Hello everyone! Got a question regarding Worthington HP 120 tanks

[elan]

So 3AA tanks do just fine ? I just ordered a set of LP108s ....

 

[Rick Christ]

That sucks.... I have the same tanks worthingtons in 119, does them failing hydro have to do with them being filled regularly to high pressure or is it due to the manufacturing process? say i only fill them to 3000 psi and not the approved 3442psi am i less likely to have them fail or is it a function of their design?

There is a manufacturing problem with them, many are failing first hydro

 

[Rick Christ]

My Worthington tanks failed its second Hydro and they are only 5 years old..WTF? Anyone have this issue or luck getting help? They have no rust , just failed the expansion test. Thanks and any info helps!

Why two hydros in five years?

 

[Rick Christ]

So 3AA tanks do just fine ? I just ordered a set of LP108s ....

Yes 3AA's are the standard and are very dependable if you take care of the tank (no water in it)

 

[augk]

well glad i saw this since ill be brining my 120 in for a hydro soon.

 

[Rick Christ]

well glad i saw this since ill be brining my 120 in for a hydro soon.

Is it a worthington?

 

[oxyhacker]

The story I am hearing is that Worthington has found hot dipping tanks a lot fussier than they had anticipated (Worthington wasn't doing galvanized until they started making scuba tanks in 2005 or so), and the process has required some fine tuning. Current tanks are supposed to be OK, but the early ones may fail hydro unless the prestress procedure is observed, and may fail even if it is. But none of tanks have failed catastrophically, and XS and Worthington say the problem has to do with the test protocol and not the actual safety of the tanks. They are standing behind the tanks, so anyone who has had any fail hydro should be sure to contact them and see what they can do - even if the tanks were our of warranty or the prestress cycle was not done when the tank was hydroed.

BTW the PST and Worthington prestress bulletins apply to 3AA and SP tanks equally, thought 3AA tanks seem less effected by the hot dip.

I personally wouldn't let this stop me from buying a galvanized tank. I would be happy to put up with a slightly higher failure rate, in return for the benefits of hot dip.

There is a manufacturing problem with them, many are failing first hydro

 

[Rick Christ]

The story I am hearing is that Worthington has found hot dipping tanks a lot fussier than they had anticipated (Worthington wasn't doing galvanized until they started making scuba tanks in 2005 or so), and the process has required some fine tuning. Current tanks are supposed to be OK, but the early ones may fail hydro unless the prestress procedure is observed, and may fail even if it is. But none of tanks have failed catastrophically, and XS and Worthington say the problem has to do with the test protocol and not the actual safety of the tanks. They are standing behind the tanks, so anyone who has had any fail hydro should be sure to contact them and see what they can do - even if the tanks were our of warranty or the prestress cycle was not done when the tank was hydroed.

BTW the PST and Worthington prestress bulletins apply to 3AA and SP tanks equally, thought 3AA tanks seem less effected by the hot dip.

I personally wouldn't let this stop me from buying a galvanized tank. I would be happy to put up with a slightly higher failure rate, in return for the benefits of hot dip.

“Current tanks are supposed to be OK” This is conjecture and uncorroborated, the current ones up for testing are failing in alarming numbers!!

Last Thursday Worthington Cylinder meet with the DOT and asked to change the test protocol on E14157. If I could have tested the ones that have failed by this other method, all would have passed. If Worthington wants to change the test protocol, this tells me the new ones are not fixed!!!

The Pres of Worthington Cylinder has said that the company will replace the premature failures. I believe this to be true!! The fly in the mix maybe XSScuba. I believe XS the marketer does not want to pay for freight. If you have a premature failure call XS, you may have to fight for the shipping.

 

[Rick Christ]

How many of you out there have had a Worthington E14157 fail???

 

[oxyhacker]

You will note I said "supposed to be" not "are"! What kind of a failure rate are you seeing on these tanks?

The current explanation that I have been hearing is that the zinc coating (and the mixed zinc/steel layer several thou thick that froms between the zinc layer and the steel) is less elastic that the steel, and inhibits the tank wall's return to the prepressurized state, so that the tank shows too much permanent expansion. The rumor I have heard is that Worthington wants to test the tanks on the basis of elastic rather than permanent expansion, which would mean putting REEs on the tanks. Have your heard anything different? I would be nice if they can work something out, so any special procedure can be DOT-mandated, rather than the situation we have now where Worthington and PST have a procedure, but the hydroshop doesn't have to do it.

On the other hand, I had a guy at one of the largest US vendors of these tanks swear to me the other day that the problem had nothing to do with the metallurgy or construction of the tanks, but only the fact that the rough zinc coating held more bubbles on the outside of the tank than a painted surface, and these were enough to skew the test results! Said he had gotten this directly from Worthington, and PST had told him the same thing years ago.

“Current tanks are supposed to be OK” This is conjecture and uncorroborated, the current ones up for testing are failing in alarming numbers!!

Last Thursday Worthington Cylinder meet with the DOT and asked to change the test protocol on E14157. If I could have tested the ones that have failed by this other method, all would have passed. If Worthington wants to change the test protocol, this tells me the new ones are not fixed!!!

The Pres of Worthington Cylinder has said that the company will replace the premature failures. I believe this to be true!! The fly in the mix maybe XSScuba. I believe XS the marketer does not want to pay for freight. If you have a premature failure call XS, you may have to fight for the shipping.