New tank questions

[Ready4Launch]

I bought two new LP95s. They arrive tomorrow. I want to dive this coming weekend.

Do new tanks require a hydro and viz? Just viz?

 

[Seaweed Doc]

They'll be stamped with hydro date, which should be within the last year. So "no" on the hydro.

I don't know on the vis. The seller may have slapped a dated sticker on there, or if the hydro is recent that SHOULD suffice. But it's up to whoever owns the compressor.

 

[sh1513]

If they were manufactured recently they shouldn't need either. They should have had a quick visual check before the valves were fitted to make there's no obvious corrosion or faults.

 

[TrimixToo]

It depends. If they are shipped sealed as O2-clean from the manufacturer, they can be assembled (if necessary) with O2-clean valves, filled, and used instantly. If they are not, then at least a peek inside is necessary to be sure nothing got inside during shipping before assembly. If they are not O2-clean and will be used with partial pressure blending, they need to be O2-cleaned, too.

The quick peek should take a minute, a complete visual inspection several minutes at least if that's what the shop wants to do, and an O2 cleaning rather longer than that.

 

[RayfromTX]

I have purchased galvanized steel tanks new that came with a viz sticker on them but I pulled the valve and inspected them myself. Of the six tanks, three has tiny little speckles inside. I blew them out. They appeared to be tiny bits of metal. I guessed they came from the action of screwing on the valve for the first time and I can only hope that the second time of screwing on the valve didn't result in more bits being introduced. I will always perform my own viz in addition to that done by others before filling tanks. I have not been properly trained to do so. I can look for obvious things but there are inspections related to the neck and threads that I only know of but I've not attended a class to learn the specifics of what to look for.

 

[rddvet]

I bought two new LP95s. They arrive tomorrow. I want to dive this coming weekend.

Do new tanks require a hydro and viz? Just viz?

It depends on where you get them from. There's no need for a hydro. Some shops include a vip sticker, some don't. If they didn't you'll need a vip.

I have purchased galvanized steel tanks new that came with a viz sticker on them but I pulled the valve and inspected them myself. Of the six tanks, three has tiny little speckles inside. I blew them out. They appeared to be tiny bits of metal. I guessed they came from the action of screwing on the valve for the first time and I can only hope that the second time of screwing on the valve didn't result in more bits being introduced. I will always perform my own viz in addition to that done by others before filling tanks. I have not been properly trained to do so. I can look for obvious things but there are inspections related to the neck and threads that I only know of but I've not attended a class to learn the specifics of what to look for.

The little chips are usually from the valve going on or from manufacturing. They're considered a non-issue, so many shops are lazy and leave them. I always blow them out. Vipping is easy. There are some nuances that you need to learn from a class like pit identification as well as thread assessment with a mirror. All that is easy with normal tanks. When there's an issue that's when it gets complicated.

 

[Billy Northrup]

It won't help you now, but if your gonna go down the road of owning tanks get certified to do your own VIP and O2 clean. It will save you money and hassle.

Now, you can return those short and fat LP95's for a better tank

 

[Ready4Launch]

Now, you can return those short and fat LP95's for a better tank

 

[NAM001]

by the book,, the hydro date is the vis date. you may be hard pressed to get the shop to accept that as the vis is supposed to include the valve.