Yup. Weird.
Hmmmm.... thought occurs that may be a business opportunity to go down there and open a more reasoned fill operation.
But the position that tanks get "too old" just proves that those shops do not know $#!+ about tanks or fills. Likely just in it to sell more. I could see **maybe** requiring more frequent VIPs in areas of high use in saltwater, but that would be for all tanks, not just the old ones.
Or maybe they're guilty of materially overfilling routinely and trying to get customers to pay for their sins? Hear it happens in some parts of Flo reeda.
But it all goes back to "don't know squat about tanks."
There is combo lake/dive shop/training offeror here that that ignorantly refuses bottles over 20 years old. They say "Safety is our concern". Then that same shop turns around and tries to sell 25 year old bottles on the SB classifieds... Safety is not their concern then?
Actually, shops here will not only fill old tanks, but will fill old Luxfer/Kidde/Cliff 6351 bottles provided they have current hydro (w/ VE stamp) and eddy/VIP. As they all should. (Note the shop that does almost all o the LDS hydros won't do aluminum bottles made prior to 1990 and they should know better. There's another shop across town that actually knows and understands the criteria and rules framework). But most shops can't be bothered with real knowledge or learning how things work. Instead they rely on ignorance, superstition, rumor, bad practice and fear mongering. Or out and out dishonesty.
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