It says right on my tanks - DO NOT OVERPRESSURIZE

[Ted Judah]

A year ago, I bought tanks for my wife and I. In that year we have used them on 16 dives and had them filled at 5 different dive shops. The pressures after each fill seem to vary wildly and is often overfilled.

Here are the markings on the tanks:

FABER MADE IN ITALY M8303 21/0154/ 073 02•21+
TC - 3AAM - 184/DOT - 3AA2400 DO NOT OVERPRESSURIZE REE67 BS85S


Below are the start fill pressures for each dive:

2400 lbs.
3400 lbs.
2600 lbs.
2500 lbs.
2500 lbs.
2500 lbs.
2200 lbs.
2800 lbs.
2800 lbs.
2800 lbs.
2950 lbs.
2400 lbs.
3000 lbs.
2750 lbs.
3250 lbs.
3525 lbs.

Am I missing something? should I be concerned? Should I request a certain pressure from dive shops?

 

[Marie13]

Don’t worry about it. If you saw what they overfill tanks to in FL cave country, you’d have a stroke.

 

[Cthippo]

IIRC tanks are hydrotested to 1 2/3 marked capacity, so 4000 PSI on a 2400 rated tank. That said, Aluminum is less tolerant of overfilling than steel.

I am considering getting stickers made with correct fill pressures for each of my tanks because I already have differing ones.

 

[shurite7]

You can ask the fill station operator / shop to fill the cylinder to the pressure rating of the shop when you drop them off. I’ve seen some places over fill them by a couple of hundred psi then let them cool down so the pressure reaches the working pressure of the cylinder, or fill the cylinder to the working pressure let it cool then top it off to reach the working pressure.

Some fso have not learned the nuances of the fill station or perhaps don’t quite understand cylinders and what can be done with them. I’ve also seen places where they just push the button to turn on the compressor and let the auto stop shut it down or simply open the valves to fill and close them when the filled to the prescribed pressure.

Get to know the people where you fill cylinders and then, hopefully, your variances will become less.

Good luck.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I don't see anything wrong with those pressures. Except the 2200. I'd be concerned about that. I regularly fill my lp steels to 3200-3400.
Aluminum I won't go more than 3200 knowing that as soon as I get in the water they are going to cool to 2900-3000.
If it's that big of a deal for you, check the pressure when you pick them up.
You can bleed them off a little but I don't know why you would want less gas.
And fyi the plus rating says the cylinders are good to 2640 anyway. That's the pressure at which you're tanks are actually filled to their rated capacity in terms of volume.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

For many of us the only acceptable fill pressure on that list is 3525

 

[inquis]

I would guess the 2800s are from someone thinking the tank is an AL80, filled it to 3000 psi, which then cooled. The 3000 may be similar but they knew about cooling.

 

[Manatee Diver]

Am I missing something? should I be concerned?

You should be concerned that they are under filling your tank. Those tanks should be at 3,700psi cold.

It really isn't that big of a deal for low pressure steels.

 

[Akimbo]

I am considering getting stickers made with correct fill pressures for each of my tanks because I already have differing ones.

I'm not suggesting changing valves but this is one of many feature on the XS Scuba valves that are worth considering if you buy replacements:

 

[divad]

You should be concerned that they are under filling your tank. Those tanks should be at 3,700psi cold.

It really isn't that big of a deal for low pressure steels.

I can only get 3400 in my LP 85s.