drilling holes in old tanks?

[fire_diver]

Composite tanks that are out of date need to be trashed. They cannot be legally filled and I doubt they have any scrap value. The advantage of them is that they are lighter than aluminum SCBA cylinders. You can use aluminum indefinitely but the trade off is the weight issue.

Correct. We (fire dept) drilled out a couple dozen tanks last year. All composite wound tanks. I believe it's required they be destroyed after the 15 year life span. Trust me, we have equipment in use older than me. If it wasn't required we destroy them, we wouldn't have.

Comrade Stroke

 

[pickens_46929]

I'll will add my $0.02 here...

1) You may have actually given prior consent to: a) condemning the tank through complete destruction; b) condemning the tank through drilling; c) condemning the tank through neck thread destruction; d) all of the above

This is on the form you sign for VIP / Hydro... sometimes it's not the shop that does the condemning but the place that does the Hydro... local dive shop simply incorporates the hydro testers terms and conditions into it's own form...

Seen this happen, people whine about not getting their tanks back or drilled tanks... they didn't read the fine print... new LDS policy is that the customer initializes each paragraph... a) might not pass -- no guarantees; b) condemn means destruction and you get no tank back; c) tank may also self-destruct or rip during hydro; d) swirl eddy test optional; e) some tanks might even be condemned without testing due to age or exemption has expired...

2) My understanding from my Mixing Class and DOT class, is that there is a difference between an SCBA tank and a scuba tank... specific rules apply depending upon the intended usage of the tank, not just it's physical characteristics... so the same tank might be able to be used for a couple different purposes but you might not be able to "legally" use for everything...

3) There were a series of glass (fiber-or-carbon) wrapped scuba tanks available for a short time and under exemption for scuba but I haven't seen anything lately... do know there are some carbon fiber wrapped tanks being used for paint-ball...

http://www.airhog.com/about_cf_tanks.htm

 

[Hallmac]

Here is a link to the DOT exemption for the 10915 However most read near the same.


http://hazmat.dot.gov/sp_app/special_permits/docs/10000/SP10915.pdf

I can tell you that the Exemptions are currently being rewritten as I post due to a poorly written rule regarding the amount of times a cylinder may be tested within the fifteen years. As written these cylinders may only be retested twice with the exception of the 7000 series, which does not give a full fifteen years of life for cylinders manufactured prior to May of 2001. If your department has cylinders manufactured prior to 2001 and have been tested the first time at 3 years as previously required and then at 5 years you would be out of service at 8 years. If you had not been informed of the extended period and had the cylinder tested at three year intervals it would have been pulled at 6 years.

After three weeks of dealing with this for a department we service, DOT has now released a letter correcting the testing procedures and will allow unlimited testing within the 15 year life.

The Fifteen year life is not being changed at this time. It must be removed from service 15 years from date of manufacture regardless of condition. No testing necessary.

 

[in_cavediver]

Not being familar with the composite tanks personally. (don't deal with them and if someone asked me, I refer them elsewhere). How do Hydro shops stamp the tanks? Is there a metal band incorporated near the neck or is the tank more of a hybrid with metal neck and crown but composite body?

 

[PerroneFord]

It's a sticker that gets put on the tank, and is laquered over.

 

[haha49]

well if i get a tank that fails i might get a retest depending on the tank and if they did it properly i already know how to test metal its not hard to do and can be easly screwed up depending on the machine and operator.. if it was a metal tank i would want it back so i could take it to the scrap yard and paided too throw it out..

 

[Hallmac]

How do Hydro shops stamp the tanks?

see the attached DOT Exemption above. Item b. (3) under testing.
We use a sticker and a 5 minute epoxy.