New LP Steel Tank Question

[FranzKafka]

Went to my LDS yesterday and bought an LP95 Steel Tank with Valve. Price was going rate I could get on internet so I was happy to buy from LDS.

He charged an extra $39 to make it Nitrox ready. ($35 for labor, $4 for sticker). Is this a reasonable charge? I have never bought a tank before so just wanted to make sure.

Also the Manufacture date on tank was March 2006. So I effectively lost 1.5 years before next Hydro. He said no discount for that.

I am all in favor of supporting LDS but I just want to see what everyone else gets charged at their LDS.

 

[Scared Silly]

Most cylinders come directly from the mfg Nitrox ready. This means ready for premix Nitrox not for partial pressure blending. So ask if the cylinder cleaned for 02. If so, it is similar in price as one of my shops charges $40 for this.

 

[Ann Marie]

I was just charged $68 for O2 cleaning a new cylinder and filling it with Nitrox.

 

[FranzKafka]

It is a brand new cylinder. He said price was for cleaning valve and putting special grease on O-Rings. It sounded somewhat reasonable to me.

What about the Manufacture date of tank being March 2006? Is this standard practice at a dive shop?

Personally I think it is very important to support LDS so I don't mind paying a little extra, I just want a little piece of mind knowing I am not paying too much extra. And not paying for something that is already done at factory.

 

[CompuDude]

I would want a decent discount on a tank with a March 2006 hydro. That's about a year and half old already.

$39 is just fine for o2 cleaning (which is what you need for partial pressure Nitrox), but they really screwed you if that did NOT get you a genuine "o2 clean" tank.

 

[Lone Frogman]

In July I bought two steel HP100s tanks from my local dive shop. No charge for nitrox ready because they were. Not 02 clean. That cost is $30.00. Manufactures date May 07.

 

[battles2a5]

As Scared Silly stated, "Nitrox Ready" is only suitable for nitrox filled from a memrane system or continuous blending (stick). You should not partial pressure fill a "Nitrox Ready" tank as you will be exposing it to 100% O2. Your vis sticker should be marked for O2 service before partial pressure filling. All tanks should be O2 cleaned if you plan to use Nitrox. Even if your LDS pumps from a membrane, you never know what you will find on a trip. And if some poor schmuck filling tanks doesn't notice that the tanks are not O2 cleaned and has an O2-related accident you would feel pretty bad. That being said, I think $40 is a little steep. I just paid $40 to have both of my 108's cleaned and they O2 cleaned the manifold for free. But your local market will probably dictate that cost. And yes, you should get a discount for the old tank.

 

[FranzKafka]

And yes, you should get a discount for the old tank.

Well for the discount I could get I would prefer to have the goodwill of the shop. What could I reallistically ask for? 1/5th the cost of a Hydro? That is less than $10.

It sounds like the LDS is nickle & diming me. But if that is the price I have to pay to have a dive shop within a reasonable distance, then I can live with that.

How much am I being overcharged??? Maybe $20-$30. I guess I can live with that.

Now I know that he tends to overcharge and I will be more aware on my next purchases. The guy has to pay rent and make a living right?

 

[CompuDude]

As Scared Silly stated, "Nitrox Ready" is only suitable for nitrox filled from a memrane system or continuous blending (stick). You should not partial pressure fill a "Nitrox Ready" tank as you will be exposing it to 100% O2. Your vis sticker should be marked for O2 service before partial pressure filling. All tanks should be O2 cleaned if you plan to use Nitrox. Even if your LDS pumps from a membrane, you never know what you will find on a trip. And if some poor schmuck filling tanks doesn't notice that the tanks are not O2 cleaned and has an O2-related accident you would feel pretty bad. That being said, I think $40 is a little steep. I just paid $40 to have both of my 108's cleaned and they O2 cleaned the manifold for free. But your local market will probably dictate that cost. And yes, you should get a discount for the old tank.

I disagree with your recommendation to o2 clean the tank even if the shop is pumping membrane. Membrane systems are almost never delivering hyperfiltered o2 compatible gas, so if you pay for an o2 clean tank and then have it filled anywhere that is not delivering o2-compatible gas, you just undid the o2 cleaning and completely wasted your money.

Do your research. Find out what all local sources are providing in terms of air/nitrox, and then decide whether it is necessary (or even prudent) to o2 clean your tank... unless you plan to keep separate tanks: o2 clean and not.

To the OP, as for the refund on the tank overcharge, perhaps you could ask for a free air card. That won't cost the shop much, and it saves you some money so you can feel better about the whole deal.

 

[battles2a5]

I disagree with your recommendation to o2 clean the tank even if the shop is pumping membrane. Membrane systems are almost never delivering hyperfiltered o2 compatible gas, so if you pay for an o2 clean tank and then have it filled anywhere that is not delivering o2-compatible gas, you just undid the o2 cleaning and completely wasted your money.

My understanding is that the membrane system is a LP output, so the output from the membrane is subjected to the same filtration in the compressor that any other air would. Am I off track here?