Overfilling aluminum tanks

[WVMike]

I was recently told that they fill Aluminum tanks in Europe to 5000 psi, and that these are the same tanks as sold in US.

Can anyone verify this?

I know of one person who routinely fills AL 80s to 3500 psi.

I am interested in the Boards opinion of this, and of overfilling AL tanks in general.

thanks

 

[Dryglove]

I was recently told that they fill Aluminum tanks in Europe to 5000 psi, and that these are the same tanks as sold in US.

Can anyone verify this?

I know of one person who routinely fills AL 80s to 3500 psi.

I am interested in the Boards opinion of this, and of overfilling AL tanks in general.

thanks

Are you sure it was aluminum and not steel tanks. Cavers and europeans commonly over fill steel tanks often referred to as cave fills.

 

[k9lwt]

I usually put in 3000-3200, I would not recommend anywhere near 5000.

 

[Ontario Diver]

There are Eurpopean tanks that are similar to North American tanks that are filled to higher pressures. They also have limited lifecycles. North American tanks are engineered to have unlimited fill cycles (mostly, kinda, sorta...) at thier working pressure. In Europe, the tanks have a higher working pressure but the trade off is a shorter (limited) life.

Don't overfill....

 

[archman]

Don't the Europeans mainly use DIN valves?

 

[Keysdrifter454]

I was recently told that they fill Aluminum tanks in Europe to 5000 psi, and that these are the same tanks as sold in US.

Can anyone verify this?

I know of one person who routinely fills AL 80s to 3500 psi.

I am interested in the Boards opinion of this, and of overfilling AL tanks in general.

thanks

I fill my AL80 tanks (18 month old Cats) to 3500 all the time, very slowly, in a water tub.

If I occaisionally fast fill to 3500, they cool to 3200.

I have not done, and would not do, this to a customer's tank.

I fill steel tanks till the stickers crack, however.

After you fill SCBAs to 4500 psi, everything else is kinda casual.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

5000 psi is the hydro test pressure for an AL 80. If you overfill to that extreme the tank will fail sooner or later the difference being that if it fails at hydro, no explosion occurs and no body dies as will occur when it blows up during the fill.

Overfilling AL tanks will shorten their life significantly. If you do even moderate overfills, plan on an AL tank failing the 2nd or 3rd hydro test.

 

[Keysdrifter454]

5000 psi is the hydro test pressure for an AL 80. If you overfill to that extreme the tank will fail sooner or later the difference being that if it fails at hydro, no explosion occurs and no body dies as will occur when it blows up during the fill.

Overfilling AL tanks will shorten their life significantly. If you do even moderate overfills, plan on an AL tank failing the 2nd or 3rd hydro test.

Frangible Pressure Relief Disc?

Mine were 4K from the manufacturer.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

The burst disc is designed to fail well below the hydro test pressure. In the event of a serious overfill situation or other condition where the service pressure could be grossly exceeded (fire, etc) the disc is supposed to fail to vent the tank before it is at risk of failing. But people who overfill tanks have a habit of installing two burst discs which defeats the purpose. If there are a pair of 4K discs in the valve, the tank is going to fail first.

 

[archman]

Still waiting on the DIN valve clarification...