Nitrox and Regular Air Tanks

[Jorbar1551]

What is the difference between a nitrox tank and a normal tank besides the sticker?

 

[KOMPRESSOR]

Besides hopefully being proved clean inside? Not a thing!

 

[Shannon M.]

A Nitrox cylinder should be cleaned for O2 use. Also it needs oxygen compatible O-rings such as viton and it needs O2 compatible "grease" such as cristolube.

 

[PerroneFord]

Phsyically, there is no difference. However, a tank must be "prepared" for Nitrox service by cleaning it, and by making sure it's o-rings and so forth are compatible with nitrox.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

What is the difference between a nitrox tank and a normal tank besides the sticker?

If the tank is filled with NITROX from storage banks or one of the other methods that do not require the blending of the gas in that specific tank the major difference is usually just the sticker.

If the tank is filled using the partial pressure method of blending NITROX in that specific tank then the tank and valve need to be cleaned for Oxygen Service, since the tank will see high pressures of oxygen. This cleaning costs extra and needs to be maintained by the tanks owner, that is to say that the owner needs to ensure that during the normal use of the tank no contaminants are introduced into the tank. One way to introduce contaminants is to have the tank filled using "normal" compressed air. To maintain the clean nature of the tank even when getting an "air" fill, the owner needs to make sure that only "hyperfiltered" air is used. Even a small amount of contaminants could cause an oxygen fire inside the tank. Some shops use one sticker that states both the Visual Inspection information and the Oxygen Service information. Some shops use two separate stickers for the two pieces of information. The Oxygen Service sticker is an entirely different sticker than the large green and yellow NITROX bands that wrap the tank.

There has been some considerable debate on just where the line needs to be drawn between a tank that is cleaned for Oxygen Service and a tank that should only be used for normal compressed air. Some feel that the line should be drawn around 23.5%, while others place the standard at 40%. If you or the shop where you obtain fills uses the 23.5% standard then you will need to have your tanks cleaned and maintained for Oxygen Service for use with almost any NITROX blend regardless of how it is filled. Personally I have no strong opinion on where the line should be drawn since all of my tanks are cleaned for Oxygen Service with the exception of one AL80 that is used for air only.

Mark Vlahos

 

[Jorbar1551]

I have a normal tank, how much would it cost to get it compatable for nitrox?

 

[Mark Vlahos]

I have a normal tank, how much would it cost to get it compatable for nitrox?

There are large differences in the prices reported for "cleaning" a tank for Oxygen Service, but you should plan on around $50 per tank, but don't be surprised if it is higher. You should really shop around on this one. You will not be able to get that tank filled with NITROX unless you take a class, so if you need one then you should plan on that too. A standard NITROX class can range from $100 to $250 and may or may not include supervised dives. A standard class will allow you to use NITROX breathing gasses in the range from 21% up to 40%. These gasses are commonly used in recreational depths for your normal breathing gas. An advanced NITROX class has the prerequisite of the standard class and carries its own costs as well, but would allow you to use gasses containg up to 100% oxygen. Typically the higher concentrations available to you with the advanced NITROX class are used as decompression gasses. It is quite common to take an advanced NITROX class in conjunction with a decompression class.

Mark Vlahos

 

[ChrisA]

What is the difference between a nitrox tank and a normal tank besides the sticker?

The content of the gas inside.

Many times a nitrox stickered tank will also be "O2 Clean" but it does not have to be if it will never be either partial pressure filled or contain a mix over 40%. Some shops keep EAN32 banked and can put it into a non-O2 clean tank and some shps do continous mixing. This can go into a not-clean tank. However many places mix the nitrox in the tank by first putting in pure ooxigen and then filling with air. Because the partial pressure mixing process exposes a tank to O2 over 40% the tank must by "clean"

 

[mike_s]

I have a normal tank, how much would it cost to get it compatable for nitrox?

I think my shop charges around $25 bucks for o2 cleaning... but prices will varry.


One other thing to think about, after you get it O2 cleaned, you can't put regular
air fills from any compressor in it. It can only be used at o2 cleaned air stations.
However, you can fill it from air from the o2 clean whip at a nitrox station.
this is still o2 cleaned air. People commonly refer to this as a 21% nitrox
fill.

 

[BigJetDriver]

However, you can fill it from air from the o2 clean whip at a nitrox station. This is still o2 cleaned air. People commonly refer to this as a 21% nitrox fill.

Mother Nature's Nitrox!