Overfilling and life expectancy. (LP Tanks)

[p1p]

I'm about to get my own compressor. Theres alot of myths and scare tactics I get from my LDS, and many posts here..

Such as the old "The DOT will come after you" (Myth)

Now the myths I can seem to completely nail down are

Overfilling within 1st hyrdo are ok, after that overfills are discouraged, and will cause the next hydro to fail.

Another- Never buy a used tank from florida within its first hydro, because they sell their tanks, knowing the next hydro will fail from overfilling.

Now honestly, I'm not trolling, and I've read pretty much every post I can find on the subject of overfills.

Some people claim they regularly overfill to 3600 and have done so for many hydro's. Others say it happens all the time in cave country, and has for years with no problems.

I've got enough tanks to just dedicate 2 of them to overfills, and see how they hold up. I was planning to overfill my 95's to 3400, giving me about 119, probably fill the others to 3k, giving me about 108. I cant see how the 3k fills are an issue, the 3400 perhaps.

Feel free to PM me, if you dont want to get into a flame work, I'm just looking for info, not scare or fear tactics or 2nd-10th hand perpetuated myths.

 

[theduckguru]

Myth #1 - a guy with a compresor knows more than the engineers who established the standard for the cylinder.

 

[p1p]

If you were an engineer, you would know the absurdity of that statement.

 

[ajduplessis]

Overfilling cylinders by nearly 25% of their working pressure IMO in not clever. If you need more gas get a larger cylinder or move to HP. Will they fail.... Most likely not. Lastly, if a compressor operator is dumb enough to overfill that his story. I regularly overfilled my steel HP's, but by no more than 8%. They have had 4 hydros and are 100%. I expect them to out live me and give my children great service for the next 40 to 60 years.

 

[p1p]

Since a plus rated tank is already 10% over rated,doesnt that kind of blow away your theory?

I dont mind if it shortens their life, but by how much is of interest.

And yea, I've already heard the "just get bigger tanks" mantra posted already in the other threads. If I wanted to do that, I already would have.

It seems obvious to me people are doing it (overfills), I just need to understand the tradeoffs

If a plus rated tank (10% overage) was 10k fills at rating, whats 25%? half? 1/4?

thx.

 

[theduckguru]

Do you care if it shortens your life? Do you care if you are injured? Those are some of the trade offs.

Since a plus rated tank is already 10% over rated,doesnt that kind of blow away your theory?

I dont mind if it shortens their life, but by how much is of interest.

And yea, I've already heard the "just get bigger tanks" mantra posted already in the other threads. If I wanted to do that, I already would have.

It seems obvious to me people are doing it (overfills), I just need to understand the tradeoffs

If a plus rated tank (10% overage) was 10k fills at rating, whats 25%? half? 1/4?

thx.

 

[manni-yunk]

Do you care if it shortens your life? Do you care if you are injured? Those are some of the trade offs.

Curiously - who/when was the last person injured from an in HYDRO, current VIP, STEEL tank - being overfilled? Has it ever happened?

 

[Rhone Man]

There are some very, very good threads discussing this topic on SB. My inexpert opinion is that it seems to me improbable that routine but limited overfilling will reduce the tensile strength of a steel tank. I could believe that it might do so for an aluminum tank, but I suspect we are realistically only talking about shortening a finite lifespan for an aluminum tank anyhow.

Me? I overfill my LP steels to 3100 PSI every week. They passed their hydro last year and are now the ripe old age of 27. Doesn't "prove" anything, but just sayin'.

 

[Rhone Man]

Curiously - who/when was the last person injured from an in HYDRO, current VIP, STEEL tank - being overfilled? Has it ever happened?

I suspect that is a pretty rare event. But I am sure a few people have had to change their trousers after a burst disk blew during an overfill.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

jeff LDS is not going to say anything but the stamped psi for there own safety.

I have filled both LP & HP and hydro's pass, if it does not then rust might be a contributor. Check your tanks for vip more often then a year, easy enough right, there is no cost.

like anything else once you do it, it ain't nothing but a thing.

And what I do is if say LP 2400 I fill to 3000 then let it cool then pump desired, let it cool and top last time. in other words do not heat tank to desired PSI.