Do you have your own tank?

[scuba_schneider]

I am a student and I would love to get some used tanks for a a cheap amount, but still have to tanks be pretty good condition. I am looking for a AL80 proabbly, if anyone has any ideas reply back. -SCUBA_Schneider

 

[H2o Man]

I actually just ordered my first pair of 121s.

I'll be picking them up from my lds tomorrow

 

[dc4bs]

aidensnd once bubbled...
I was thinking of buying tanks because as a previous poster said I would like to be able to get up and dive whenever I wanted instead of having to go rent tanks etc... But my question is do you store your tanks full, and if so how long can they sit before the air goes bad? Or is this even a factor?

Thanks
Dan

Um... 1 year? It would then need a visual or hydro (whichever is due for the tank).

For AL tanks, long term storage is reccomended at low pressure (100 PSI or so) to help prevent the tank 'stretching' as mentioned above.

BTW: I have an AL13 pony. 2 AL40s are on order for deco bottles and I rent/borrow the rest.

 

[dc4bs]

EBdiver once bubbled...
Hey reefraff,

Just curious... Why shouldn't we use boots?

Boots can trap water and accelerate rusting on the bottoms of steel tanks.

AliKat once bubbled...
And why never paint them? I bought mine (new) painted neon green. Do you mean just don't paint them yourself (and why) or they just should never be painted?

There have been cases where people painted tanks to hide problems like rust or heavy pitting rather than replace the tank. This puts the LDS personell filling the tank at risk as a tank is far more likely to rupture during a fil than at any other time (well, maybe in a fire).

In one case I've heard of, someone had access to an auto repair place. They painted their new AL tanks with fancy auto paint and 'baked' the finish (the same way it's done with a car in a big drive-in oven). Heat causes aluminums crystaline molecular structure to weaken and the tank ruptured during a fill. It took the legs off the guy doing the fill.

My LDS will refuse to fill any tank that does not have the original factory paint on it.

 

[MechDiver]

EBdiver once bubbled...
Hey reefraff,

Just curious... Why shouldn't we use boots?

Boots on steel give a place for corrosion to start. And you can't see it unless you remove the boot.

Phil

 

[EBdiver]

Thanks for the info, guys. I'll be sure to mention that to my LDS.

 

[metridium]

reefraff wrote...
If treated well, tanks will last a long, long time.... Make sure you... never drain them or open them (unless you're qualified to VIP them)... store upright...

I have two 104s which I dive both as singles and doubles, so I have to drain and break them down occasionally. Does "never drain or open" apply to PST LP tanks? Aren't they internally galvanized?

Also, why the caveat on upright storage?

 

[metridium]

ages wrote...
It drives me nuts when I travel and have to use alum tanks!!

Amen to that! I've even been known to ship my steels ahead on occasion.

To my chagrin, I wasn't able to find any shops that rented LP tanks larger than 80s on my recent trip to Seattle, and had to settle for HP100s (no nitrox). I'd thought that 5thD - being the West Coast mecca of DIR - would have a healthy supply of single and double 104s, but no dice.

Aluminum - it's not just for stage bottles anymore...err...no, wait a sec, it IS!

 

[Amanda]

WOW!

This is crazy ! I wouldn't believe so many people own a tank, it seemed so much like a big pain in the nack before I read the thread...

But anyway, still a bit expensive for me ;-0 !

Can you buy a second-hand tank SAFELY, anyway ? I'm not sure of that... Any idea on the question ? (Oh, but I'm french, and French rules regarding tanks are surely not the same as USA ones... )

Cheers !

 

[captjohnr]

Everyone should own their own tanks.

I have:

8 Al 80's
1 AL 67 and
1 AL 72. Plus
3 AL 80's set up for Nitrox and
1 AL 13 pony bottle also nitrox
1 Steel 72 (1963)

I used to have high pressure 100's but they often needed tumbling due to moisture. Plus I tended to get close to deco with them (they were not used for nitrox).

All of my tanks have passed Hydro, only one has failed. Most tanks will pass 5 hydros provided they have not been abused (over filled, filled hot, heated).

Rental tanks are not maintained as well as your own tanks.

Be sure to replace the burst disk at every hydro and have the valves cleaned/inspected/re-built at that time. Inspect "O" rings before every dive. If you dive over 100 times a year, have your tanks inspected every 6 months.



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