Is a VIS required if the valve is removed?

[diveat4850]

Question for the experts out there:
To fly with a pony, checked as luggage, on a passenger airline I drained the tank and removed the valve. The opening in the tank was covered with plastic wrap and secured with a rubber band.

Do I need to have a visual inspection of the tank before reinstalling the valve and filling?

The new pony bottle was Nitrox clean, does removing the valve disqualify the tank?

Not certified for Nitrox, I requested the tank was filled with air, does this disqualify the tank for future use with Nitrox?

 

[Gen San Chris]

If the Pony is within the Viz Inspection date, 1 year it should be OK to refit the valve and fill, just be sure that there is no unwanted passengers in it anyway!
As for Nitrox, that will be up to the shop who fills your tank!
If you do things correctly you should not have a reason to use your pony anyhow!
Have a good dive!

 

[rustyshakelford]

if the air they use is 02 clean, then youll be fine having it filled with air until you get your nitrox cert. if they use regular scuba air then it will need to be cleaned again.

you could always take the nitrox class when you get to your destination

brett

 

[DA Aquamaster]

THe shop filling the tank at the destination will have the opinion thsat counts. they may insist on a VIP and charge you for one.

Same with O2 leaning. If they use banked fills, stick fills or anything other than partial pressure fills, no special cleaning is needed for mixes under 40% - but may shops will demand it anyway.

 

[halocline]

This is why you simply re-install the valve when you get where you're going, bring along an equalizing adapter, and pump a little air in the pony from a full size tank. Then bring it to get filled.

I "think" shops are getting better about the O2 clean/nitrox situation. Very few are using partial pressure and it's easier to get nitrox in a regular tank. Hmmmm.... I wonder if this has anything to do with the extra $ for a nitrox fill?

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I know in NOVA it does. Even shops that bank fill and have check valves in the system to prevent "dirty" gas from your non-O2 clean tank still require O2 cleaning to get a nitrox fill. Fortunately one of the shops here in NOVA lets me do my own O2 cleaning - of course I do some of their reg repair as well so it works for both of us.

What has traditionally happened in some areas is that local shops get together and set both protocols for O2 cleaninng/nitrox fills and to some extent prices so that divers have to keep doing it because everyone in the area requires it. It keeps the money rolling in on what is otherwise a long dead revenue source.

Smart shops hook you on technical diving and then make money on the legitimate need to clean O2 bottles and deco bottles used with mixes over 40%.

 

[rstofer]

I think if you have an O2 cleaned tank with a sticker, you should remove the sticker if you fill the tank with regular air. It is no longer O2 clean. I wonder if shops do this?

Many shops are now filling tanks with Safe Air - the same air they use for partial pressure blending of Nitrox. As such, these fills do not disturb the O2 clean status.

Around here, partial pressure blending is all that's available. At Monterey, both partial pressure and banked EAN32 are available.

In any event, a visual inspection doesn't cost all that much.

Richard

 

[Teamcasa]

Do I need to have a visual inspection of the tank before reinstalling the valve and filling?

This is why you simply re-install the valve when you get where you're going, bring along an equalizing adapter, and pump a little air in the pony from a full size tank. Then bring it to get filled.

So many shops play by their own rules, despite the facts. If you add a little air first they will just re-fill it. Empty, it may cause you some grief.

 

[dannobee]

So many shops play by their own rules, despite the facts. If you add a little air first they will just re-fill it. Empty, it may cause you some grief.

That answer is golden.

If the fill operator opens the valve and it hisses at all, chances are pretty good that they'll just fill it without asking any more questions.

To be able to add air back to an empty tank, you'll need something like this.


.

 

[Scared Silly]

Whenever I have flown with a small bottle I just walk into the resort/shop I am getting bottles/fills from and just tell them up front that it is empty cause I flew with it. I have yet to have a shop want to re-inspect it. Most do not even charge me for the fill.

The problem with trying to get a little gas in the bottle before presenting it for a fill is that 1) You have to first get a bottle with gas 2) carry a whip or other means to trans fill 3) Go back to the shop and get the fill. Much easier to be up front and avoid the hassle.