H2Andy
Contributor
dlndavid:where's whalerkyle when you need him?
lol
and this time, he can take up a collection and use 105mm shells instead!
Exploding Tanks
- Thread starter Rickster
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
lol
and this time, he can take up a collection and use 105mm shells instead!
Enigmatic:
I guess one mans "common sense" is another mans foolishness...
I got into an interesting discussion with a friend of mine who is a PSI instructor trainier for VIPs about these tanks the other day. He brought up the point that millions of these were made, and to date, only about a dozen have blown up. So, he argues, that makes the odds of it happening in his shop one in millions...
So let's look another way, there are about a couple thousand dive shops in the country, so now you are looking at the odds of one of those tanks blowing up in your shop... a little less than 1 in 100 if you fill them.
I really don't need the 3 bucks that bad... we won't.
From what I heard, DOT had a "safety warning" but did not make it a full recall as it would have bankrupted Luxfer... who knows the real story of the politics behind it... I just know if someone has a tank that has had 20 years of service, doesn't want to spend 135 bucks for a brand new one with a new valve and good alloy, and complains that "it's perfectly good" and I should fill it.... I have no problem saying... sorry... can't, won't... not worth risking my arm, leg, shop... for 3 bucks.
Leadking
Contributor
Of the millions of 6351 cylinders made, most are E medical cylinders and carbon dioxide cylinders. Why are we not hearing about those going off? Is the SCUBA industry doing something different? Just something to think about!
oxyhacker
Guest
- Messages
- 1,314
- Reaction score
- 36
1800-2250 psi rather than 3000+, and smaller valve openings may be a large part of the mystery. Also you got to wonder if there is a connection between tank diameter and stesses caused by forming the neck. I don't recall seeing folds in small med tanks the way one sees in them 80s, but then I haven't really inspected all that many med tanks. It would also be interesting to know what the typical fill rate is for a med O2 tank.
Leadking:
- Messages
- 1,860
- Reaction score
- 102
Most places in Florida won't eitherscubatoys:
But will you fill my LP 2400 to 3500ps or so? I have 2 or 3 burst disk in. They do it in Europe.
I had such a tank. It was super clean and had hydro and VIP and eddy current. I finally tired of hearing Florida dive shops rant on and on over a few tanks that exploded after being shot. One particular shop was just about to start foaming at the mouth and began flailing himself with religious ferver. I saw that he had a trade in program so I told him--just to shut him up---trash the tank and get me a new one. Then he was all happy and shiny and so is my new tank--not that there was a damn thing wrong with the other one.
When industrial tires or aviation tires are filled they are put in a cage. Maybe dive shops should have a cage built for filling tanks. This over reaction seems to be mostly in Florida but I am happy for the new tank though I am sure in a few years there will be some other reason not to fill it.
First we had steel tanks but they were no good and the dive shops insisted we buy aluminum. Then we bought aluminum but they insisted we buy these other aluminum ones. I bought those and then they insisted I buy these other ones so I did. Now they insist I buy another and are twisting my arm to buy these HEAVY steel tanks. In a couple of more years everyone with the heavy steel tanks will be lying on the bottom of the ocean---help--I cannot get to the surface!!!---just skeletons and crab food. Meanwhile I will be trying to get my aluminum tanks filled below the sign "we don't fill steel tanks cuz they explode" and I am sure I will need another tank as well because a couple of abused aluminum tanks exploded somewhere. There is an awful lot of urban legend in all this along with very few facts.
Global warming, exploding tanks, stupid homeland defese KGB, do you think the dinosaurs worried they would become extint or do you think they just LIVED day to day happy to be alive for 250 million years? We worry to much. N
When industrial tires or aviation tires are filled they are put in a cage. Maybe dive shops should have a cage built for filling tanks. This over reaction seems to be mostly in Florida but I am happy for the new tank though I am sure in a few years there will be some other reason not to fill it.
First we had steel tanks but they were no good and the dive shops insisted we buy aluminum. Then we bought aluminum but they insisted we buy these other aluminum ones. I bought those and then they insisted I buy these other ones so I did. Now they insist I buy another and are twisting my arm to buy these HEAVY steel tanks. In a couple of more years everyone with the heavy steel tanks will be lying on the bottom of the ocean---help--I cannot get to the surface!!!---just skeletons and crab food. Meanwhile I will be trying to get my aluminum tanks filled below the sign "we don't fill steel tanks cuz they explode" and I am sure I will need another tank as well because a couple of abused aluminum tanks exploded somewhere. There is an awful lot of urban legend in all this along with very few facts.
Global warming, exploding tanks, stupid homeland defese KGB, do you think the dinosaurs worried they would become extint or do you think they just LIVED day to day happy to be alive for 250 million years? We worry to much. N
If anyone actually bothers to read the FAQ section about 6351 alloy tanks on the Luxfer site you will see that properly inspected 6351 tanks can continue to be used SAFELY. N
I took the PSI course info i was given remove from service:
Kaiser Alum-SP 6576 (DOT permit expired 1979)
Norris Industries- Alum SP6688 (DOTpermit expired)
all Canadian Industries alum SP890 (DOTpermit expired)
CTC890 (6351 alloy) Manufactured in Europe sold in Canada
The SP6688 & SP 6576,are approved for service in Canada, But not in the U.S.
Kaiser Alum-SP 6576 (DOT permit expired 1979)
Norris Industries- Alum SP6688 (DOTpermit expired)
all Canadian Industries alum SP890 (DOTpermit expired)
CTC890 (6351 alloy) Manufactured in Europe sold in Canada
The SP6688 & SP 6576,are approved for service in Canada, But not in the U.S.
Nemrod:
And perhaps that is true... but a key part of your post is "that properly inspected" part. If someone comes into my shop with a vip sticker from some place... that little piece of plastic sticker, which I've seen sold over the net, will not keep the tank together and save my shop, or one of my employees, or me if there is a problem. And for me, it's just not worth the risk.
I don't destroy the tank, I simply inform the customer the list of dive locations and shops in our area that will not fill it... be it right or wrong - we do have that choice. The amortized cost of a tank of that age means that it cost the customer less than five cups of coffee per year while the tank was in service, and I just can't take the risk as I want my cup of coffee tomorrow.
Similar threads
