Heating a tank up

[Strick]

I work for a LDS and perform the VIPS, if given the scenerio you provided happened, I would not perform a VIP or refill the tank until that tank is Hydro'd again. My boss would back me 100%. The customer will be irked a little, but when it comes down to safety (the customer and ours) he will have no choice. I would hope that other LDS in the area(s) do the same.

=-)

 

[Cave Diver]

Originally posted by gmbaker
After the staff and I were done laughing at this guy, I do believe it was decided upon to fail the VIP which left the Hydro the only option.

When you "Fail" a VIP what exactly happens? Do you remove the current sticker from the tank? What is to keep the customer from taking the boot off, cleaning the tank some and taking it to another shop who was unaware of the situation and getting them to do a VIP on it? If a tank comes in with no VIP sticker, but has a current hydro, is the shop required to send it out to be re-hydroed before performing VIP?

Hopefully the customer would realize that this was being done for his protection, but dealing with the public all day, I know that many people dont look at things like this. They think anyone in retail is 'out to get them'.

 

[WreckWriter]

Originally posted by k4sdi
Im guessing maybe that was supposed to be 500 Degrees?

Ive seen tanks dried with hot (and I do mean hot) air after a hydro. What did this guy do, stick it in the oven? I bet the boot gave off a wonderful burnt plastic smell!

Mark

Likely the meaning was 50 C which would be somewhere a bit over 100 F I think.

Tom

 

[Scubaroo]

50C still wouldn't be enough to melt a tank boot - how many tank boots have you seen melted because someone left a tank inside a parked car on a sunny day? Temperatures in a parked car in the sun can easily reach 70C plus - which is hot enough to kill any poor kid or pet left in it, as frequently happens. Water boils at 100C. Methinks the melting point of the plastic would be higher than the boiling point for water.

More likely, the "50" was a figure the guy plucked out of the air while he tried to convince the LDS there was nothing "really" wrong with the tank (apart from the fact he cooked it).

 

[gmbaker]

sorry about that. I forgot to put the proper scale in my original post. it was 50C. The buzzer on the stove telling me my tank was dry must have disracted me

Originally posted by WreckWriter


Likely the meaning was 50 C which would be somewhere a bit over 100 F I think.

Tom

 

[Scubaroo]

If a tank fails VIP, requiring a new hydro, shouldn't the hydro stamp on the tank by struck out with a punch to invalidate the hydro? As Cave Diver said, what's to stop the guy trying to "save a buck" by just keeping his mouth shut about the failed VIP, and trying the LDS down the road for another inspection?

 

[roakey]

A melted cylinder boot is not a reason to condemn a cylinder or to require another hydro, but it should prompt you to ask some further questions, as was done. In this case the customer admitted to placing the cylinder on a stove burner, which means that it was exposed to a temperature of (cut me some slack here, I don’t have my PSI manual in front of me) 285 degrees f or more (I’m assuming an AL cylinder). It doesn’t matter if the cylinder as a whole was only raised 50C, some part of the cylinder was exposed to 285f or more.

There’s not ifs, ands or buts in this case; the cylinder must be condemned. Using a cold chisel you quite obviously strike out the DOT markings on the cylinder (you DID of course get a signed release from the customer before hand stating that their cylinder could be condemned and rendered unusable, didn’t you?)

To “pass the buck” onto another shop or a hydro facility by letting a cylinder that you know must be condemned out of your shop without marking it as condemned opens you up to a HUGE amount of liability. If an accident were to happen and during discovery it was found out that you knew it was exposed to high heat and did nothing about it, you’d be in deep sneakers.

C’mon “self regulatnig” SCUBA industry, step up to the plate or become regulated.

Roak

 

[Rick Murchison]

Originally posted by roakey
A melted cylinder boot is not a reason to condemn a cylinder or to require another hydro,

It is for me. (not to condemn, but to fail VIP and require a hydro)
As for the customer taking the tank down the road to another shop, that's what God made telephones for.
Rick

 

[chrispete]

Learning here - I was under the impression that a tank could only be condemned via a failed hydro (and a failed viz = re-hydro.) Can a LDS actually condemn a cylinder on viz failure alone?

 

[roakey]

Yup, that's what the entire PSI class is about!

Roak