No longer good for nitrox?

[hydro212]

I have an old PST HP80 that I purchased in the early 90's and had nitrox cleaned. I've used it many times and always kept the hydro and VIP up to date. I took it in for a visual last week and the LDS told me that he had to tumble it several times due to rust and that it was no longer capable of being used for nitrox. The LDS didn't give me a clear answer why, but said it could be filled with straight air without any problem and they did fill it with air. The LDS does all their own hydro testing, tumbling, and nitrox cleaning.

My question is why can my HP80 no longer be used for nitrox?

 

[daveg1]

The only reason they may not be able to fill it with nitrox is if they do PP fills, and then all it should need is a cleaning (O2). I would also question that they are doing their own hydro testing. I am not saying it is not possible, I just have never seen a shop that does their own. O2 cleaning, tumbling and Vis yes but never seen a shop that does their own hydro's.

 

[akscubainst]

Lots of shops do their own hydros. It's not that big a deal.

If I was you I'd question him further and have them explain why it can't be used. If it tumbled out good and clean then it should be able to be O2 cleaned again and used for EAN.

How is he blending? If he's not PP blending and you're just buying 32% then it's not even necessary to O2 clean.

Dave

 

[Squalus]

Did they tell you how much rust was seen during the VIP? Did they say it is close to being condemed? Oxygen is an oxidizer, causes things to grow.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Sounds like a bunch of bunk to me. Clean it, sticker it and fill it.

 

[Bob3]

If you're in the US, look your shop up on the list of hydro retesters: http://hazmat.dot.gov/files/approvals/hydro/hydro_retesters.htm

 

[SubMariner]

I have an old PST HP80 that I purchased in the early 90's and had nitrox cleaned. I've used it many times and always kept the hydro and VIP up to date. I took it in for a visual last week and the LDS told me that he had to tumble it several times due to rust and that it was no longer capable of being used for nitrox. The LDS didn't give me a clear answer why, but said it could be filled with straight air without any problem and they did fill it with air. The LDS does all their own hydro testing, tumbling, and nitrox cleaning.

My question is why can my HP80 no longer be used for nitrox?

I've got two HP 80s from the early 90's that are Nitrox dedicated & still going strong.

I'm with the other posters: it sounds a bit strange.

 

[Tom Winters]

Ok hydro, those guys in the dive shop are missing out on a golden opportunity here. Instead of filling that tank only with air, they should have told you that you had to use helium-based mixtures from now on - something to with the lower atomic number. Oh, not trimix certified are you? Then they would have had to upgrade your training AND gotten $20 a tank to fill it ever afterwards.
Hey, this could be the thing that makes owning a dive shop profitable!

 

[jerryn]

I have had tanks tumbled, then o2 cleaned and then used once again for pp blending nitrox. He probably meant that you could not use it for pp blended nitrox until such time as it was o2 cleaned. Or someone told him that, but he did not hear the second part.

Jerry

 

[Dive4Life]

I have an old PST HP80 that I purchased in the early 90's and had nitrox cleaned. I've used it many times and always kept the hydro and VIP up to date. I took it in for a visual last week and the LDS told me that he had to tumble it several times due to rust and that it was no longer capable of being used for nitrox. The LDS didn't give me a clear answer why, but said it could be filled with straight air without any problem and they did fill it with air. The LDS does all their own hydro testing, tumbling, and nitrox cleaning.

My question is why can my HP80 no longer be used for nitrox?

Yup,

Thats what it sounds like to me. If the tank is cleaned it can be used for NITROX fills, plain and simple. If he doesn't want to fill the tank than he knows that the tank could blow up in his face because he didn't clean it properly. I would say that he didn't want to spend the time cleaning it and decided to tell you only air fills. Good luck and go somewhere else and have them look at it. Just my two cents worth on the matter.