Oxygen Tanks for use as DAN O2

[thethumper]

I just bought a 684Lt Luxfur AL O2 tank used, bt Hydo'd 06/02.
What, if anything, do I need to do now for fills? Does it need VIP? It has NO VIP sticker. The Surgical O2 valve IS in place. I now need to find a 18lt/min reg., non-rebreather, and rebreather masks & hoses.

I plan on taking this where ever I dive (local Fl cavern/caves). You never know when you, your buddy, or anyone else may need it to save their life.


Thanks Folks,

 

[oxyhacker]

This is a sticky subject, since medical O2 tanks are usually swapped not refilled and gas suppliers vary a great deal in how helpful they are to casual walk ins. I'd call (and maybe visit) a few local industrial/medical gas supplier to see what their policies are and which is easiest to deal with or cheapest, Bring your DAN card in case they tell you they can't sell you medical O2 (not that it will necessarily help, but it might).

If it's a non-standard tank they might refuse to swap it, or want to charge an exhorbitant service charge for swapping/filling it. Try other suppliers when this happens. You might also be able to get it filled by a dive shop that services techies, but that is technically illegal while the med O2 sticker is in place.

If you do swap it, be sure you swap it for something identical or better - lots of divers with DAN kits have lost those lovely Jumbo Ds when they swapped them for a standard D, thinking they would get another Jumbo next time. And never swap an alu tank for steel - alu is more desirable when it comes to med O2, and many suppliers will happily swap your alu for a steel, but never swap the other way.

Oh and med tanks don't need VIPs; that's just a dive thing. And if you are swapping you don't have to worry about hydros.

 

[thethumper]

Thanks. It's actually an "E" tank. The same size I used for our anasthesia machine when I was a Vet Tech. Like 30" x 4". I used to deal w/a Welding supply Co then, but I found a place around the corner that said they would fill my Dive tanks. Maybe they won't have a problem w/filling the O2 either.