Pony bottle question

[redacted]

i check as well for corrosion or flash rusting in my steel tanks. Dive shops normally have that policy to VIP a cylinder once you bring it in empty. This is matter of safety. safety for the blender who is filling your tanks, safety for the shop making sure they are covered in the event the diver is not breathing contaminated air or nitrox. Safety for the diver.

john chatteron has blog titled " Send lawyers, guns and money" Very interesting read.

You bet it is SAFETY. That is why a good op doesn't even charge for that quick peek making sure no contaminants got into that empty tank.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

So is your "ridiculously large steel tanks" used like a mobile cascade system and you are only using it to fill other tanks you intend to dive? Never diving with the large tank only use smaller lighter tanks?
I usually take several tanks with me on a shore dive and leave them in the truck - on boat dives it is usually only a two tank dive for me - even if I dive off my boat...
So we must be doing different types of diving - I think. Are you on the water all day long and that is the benefit?

*****
Does it really matter about the gauge on the transwhip? I would think you are diving whatever equalizes into the tank and you are done. You would know what you have when you put your regs on - I am assuming at that point you have a gauge on your regs.

I have 149 cuff and 125's. Yes I dive with them but if I come up from a dive with 900 psi. I can add another 400 psi from another tank. You will need a guage to optimize the use of your gas supply. Simply equalizing all tanks may not be desirable at all.

 

[halocline]

I suspect the idea is, as long as the tank is empty, why not take a peek inside before filling it. I know I always do before I reinstall the valve and fill it.

And, as long as you're taking a peek, why not charge the customer $10?

The old-school thought behind 'any empty tank needs a viz' is that a tank that has been accidentally emptied may have water contamination. It's a completely different scenario when someone deliberately empties a tank to remove the valve for transport. But, of course, you know that every bit as well as I do, I just thought I'd add it for the (dubious) benefit of other readers....

 

[doctormike]

And, as long as you're taking a peek, why not charge the customer $10?

Exactly, they are doing a visual inspection, that costs $10, why would anyone expect them not to charge what they usually charge for the service?

The old-school thought behind 'any empty tank needs a viz' is that a tank that has been accidentally emptied may have water contamination. It's a completely different scenario when someone deliberately empties a tank to remove the valve for transport..

How would the dive shop know which scenario applied when a traveling stranger walks in the door with an empty tank?

---------- Post added May 21st, 2015 at 11:21 PM ----------

You bet it is SAFETY. That is why a good op doesn't even charge for that quick peek making sure no contaminants got into that empty tank.

Why shouldn't they charge? I don't understand...

 

[halocline]

Exactly, they are doing a visual inspection, that costs $10, why would anyone expect them not to charge what they usually charge for the service?

Because the only reason the tank was empty was because the owner had to remove the valve for transport. No accidental emptying, no chance of water ingestion, etc. There's no need for a full visual inspection, which looks for damages in the threads, measures pits, etc, just a quick look inside because the valve is still off. It would be common courtesy for a dive shop to fill this tank.

Of course, this conversation assumes that dive shop visual inspections are worth anything to begin with. Around here they are not. The whole thing is a bit of a scam because the sole requirement to do a dive shop visual inspection, charge for it, and make life-or-death decisions about the tank's safety is employment at the shop.

 

[doctormike]

Because the only reason the tank was empty was because the owner had to remove the valve for transport. No accidental emptying, no chance of water ingestion, etc. There's no need for a full visual inspection

How would the shop owner know that? By definition, this is a person traveling by air from another part of the world, so it's not like this is a regular customer that he or she would just trust. In that situation, I would also want to do a visual inspection. And if they do a visual inspection, why wouldn't they be justified in charging?

Seriously, I'm not trolling.

 

[redacted]

How would the shop owner know that? By definition, this is a person traveling by air from another part of the world, so it's not like this is a regular customer that he or she would just trust. In that situation, I would also want to do a visual inspection. And if they do a visual inspection, why wouldn't they be justified in charging?

Seriously, I'm not trolling.

Same way he knows that you did not empty the tank you rented from him, contaminate the tank, and use your own $3 fill adapter to conceal it.

I guess I could understand a small added charge for the peek inside; but not a complete inspection including the check for neck cracks, new o-ring, and sticker.

The shops that charge for a full VIS are just scamming customers. But, since they are not a regular customer, why not charge $30 for a hotdog.

 

[whitefang21]

Guys there has been numerous threads on here of tanks that has not been properly cleaned or viped. For those of us who subscribe to dive training magazine there was an article of diver knocking over his o2 bottle in the garage and the tank exploded taking out the garage and half the house. i also think the wife was partially injured as well. In the end ir turned out the tank was not cleaned properly. i dont see what the issue is with a policy that keep divers safe in the water and the dive shop covering them self from a lawsuit.

Is it necessary to empty your tank, keep a few psi in the tank. if you know what the shop policy why argue it is their policy.

why not just rent the tank when you get to your destination. i negotiate the price of rental for the period i am at my destination.

 

[doctormike]

Same way he knows that you did not empty the tank you rented from him, contaminate the tank, and use your own $3 fill adapter to conceal it.

I guess I could understand a small added charge for the peek inside; but not a complete inspection including the check for neck cracks, new o-ring, and sticker.

The shops that charge for a full VIS are just scamming customers. But, since they are not a regular customer, why not charge $30 for a hotdog.

Oh, c'mon... by that logic, every tank should get a VIP after every fill.

It seems to me pretty easy to just have a policy that if a tank is empty, it needs a VIP. That way there is no need to second guess what the person was doing with the tank, who the person is, who gets special exceptions, etc...

If you have your own compressor, you do what you want, but for people who make a living filling and inspecting tanks, I'm not sure why there should be special cases where you can fill empty tanks without pulling the valve.

Now I'm not saying that there aren't shops or places in the world where this is not policy. But I am saying that it's a good policy.

I mean, how often is this an issue? Once per time that you fly somewhere with a pony bottle? Hard to believe those VIP charges are really adding up to a significant percentage of the diving budget.

 

[Basking Ridge Diver]

Only from someone that fills their own tanks. Seems like it should be gratis for a quick check. I would love to know how many times a serious issue was found with a VIP that was inside the Hydro date. I absolutely believe in Hydros every 5 years - but a yearly VIP just seems overkill.

Like charging me 50 cents for an air fill at at gas station - it drives me nuts. I am getting gas at your station - can't you just factor in the air compressor for a 15 second tire fill? I do patronize those stations that give me free air tire fills - and yes I have that one tire that is just not worth replacing at $225 a tire which my wife ran over the curb and put a small tear in the tire and nicked the aluminum rim...