O2 clean cert

[on_two_wheels]

Someone was looking for shops that did nitrox fills without requiring O2 clean tanks. Then I thought about it and am wondering....does the shop literally just take the word of the owner? I can get an O2 sticker on my tank, do a boat dive a week later and for the rest of the year, it's no longer O2 clean.

 

[mike_s]

you only need o2 cleaned tanks if you're doing o2 fills over 40% or for "partial pressure fills" (where they first use 100% o2 and then top it off with o2 clean air).

"Banked" nitrox doesn't need o2 clean tanks. For example "banked" 32% EAN.

 

[kanonfodr]

I don't know how it works in SoCal, but most of the shops around here don't trust any other O2-clean stickers but their own.

But ya, for banked Nitrox with O2 %'s less than 40%, your tanks don't need any O2 cleaning so you can easily go between air and Nitrox.

Peace,
Greg

 

[Steve50]

yes the fly in the ointment

 

[leabre]

When you start doing deeper dives and more and more o2 requirements and then start O2 cleaning your own equipment you'll learn about the boogeyman vs. reality.

Until then, most shops in OC are the same way, not their sticker, won't blend. But, I've found the VIP sticker my shop uses to be compatible with quite a few shops (not all -- but then, most shops know me). Some give me crap, lots of it, about how only their standards are the best and ones to trust, but they'll fill if you don't come across like a dintz whe standing up to their arguments.

 

[on_two_wheels]

you only need o2 cleaned tanks if you're doing o2 fills over 40% or for "partial pressure fills" (where they first use 100% o2 and then top it off with o2 clean air).

"Banked" nitrox doesn't need o2 clean tanks. For example "banked" 32% EAN.

I don't know how it works in SoCal, but most of the shops around here don't trust any other O2-clean stickers but their own.

But ya, for banked Nitrox with O2 %'s less than 40%, your tanks don't need any O2 cleaning so you can easily go between air and Nitrox.

Peace,
Greg

Both of these are essentially the same response but not an answer to the original question. I know how fills are done and why O2 clean tanks are required. My question was why would a shop trust an inspection sticker (even their own)? The tank may have been O2 clean after the last inspection but I might have gotten 10 fills on a boat of just regular air. It's no longer O2 clean but they shop doesn't know that. So they'll do a partial fill just because it has that sticker. ????

When you start doing deeper dives and more and more o2 requirements and then start O2 cleaning your own equipment you'll learn about the boogeyman vs. reality.

Until then, most shops in OC are the same way, not their sticker, won't blend. But, I've found the VIP sticker my shop uses to be compatible with quite a few shops (not all -- but then, most shops know me). Some give me crap, lots of it, about how only their standards are the best and ones to trust, but they'll fill if you don't come across like a dintz whe standing up to their arguments.

Well, I don't have any plans to bother with diving to depths requiring trimix, heliox or anything more than EAN 32. Nor do I have any plans on cleaning my own tanks or regs (other than post-dive maintenance, hoses, etc). So I'm attempting to gain knowledge from those that have the answers just for the sake of being better informed/educated.

What shop do you use? PW?

 

[leabre]

My question was why would a shop trust an inspection sticker (even their own)? The tank may have been O2 clean after the last inspection but I might have gotten 10 fills on a boat of just regular air. It's no longer O2 clean but they shop doesn't know that. So they'll do a partial fill just because it has that sticker. ????

Well, in theory no shop should be filling without looking at the VIP (if nothing else just to see if it's current) but we all know boats are different; I rarely, if ever, see them check before filling. Then that's why shops in OC require that fugly NITROX sticker so boats will know not to fill it. At that point, we go back to training, something of an honour system, if you know it went against an unclean source (or might have not a wet fill that will cause rust in the tank) then you should have it re-inspected.

What shop do you use? PW?

Pacific Wilderness OC does not fill NITROX. I use Sea Stallion because for $200/yr. I get unlimited NITROX fills for my doubles... at $18 per tank (x2 for dubs), at a fill each week, it more than makes up for its price. Also, they are located a few blocks from my home.

 

[jacksatlanta]

As a shop operator and a partial pressure filler, I do not trust any oxygen clean sticker unless I was the person who just cleaned the valve and tank and am filling it for the first time. To that end my shop using a couple of procedures to mitigate, as much as possible, the risks of filling pure O2 into any pressure vessel, clean or otherwise. 1. We require any tank we are partial pressure filling to be cleaned on a yearly basis. This means if we are doing your VIP we are also cleaning it if you are having us fill the tank. Yearly cleaning at least limits the amount of contamination accumulating in the tank, hopefully. 2. If you bring me a "O2 clean tank" that I suspect has been filled by sources other than our facility, then we will assume the tank is probably not clean and we will err on the side of caution when filling. This means the O2 is going to be trickled in at as slow a rate as possible to minimize heat and sparking risk, be prepared to leave those tanks here for several hours or overnight. You cannot eliminate the risks associated with filling pure O2 but you don't have to be stupid about it either.

 

[Doc Harry]

Someone was looking for shops that did nitrox fills without requiring O2 clean tanks. Then I thought about it and am wondering....does the shop literally just take the word of the owner? I can get an O2 sticker on my tank, do a boat dive a week later and for the rest of the year, it's no longer O2 clean.

The fill station operator is the person at risk from an explosion during partial pressure fills.

The dive shop expects YOU to keep your cylinder clean once it has its O2 CLEAN sticker by getting only O2 CLEAN fills.

The dive shop expects YOU to inform them if you might have received a fill that may have voided the O2 CLEAN sticker.

To do otherwise is irresponsible.

 

[on_two_wheels]

As a shop operator and a partial pressure filler, I do not trust any oxygen clean sticker unless I was the person who just cleaned the valve and tank and am filling it for the first time. To that end my shop using a couple of procedures to mitigate, as much as possible, the risks of filling pure O2 into any pressure vessel, clean or otherwise. 1. We require any tank we are partial pressure filling to be cleaned on a yearly basis. This means if we are doing your VIP we are also cleaning it if you are having us fill the tank. Yearly cleaning at least limits the amount of contamination accumulating in the tank, hopefully. 2. If you bring me a "O2 clean tank" that I suspect has been filled by sources other than our facility, then we will assume the tank is probably not clean and we will err on the side of caution when filling. This means the O2 is going to be trickled in at as slow a rate as possible to minimize heat and sparking risk, be prepared to leave those tanks here for several hours or overnight. You cannot eliminate the risks associated with filling pure O2 but you don't have to be stupid about it either.

That's the info I was looking for. Thank you!

The fill station operator is the person at risk from an explosion during partial pressure fills.

The dive shop expects YOU to keep your cylinder clean once it has its O2 CLEAN sticker by getting only O2 CLEAN fills.

The dive shop expects YOU to inform them if you might have received a fill that may have voided the O2 CLEAN sticker.

To do otherwise is irresponsible.

I was aware of all this. However, I've seen LOTS of irresponsibility in the water and sure it doesn't end there. Hence my question...essentially was wondering how the guy filling the tank protects himself which was answered above.