New Tank Owner

[JBFG]

So Mss Santa gave me my 1st tank for xmas.

Faber Al 80.

My questions are:

1) Storage temperature: I plan on storing my tank in the garage. What's the acceptable storage temperature range that won't affect the tank or the gas in it. Keep in mind that I live in Canada
2) Full or empty? Should I store the tank full or empty? Will the gas go bad at some point?
3) Maintenance: anything special about maintenance? I keep the tank dry and clean, put my Din valve cover in the vavle when I store it. Anything else I should be aware?
4) O2 clean. My tank was O2 clean. I currently don't dive any mix or enrich gas. It has been filled with regular gas by the dive shop. Does the tank remains O2 clean or will I have to get it re cleaned should I decided to go with different gas? if yes, what's the best trick to remove the stickers?

Any other advise?

Much appreciated!

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

1) Storage temperature: I plan on storing my tank in the garage. What's the acceptable storage temperature range that won't affect the tank or the gas in it. Keep in mind that I live in Canada
If you have a basement or place in your home it would be better - less temperature swings than in the garage where it is possible to create condensation due to the swings.
2) Full or empty? Should I store the tank full or empty? Will the gas go bad at some point?
I chose to leave pressure in the tank to avoid any contaminates from gaining entry. The LDS will have an issue if you leave it empty when you go to fill. I never leave tanks full when I do a winter storage - that is me (others will disagree - but for me I dont want a full tank falling over with the possibility of it breaking a neck and becoming a missile).
3) Maintenance: anything special about maintenance? I keep the tank dry and clean, put my Din valve cover in the vavle when I store it. Anything else I should be aware?
Dry and clean is the key - next would be temperature swings causing condensation.
4) O2 clean. My tank was O2 clean. I currently don't dive any mix or enrich gas. It has been filled with regular gas by the dive shop. Does the tank remains O2 clean or will I have to get it re cleaned should I decided to go with different gas? if yes, what's the best trick to remove the stickers?
Cant answer the O2 for you - but the other advise is to keep it from being banged around - put it in an area that you wont knock it over if you are standing it up right.

I have tanks from the late 70's that still pass vis and hydro - treat them right and they should last a long time.

 

[tbone1004]

a. should have all been gone over in your basic scuba class

1. I would try not to let it get into negative temperatures, but it won't hurt it. High heat is what will kill them, so don't let it get over like 150F

2. partially full is the best answer, 500-1000psi is optimal for long term storage, but storing it full isn't the end of the world as long as it isn't for long extended intervals, should never be fully emptied emptied.

3. nope, make sure the valve is clean and the tank gets rinsed off if it goes in salt water, since it is aluminum I would take the boot off. There is debates on whether tanks are best stored vertically or horizontally, but I prefer vertically

4. It remains O2 clean until service, but unless you are diving mixed gas that is partial pressure blended I wouldn't pay for O2 service when VIP comes around next year. It is relatively expensive and the tanks can always be re-cleaned

 

[nimoh]

If your LDS has hyperfiltered air, then your tank is still O2 clean. The question to ask them is "Are your air fills oxygen compatible?" I think most dive shops would say yes, but this is mostly a guess.

However, if you are only putting air in your tank then being O2 clean is a not issue. As said above, no need to pay for the O2 cleaning option for your next viz, and if things change and you start diving blended nitrox you can always have your tank O2 cleaned when the time comes.

 

[delta-v]

Can't comment on storage temperatures because I've never had to consider a cylinder freezing! However it's not a good idea to leave one in a car on a sunny day.

As for the rest of your questions:

2. Never empty because changes in temperature can draw ambient air inside the cylinder and create problems. Full is OK for short periods, but long-term I would bleed it down to reduce stress on the metal. Gas doesn't go bad unless you've got a contaminated fill or a contaminated cylinder. But always do the sniff/taste test before use. If it's Nitrox, always analyse and label again before use.

3. If yours is a painted cylinder, then you need to keep an eye out for corrosion happening under the paint. If it's got a rubber boot, then that tends to retain water longer - so worth removing it once in awhile for inspection. Generally aluminium cylinders resist corrosion better than steel. Store away from any chemicals, cleaners etc. that might contaminate the valve even with the cap in place.

4. The legal requirements to maintain O2-cleanliness vary (annual, bi-annual). In reality, one contaminated fill (oil, water etc.) is enough to require another inspection and O2 cleaning. However, you don't need O2-clean cylinders unless you (or your dive shop) is blending gas mixes with pure oxygen. I think that's far in the future for you. I wouldn't bother with getting it O2-cleaned next year or whenever its visual inspection comes due because you don't need it. The stickers will be removed by the technician who's testing it.

If you need anything else, just ask!

 

[victorzamora]

OP, I wouldn't leave my tanks FULL for months on end, but I'd never store them with less than a few hundred PSI. Keep your tanks at the 50bar-ish level for long-term storage, especially if you're just storing air. Nitrox and O2 I'm more likely to keep. Trimix never gets dumped

2. Never empty because changes in temperature can draw ambient air inside the cylinder and create problems. Full is OK for short periods, but long-term I would bleed it down to reduce stress on the metal. Gas doesn't go bad unless you've got a contaminated fill or a contaminated cylinder. But always do the sniff/taste test before use. If it's Nitrox, always analyse and label again before use.

Taste/Sniff will rarely do anything good, unless you've got an oily fill. Most contaminants have no taste or odor.

4. The legal requirements to maintain O2-cleanliness vary (annual, bi-annual). In reality, one contaminated fill (oil, water etc.) is enough to require another inspection and O2 cleaning. However, you don't need O2-clean cylinders unless you (or your dive shop) is blending gas mixes with pure oxygen. I think that's far in the future for you. I wouldn't bother with getting it O2-cleaned next year or whenever its visual inspection comes due because you don't need it. The stickers will be removed by the technician who's testing it.

There are no "legal requirements" for O2-cleanliness in most countries. I know there's nothing in the USA and I'm 99.99% sure there's nothing in Canada, either.

 

[delta-v]

I won't argue Victor, but your replies are strange.

You say taste/sniff won't do any good unless there's contamination - but that's exactly what I said.

You say 'that's not true' but go on to discuss a completely different aspect without explaining what's not true.

Finally, every place has different rules. My LDS won't do partial pressure blending (and neither do I, as a certified Trimix blender) unless the cylinder was O2 cleaned within the last 12 months. Perhaps 'legal' is the wrong word, but requirements definitely exist.

Anyway, peace.

 

[Remy B.]

sorry for the ignorance, when you say O2 cleaning are you referring to liquid Oxygen that is corrosive and volatile ??, if you use only air refills 21% O2 do you still to clean the tank ?

thanks for your time to explain this

 

[tbone1004]

O2 cleaning is required when you use enriched oxygen mixes and it is partial pressure filled, so gas with higher than 40% O2 is going thru the valve. It has to be properly cleaned so the O2 doesn't ignite and cause the bottle to explode. If it's only air or you are using banked nitrox they don't need to be O2 cleaned.

 

[Remy B.]

so if you use Nitrox 32, and you want to use air again, that bottle need to be cleaned ?

just bleeding off the tank will not work right ? in what consist the cleaning of the tank or how does it work ?