Please help decide if I should keep this tank - XS Scuba HP100

[jetracer]

Solved, thanks! - Please help decide if I should keep this tank - XS Scuba HP100

Hey guys, I just received this tank I bought off this guy online and I am wondering if I should keep it or return it for a refund.

Make a long story short, the guy listed it as a new/unused 2013 (born on date) XS Scuba hp100 tanks and I end up paying $305 including shipping for it.

Well that would have been a great deal if that were true but it end up being a quite heavily (in my opinion, no way to really know) used 2013 tank.

The outside of the tank is heavily covered with this white chalky looking corrosion. Is it normal for a hot dip galvanized tank to look like that after one year of use? Does it look like the galvanized layer is all eaten away? Can the original finish be restored by cleaning or buffing?

I checked the inside of the tank and it's spotless and shinny, it just passed a visual.

The seller is saying that he listed it by mistake as new (one wrong click) and is willing to pay for me to ship it back to him for a full refund.

Can you guys please take a look at the photos I took of the tank and valve and tell me what you would do if you were me, keep it or send it back? Is it worth the $300 I paid?

BTW, I already have one of this model tank and I'm looking for matching second. I bought my original one new and took good care of it so I'm very surprised by the appearance of this tank.

Thanks!!!

 

[socaljohn]

That is a lot for a used HP 100.

 

[jetracer]

That is a lot for a used HP 100.

I thought so but now that these Worthington tanks are no longer being made.

A tough call.

 

[TN-Steve]

Maybe there is a middle route you could go... if the tank is in otherwise ok condition, get a price adjustment reflective of the actual condition. That way pretty much everybody could win. (or at least not lose). As for the white stuff, I have no idea, I'm a freshwater al diver, but I bet somebody here will answer that pretty quickly too.

 

[jetracer]

Maybe there is a middle route you could go... if the tank is in otherwise ok condition, get a price adjustment reflective of the actual condition. That way pretty much everybody could win. (or at least not lose). As for the white stuff, I have no idea, I'm a freshwater al diver, but I bet somebody here will answer that pretty quickly too.

I actually tried doing that and gave him the choice of taking it back and pay for all shipping charges (both way) or give me a discount but he chose to pay for the shipping to get it back. May be he think he can get more money by trying to sell it again? I could only guess.

 

[fire_diver]

The final decision is up to you. All that white stuff is the galvanized coating doing it's job. It could be easily cleaned off leaving a nice grey surface, or it could heavily pitted and flaking off. You'll have to do a little scrubbing and see what you find.

 

[jetracer]

The final decision is up to you. All that white stuff is the galvanized coating doing it's job. It could be easily cleaned off leaving a nice grey surface, or it could heavily pitted and flaking off. You'll have to do a little scrubbing and see what you find.

I'll do that!

What would you use to clean it?

I was thinking about using the green scrub pads or steel wool but with very little pressure, which one would you suggest?

Thanks!

 

[fire_diver]

Using a green scrub pad in one area should let you know if it's light surface corrosion or worse.

 

[jetracer]

I just tried using both green scrub pad (with hard scrubbing) and steel wool (low pressure), neither made much of a dent.

My worry is that the surface corrosion that I am seeing on the surface is not just skin deep.

I have no metallurgy background so I might be a little overly cautious. I just don't know.

 

[socaljohn]

That is a lot for a used HP 100.

I thought so but now that these Worthington tanks are no longer being made.

A tough call.

You had to remind me and bum me out again...