Driving with Nitrox Tanks

[discokat]

My wife and I are considering buying tanks in NY and driving down to Florida with them as opposed to buying the tanks in Florida and storing them there.

I am told you need to keep 500psi of Nitrox in the tanks so I'm thinking there might be a small issue with driving them back and forth. Anyone ever do this before or know about it?

Thanks!

 

[iztok]

Why an issue? I transport full tanks all the time.

 

[Captain12Pk]

Not following you. Where's the problem? I drive my tanks all over the west coast. Full, empty, some where in the middle. Doesn't matter.

 

[tstormdiver]

I frequently carry cylinders with Nitrox & even 100% O2. No problems here. There may be a slightly incresed fire hazard (as the incresed % of O2 can make a fire burn more intensely) in the event of an accident that involved a fire & rupture of the cylinders.

The 500 psi is used to help keep moisture & contaminents out of the cylinders to maitain the O2 cleaned status (if they are). They can be carried full or nearly empty.

 

[discokat]

If I don't know something I ask. That's how I learn.

Thanks for the input!

 

[SoBay Jim]

Just store them in a fashion that they won't bang around.

 

[mike1010]

Don't carry more than 8 tanks either, as i have been told if you get pulld over and they fing more than 8 it can be a huge fine.

 

[halocline]

There's nothing magical about 500 PSI. As long as there's some positive pressure, even a few PSI over ambient, no atmospheric air will get in.

And, there's no such thing as "nitrox" tanks. There are regular scuba tanks, and there are tanks cleaned to 100% oxygen standards. The O2 clean tanks are necessary any time the tank or valve is exposed to O2 concentrations above 40%, according to generally accepted industry standards. "Nitrox" technically could refer to any blend of air and oxygen, I suppose, but the near-universal use of the term refers to recreational diving blends of 40% or lower O2 levels.

So the only time you need an O2 clean tank for nitrox use is when the tank is being filled with the partial pressure method, in which the tank temporarily has higher concentrations of O2 and/or the valve is exposed to 100% oxygen during the filling process. Banked mixes and continuous mixing systems are fine with regular old tanks.

It never fails to amaze me how much confusion and mis-information there is about this relatively simple topic.

 

[willembad]

Don't carry more than 8 tanks either, as i have been told if you get pulld over and they fing more than 8 it can be a huge fine.

Could you cite the source of your information? Can anyone provide anything that backs this statement? I would like to know who issues the fine.

Willem

 

[Scott]

Don't carry more than 8 tanks either, as i have been told if you get pulld over and they fing more than 8 it can be a huge fine.

That may be a local (California) code.
IIRC, USDOT allows up 1000 pounds, that's a bit more than 8 scuba cylinders.