Inspecting tanks

[fookisan]

If you want to have peek inside of your pony tank to check for moisture, is there a standard wrench that removes the valve? Is it a standard twist thread or reverse hand? Any tips on this valve removal procedure?

Thanks,

Dan

 

[james croft]

Empty air.
Righty-tighty, lefty-loosie.
Use a large crescent wrench. Do not mar the metal, especially in the area of the O-ring.
Inspect.
Reverse process. Hand tight. I usually tap on the valve knob with the heel of my hand. I also usually lube the lower threads with Corning 111 or Cristolube. Main thing is not to overtighten valve. Sometimes I even splurge on a new 3/4" O-ring.

 

[fookisan]

Empty air.
Righty-tighty, lefty-loosie.
Use a large crescent wrench. Do not mar the metal, especially in the area of the O-ring.
Inspect.
Reverse process. Hand tight. I usually tap on the valve knob with the heel of my hand. I also usually lube the lower threads with Corning 111 or Cristolube. Main thing is not to overtighten valve. Sometimes I even splurge on a new 3/4" O-ring.

Thanks for the info,

Dan

 

[JustinW]

You should never have to use a wrench to remove the valve. In a worst case scenario you might have to use a rubber mallet to tap on the valve and knock it loose, but valves are typically put in hand tight, unless the last person to replace the valve didn't know what they were doing.

 

[spectrum]

valves are typically put in hand tight

I would have never expected that, I leaned something today. That makes it a good day.

Thats a good thing to know when moving tanks around. A quick move the wrong way might get it turning. :11:

Thanks
Pete

 

[fookisan]

Empty air.
Righty-tighty, lefty-loosie.
Use a large crescent wrench. Do not mar the metal, especially in the area of the O-ring.
Inspect.
Reverse process. Hand tight. I usually tap on the valve knob with the heel of my hand. I also usually lube the lower threads with Corning 111 or Cristolube. Main thing is not to overtighten valve. Sometimes I even splurge on a new 3/4" O-ring.

Your advice worked great. Where can these lubes "Corning 111 or Cristolube" be purchased?

Dan

 

[Laser]

Your advice worked great. Where can these lubes "Corning 111 or Cristolube" be purchased?

Dan

http://www.scubatools.com/

Put " christolube" into the site search box.

 

[roakey]

Thats a good thing to know when moving tanks around. A quick move the wrong way might get it turning. :11:

Only if the tank is empty or nearly empty. If it's full, there's enough loading on the threads to keep it from turning.

Roak

 

[Teamfour]

I just watched my dive shop owner install a valve in my new tank. He used a rubber mallet to just snug down the valve. He did mention something about a non-hardening loctite on the threads though.

 

[roakey]

He did mention something about a non-hardening loctite on the threads though.

Only if he wants to kill you*. If he put locktite on the threads bring it back and have him strip it off! Seriously! A dab of Christolube on the bottom threads is all that should be put on the threads.

The threads are exposed to the pressurized breathing gas (the O ring is at the top of the threads), which means you're breathing whatever the locktite offgasses.

This, to quote Ghostbusters, would be "bad."

It never ceases to amaze me how ignorant dive shops are (dangerously so in this case); all the while preaching "life support equipment!"

Roak

*Kill? Probably not, but you couldn't pay me to breathe locktite, sorry...