Price of visual inspection.

[dredhaus]

I have a hp steel 100 nitrox tank that needs visual inspection and I want a 32% nitrox fill. I got quoted $49. Is this reasonable. Needs o2 cleaning

 

[smorneau]

I was also wondering the cost to get a tank oxygen cleaned

 

[Scuba Ken]

That's close to what I paid for Hydro/Vip and Fill.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Here in San Diego...
VIP = $8
32% nitrox (banked, so no need for tank O2 cleaning) = $10-$12

I'd recommend either getting your recreational nitrox fill at a shop that banks 32% and 36% (or pumps it from a membrane system) OR learn how to O2-clean your tanks yourself.
Seems like shops are charging too much for that particular service.

 

[davetowz]

Are you getting an o2 clean + vis. for 50 bones? Not enough info to answer. Is the tank already o2 clean? plus the cost of the 32 fill? Sounds decent if it is a cleaning and vis.

 

[Dr Wu]

The truth is for just a bit more than that you could learn to VIP your own tanks.

But it is still a pain to do so.

 

[oly5050user]

I have a hp steel 100 nitrox tank that needs visual inspection and I want a 32% nitrox fill. I got quoted $49. Is this reasonable. Needs o2 cleaning

That is the going rate.Takes time and effort to O2 clean tank.With steel tanks we very often have to tumble it and clean it.Then the valve has to be O2 cleaned ..Nitrox sticker alone can cost $12. Visual alone can be $15. Fill with 32% is usually in the $16. range for 100cu.So that is a very reasonable price.To do a cleaning yourself would most likely not save you anything,as the LDS would still have to redo it themselves.When they put a O2 clean sticker on it THEY are stating that it is clean and taking liability for it that in truth it is clean.Do not expect them to put themselves at risk because you say you did the cleaning.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

To do a cleaning yourself would most likely not save you anything,as the LDS would still have to redo it themselves.When they put a O2 clean sticker on it THEY are stating that it is clean and taking liability for it that in truth it is clean.Do not expect them to put themselves at risk because you say you did the cleaning.

@oly5050user: Wouldn't the "liability" to which you referred only extend to the first time the customer walks out the door with the tank? From that point forward, the shop really doesn't have control of the tank, right?

I'm also curious how often a shop that does partial pressure blending requires a tank to be recertified as "O2 clean." Once a year perhaps? What happens if the tank owner decides to get a fill from another shop with the same tank? I realize that to maintain "O2 cleanliness" a tank owner should dedicate the tank for partial pressure blended nitrox use, but can the shop really guarantee that the owner isn't filling the tank with "dirty" air from another shop in-between nitrox fills? It seems to me that a fair amount of trust needs to come from both sides (shop and tank owner).

What happens if there are two dive shops in the same area which offer partial pressure blending? Do the shops usually accept each other's stamp of "O2 cleanliness"? Or must the tank owner commit to getting all of his nitrox fills for the entire year from Shop A or B?

 

[dredhaus]

Ok now I am confused. The tank is already a nitrox tank. I checked the sticker of the last viz and it says no next to o2 cleaned. I haven't gotten it filled so I'm not sure what that means. I guess that means I need a cleaning?
I know I Need a viz and he mentioned a cleaned o ring. And the32 % fill up

 

[dredhaus]

I am definitely not interested in doing it myself. I barely have time to dive let alone do the maintenance.. Thanks for the thought though!