Myself I own 5 al 80's and all are less than ten years old. When they get to the point that filling and getting em inspected is a pain I'll make something out of them - wind chimes, bell, lamp, cookie jar, etc. I only own them because I got them too cheap to pass up and they come in handy now and then. Otherwise I prefer to only dive steels and shops have no problem with them. Even the ones from 1953 and 1957.
Akyla
Contributor
I no longer fill them. I have seen far too many vintage 6351 tanks with neck cracks. In fact first one I saw was leaking at the neck during a fill and we thought it was a bad o ring so dumped the fill and by chance actually saw the crack! After that the eddy current check condemned many more with very small to easy to see with naked eye cracks. I turned at least 75 into scrap back during the first recalls and retired many more since.
They are all now very aged pieces of equipment and those who still own them should move on. If you want them filled buy your own compressor system and take your chances.
They are all now very aged pieces of equipment and those who still own them should move on. If you want them filled buy your own compressor system and take your chances.
I'm guessing the real reason for this is either:
A. They don't own or cant afford the Eddy Current Machine for the required additional test
B. No one is trained to operate the EC Machine
C. All of the above
But that is just speculation.
The eddy current test as I have seen them are most always done in the dive shop. There are no dive shops here that do hydros. They all take then to a couple of commercial.compressed gas facilities to have hydros done or one guy who is a licensed hydro shop and does O2 cleaning but will not mess with visuals and eddy current tests. He will do older al cylinders if he knows you but not as standard practice.
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Shop policy is that we just won't deal with them. I don't recall being asked to fill any of them since I started working at the shop in the spring, but a few have been brought in for hydro and visual after sitting around for a few years. As far as I'm aware, the hydro facility we use would still test them, but we won't send them out for testing.
Wow
Those hydroshops need to review 49 CFR then. According to the CFR's, at time of Hydrotest, a cylinder must receive an internal and external visual inspection (note I said nothing about a vip decal). Additionally, if a cylinder is made of 6351-T6 aluminum alloy and is being hydrotested, it must also be given a eddy current test by the hydrotester and then stamped with the letters "VE" after the requalification stamp.
I do the eddy current test (with their latest software) and I have not had one of these pass the test since 2008. Most cracks are visible. The risks are small but real. I would rather lose a customer than have to explain to a loved one how somebody got injured or killed. I had one seriously upset customer accusing me of trying to cheat him when one of these failed, he got even more upset when I showed him the documented history and finally got it when I flat out gave him a new tank. ( I got it for essentially nothing through a trade, it was going to rental) He still thinks I cheated him somehow.
underH2Oman
Contributor
You are more generous than I.
I would have not charged him for the testing and told him he could go elsewhere to have it retested if he wishes, and if the other place passes it he is welcome to get them to fill it as I will not. then I would explain to him that I am in business to make money and the fact that I am not charging you and refusing to take money from you later (re fills) should be reason enough for you to understand the issue is real.
They won't even try to hydro an older al cylinder. And 6351 alloys? They tell you to take em to the scrap yard. That's why they don't have eddy current machines for them. The bulk of their business is steel cylinders. Scuba tanks are a side business.
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