filling doubles

[Jason B]

[rant]
I was getting a fill this weekend for my doubles. I carried my tanks in and set them down for a fill. On of the shops, DM's connects the compressor to my tanks and starts to fill them. Luckily I looked up and caught her playing with my isolator valve (which was open). I said "hey, you're closing my isolator valve" and she said "no, I'm opening it". "No, your closing it!!" I said. Then another shop employee comes up and says to me "so you're one of those who dives with your isolator closed?". Grrrrrr!!!! "No!" I said, "she's closing it, I had it open".
I have no use for these people. Leave my valves alone!!
[/rant]

Jason

 

[Mark Vlahos]

[rant]
I was getting a fill this weekend for my doubles. I carried my tanks in and set them down for a fill. On of the shops, DM's connects the compressor to my tanks and starts to fill them. Luckily I looked up and caught her playing with my isolator valve (which was open). I said "hey, you're closing my isolator valve" and she said "no, I'm opening it". "No, your closing it!!" I said. Then another shop employee comes up and says to me "so you're one of those who dives with your isolator closed?". Grrrrrr!!!! "No!" I said, "she's closing it, I had it open".
I have no use for these people. Leave my valves alone!!
[/rant]

Jason

Y'a mean she didn't try to lift, or drag them one handed by the crossbar!?!? Isn't that why you put that handle there?

Mabey a wrap of tape around the end of the isolator valve and crossbar with the word "OPEN" on it.

Mark Vlahos

 

[matt_unique]

There are some shops/shop employees who may not see or fill doubles that often. Leave nothing to chance - carry them in and set them beside the whip or in the cooling tank (to avoid the middle of the manifold convenient grab), open your isolator (to avoid what you described), and open one post with a short blast of air to vent any dust or water you would rather not have in your tank. Ask for a slow fill - stand there and watch the rate of fill, temperature of your tanks, etc. and be ready to stop the fill if anything is too fast/too warm/or at too high a pressure. Otherwise you will drive yourself crazy with what many shop employees will do to your doubles.

--Matt

 

[ScubaDadMiami]

[rant]Leave my valves alone!!
[/rant]

While your at it, would you tell them to tell their divemaster not to touch my valves as I am getting ready to exit the boat? I have just done a valve check before their eyes less than two minutes before, and then they have to go and ****** with them. Leave my valves alone (should be a song title)!

 

[Doc Intrepid]

[rant]
I was getting a fill this weekend for my doubles. I carried my tanks in and set them down for a fill. On of the shops, DM's connects the compressor to my tanks and starts to fill them. Luckily I looked up and caught her playing with my isolator valve (which was open). I said "hey, you're closing my isolator valve" and she said "no, I'm opening it". "No, your closing it!!" I said. Then another shop employee comes up and says to me "so you're one of those who dives with your isolator closed?". Grrrrrr!!!! "No!" I said, "she's closing it, I had it open".
I have no use for these people. Leave my valves alone!!
[/rant]

Heres how I solved the problem. I went to my LDS owner and said, "if I take a Blenders Course from you, will you let me fill my own tanks?" He said, "sure, so long as you don't come in during some time when we're wicked busy - just call in advance or come in after work some evening when the shop is relatively quiet". So, I took the Blenders Course from him, then the Advanced Blenders Course (for trimix), and now I use his stuff to blend my own gas (and I still pay for my fills of course). When he needs help, I help his staff fill tanks for the shop. Now, no one touches my tanks but me. (I don't touch his compressor or the banks, just the fill panel.) It works out well for both of us. Something like this might work out for you too, if you have a pretty good relationship with one of your local shops. FWIW. YMMV.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

Heres how I solved the problem. I went to my LDS owner and said, "if I take a Blenders Course from you, will you let me fill my own tanks?" He said, "sure, so long as you don't come in during some time when we're wicked busy - just call in advance or come in after work some evening when the shop is relatively quiet". So, I took the Blenders Course from him, then the Advanced Blenders Course (for trimix), and now I use his stuff to blend my own gas (and I still pay for my fills of course). When he needs help, I help his staff fill tanks for the shop. Now, no one touches my tanks but me. (I don't touch his compressor or the banks, just the fill panel.) It works out well for both of us. Something like this might work out for you too, if you have a pretty good relationship with one of your local shops. FWIW. YMMV.

Doc, Which shop? PM me if you want. It sounds like a win/win situation. The only possible drawback is the amount of time it can take to fill doubles without overheating them, or have you found the sweet spot as a target end pressure.

Mark Vlahos