How often do tank valves need to be rebuilt

[Diver0001]

For what potential life threatening failure are you going to reduce the failure rate by servicing a completely serviceable valve? I suspect it is quite likely that you could actually increase the failure rate through service errors and the introduction of defective parts.

Does something need to be potentially life threatening before it becomes a candidate for servicing?

I know a number of you don't see my point and that's fine. It's a minor point and I don't want to get bogged down in splitting hairs. I like to keep my valves turning smoothly. To me it's not too much work to take them apart once every 5 years for that alone. If you don't see the need that's fine. I'm not asking anyone to adopt my point of view on this.

R..

 

[chrpai]

Does something need to be potentially life threatening before it becomes a candidate for servicing?

Safety, Cost or Enjoyment. I've already disproven cost and you've seemingly ceeded safety. Now if you want to do it just to have fun taking care of your gear and having the DIY feeling in your heart, I'm all for that. However I'm not going to give servicing my valves a thought until there is a problem.

I'm sure there are things I've field stripped, cleaned, tuned, tweaked and so on that didn't really need it.

 

[captain]

Can anyone cite a valve failure because of lack of service that has lead to a fatality. They may get hard to operate, may develop a small leak but not servicing a valve ain't going to kill you.

 

[Dsix36]

I have never, and will never, service a valve until it becomes too difficult to turn, it begins to leak, or suffers obvious damage.

I have enough equipment that really needs my time and maintenance without adding unnecessary tasks.

 

[Wookie]

I use my cylinders in rental. I rebuild the valves and O2 clean the 80's every year. The neck O-rings get changed twice per season or so. Doubles with very expensive gas get stripped down and hydro'd every 5 years.

A hydro includes a VIP as well as a eddy current test if required. It's part of the hydro procedure. You never need to take your cylinder into a dive shop if you have a fire extinguisher hydro facility available to you. What your dive shop does when the cylinder comes back from hydro is basically put a VIP sticker on it for you for an extra 20 bucks. If you want that sticker, go ahead and get one, but the sticker is only proof that there is a sticker on the outside of your cylinder. It isn't proof that anyone did anything to the cylinder, nor is it proof that the cylinder is O2 clean, unless it's never been filled..... Once it's been filled, it may or may not be clean any longer...

 

[rjack321]

Can anyone cite a valve failure because of lack of service that has lead to a fatality. They may get hard to operate, may develop a small leak but not servicing a valve ain't going to kill you.

Not a fatality (obviously) but I have lost some pricey gas through a leaking burst disk. The disk didn't completely fail, but they are copper and hard to rinse so the edges get corroded and don't always seal so great after a few years. I usually rebuild mine every hydro or when I re-O2-clean the tank periodically. I don't necessarily keep the same valve on the same tank for 5 years so sometimes I just clean and rebuild it if I can't remember its history.

 

[captain]

Not a fatality (obviously) but I have lost some pricey gas through a leaking burst disk. The disk didn't completely fail, but they are copper and hard to rinse so the edges get corroded and don't always seal so great after a few years. I usually rebuild mine every hydro or when I re-O2-clean the tank periodically. I don't necessarily keep the same valve on the same tank for 5 years so sometimes I just clean and rebuild it if I can't remember its history.

Here is a tip. If you use a separate bust disc and retaining plug instead of the preassembled unit fill the retaining plug with silicon grease and no water will get to the disc hence no corrosion.

 

[KD8NPB]

If the tank is to be used with oxygen, the valve MUST be rebuilt.

The valve seat has a tendency to embed deposits.

Eventually : boom.

Air service, I don't service my valves. If it is a used tank, I'll inspect / rebuild the valve, but that's about it.

 

[redacted]

If the tank is to be used with oxygen, the valve MUST be rebuild.

The valve seat has a tendency to embed deposits.

Eventually : boom.

Air service, I don't service my valves. If it is a used tank, I'll inspect / rebuild the valve, but that's about it.

Is the "requirement" to rebuild or to O2 clean? And what do you mean by the phrase "used with oxygen"? Air contains oxygen.

 

[rjack321]

Here is a tip. If you use a separate bust disc and retaining plug instead of the preassembled unit fill the retaining plug with silicon grease and no water will get to the disc hence no corrosion.

Sadly those are pretty hard to source. I have some but the preassembled units are much more common nowadays. Not going to fill burst disks used on O2 or deco tanks with silicon regardless...