O2 Clean tank fills

[Wookie]

^^^Yup

 

[CptTightPants21]

Just to clarify a few things,

I know that it usually says O2 clean on the VIP sticker. Is it usually assumed that a tank with a nitrox sticker is O2 clean----if tank come into the shop with a nitrox sticker, would you PP fill it? I have a feeling it is no, but want to make sure. If you get another VIP done, will that shop just rubber stamp the new VIP sticker with a O2 label if the old VIP sticker was O2 clean?--you don't need to get O2 clean every year like a VIP

Does a tank need a nitrox sticker in order to be filled banked nitrox? I think it can be done safely, although there is probably a legal requirement that the tank must have a sticker because if it didn't have the sticker no one would ever think to check it for anything other than air.

 

[Wookie]

Just to clarify a few things,

I know that it usually says O2 clean on the VIP sticker. Is it usually assumed that a tank with a nitrox sticker is O2 clean----if tank come into the shop with a nitrox sticker, would you PP fill it? I have a feeling it is no, but want to make sure. If you get another VIP done, will that shop just rubber stamp the new VIP sticker with a O2 label if the old VIP sticker was O2 clean?--you don't need to get O2 clean every year like a VIP

Does a tank need a nitrox sticker in order to be filled banked nitrox? I think it can be done safely, although there is probably a legal requirement that the tank must have a sticker because if it didn't have the sticker no one would ever think to check it for anything other than air.

Nope, you need to O2 clean it every time you put something that isn't O2 clean in the cylinder. For instance, I maintain all of my cylinders O2 clean, always. I only make OCA, banked nitrox, or 100 percent O2 to fill them (typically for rebreather bailout). I do not allow my cylinders off of the boat, because only 2 other dive shops in Key West maintain OCA systems, and while Grade E is fine for diving, it isn't fine for adding to O2.

 

[Malibugary]

My final question. When I use the 32% that's in it do I need to bleed it empty before having it refilled with 21% or use an analyzer?

 

[tbone1004]

the nitrox stickers are stupid. The VIP sticker is the only one that matters and should indicate if it is O2 clean, or just a regular VIP. Nitrox stickers don't mean anything.

wrt fills. You should ALWAYS analyze EVERY tank before you dive it. Doesn't matter what you were told was put in it, never trust it unless you have seen the analyzer calibrated, and you analyze your own tanks. That should have been beaten into you during your nitrox course. Don't bother draining a tank unless the MOD is too shallow, which it shouldn't be using normal nitrox blends and blending with air. Some PP shops will drain it if they don't have an O2 booster, or their tank monkeys are dumb and don't know how to do PP blending properly/are lazy and don't want to do the math themselves. Just top it off with air, analyze, do the math for EAD and MOD, and go dive.

 

[Wookie]

Fill it with anything you want. 21% nitrox is still nitrox. I am from the old school of Nitrox diving, where we all owned our own nitrox analyzers. The shop doing your fill should have an analyzer to tell you what the resultant mix is, but if they don't, dive it like it was air for decompression, and don't dive it deeper than 100 feet.

 

[CptTightPants21]

Nope, you need to O2 clean it every time you put something that isn't O2 clean in the cylinder. For instance, I maintain all of my cylinders O2 clean, always. I only make OCA, banked nitrox, or 100 percent O2 to fill them (typically for rebreather bailout). I do not allow my cylinders off of the boat, because only 2 other dive shops in Key West maintain OCA systems, and while Grade E is fine for diving, it isn't fine for adding to O2.

Assuming the tank always uses either nitrox or hyper-filtered air, do I need to get a new O2 clean after every VIP?

 

[Wookie]

Not in my opinion, but then, I VIP my own cylinders and wash them every VIP with Blue Gold, and rebuild the valves O2 clean every VIP also. I don't save a penny by not making them O2 clean every year.

 

[tbone1004]

depends on when you VIP them. I try to do mine in the winter, outside, while it is very cold with no humidity in the air. They usually fare better with flash rust that way, but I also don't O2 clean any of my bottles aside from my O2 bottles because there's just no point.... After VIP I'll O2 clean them out of habit, but won't mark them as such as I don't believe in PP blending...

 

[uncfnp]

Assuming the tank always uses either nitrox or hyper-filtered air, do I need to get a new O2 clean after every VIP?

I can only answer from my experience. My LDS has not required O2 cleaning with my yearly viz. Of course, they also depend on me to keep them clean and let them know if there is a potential problem.