Proper disposal of SCUBA tanks?

[TxHockeyGuy]

Actually ebay might not be a bad idea.

Some people still use the AL 6351 tanks and many people still use steel 72's.

You typically won't find a problem with getting a Steel 72 filled as long as it's in hydro and visual. Some shops however won't fill the 6351 tanks. However, some will. I used 6351 tanks for years and never had a problem (with proper inspections also).

These tanks have been sitting in a garage with no pressure for years. I figure there's a good chance they won't pass hydro and even if they did I would't want to pass these tanks off to someone else. While it is highly unlikely anything would be wrong with the tanks if anything did go wrong, I'd never forgive myself and that to me is not worth a few bucks even if the other party knew what they were getting into.

 

[ClevelandDiver]

I have 2 LP72s over 30 years old that I bought last year. Neither had been hydroed in the past 20 years, one only had the original hydro. Both were spotless on the inside and passed hydro.

Have someone do a quick look inside the steel tanks to see if they are worth testing. If they are clean and pit free it might be worth getting a VIP and hydro. Unless they are the old 1/2" valve, then are going to be more trouble than they are worth to get serviced.

The old lp72 is a great tank and can last a lifetime or two if properly maintained

 

[herman]

Don't give up on these tanks. It the 72 is steel and not rusted, it's most likely fine. Lots of vintage divers would love to have it...I need one myself. The AL-80 may well be fine to dive as well. I have several and only recently did one fail. The problem with the 6351 alloy has gotten blown way out of proportion. As long as they are properly inspected they are fine.

 

[Leadking]

aluminum prices are at an all time high-recycle them!

 

[Web Monkey]

I, or rather my father, has an old al80 that is the 6351 aluminum. He also has another tank I belive he called an al72 or al78 that is a 2475 psi tank. Since it is even older than the 6351 al80 I assume it to be bad as well. I want to know what is the proper way to dispose of these tanks?

Let the air out, unscrew the valve and take it to a metal recycler and they should give you around $15.

Terry

 

[Walter]

I have two Steel 72s in use that are over 50 years old.

 

[Debraw]

We take condemned tanks and make bells out of them. One of instuctors does it. He paints them also. We use the top half for bells and the bottom halves for weight holders. I have one in my garage that was cut lengthwise and the piece that was separated out was welded to the bottom and will make a great planter. I think the PSI tank inpsector class idea is a great one. We have a couple we are saving for that very reason. If you want them looked at for free to see what the condition is let me know and I will do them for you. I am in Arlington, look me up!

 

[cfdfirediver]

My LDS uses old tanks set in a tire filled with cement for line weights for classes and dive sites. Works great and new divers have no question if they are on the right line.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Steel tanks virtually never fail a hydro test unless they have been in a very hot fire, etc. What kills a steel tank is rust in the tank, but even setting empty for 10 years does not mean rust as long as the valve was closed and/or the environment was dry. I have several that are over 25-30 years old and thery are still excellent tanks.

It's worth having a look inside the tank to see what it looks like. You can have VIP done at an LDS or just devalve it yourself with a large cresent wrench with some assitance form a rubber mallet. A small key chain type mag lite or similar small diameter flashlight lowered on a string will provide enough illumination to get an idea on rust.

Flash rust, even a generous coating is not a disqualifyer as is essentially normal. It's heavier spots and concentrations of rust that may have held moisture and may be hiding a pit that need to be removed and inspected further.

Best case: it looks great and with a hydro and VIP it is back in service.
Middle case: it needs tumbled and then hydroed to be put back in service.
Worst case: it looks marginal, gets tumbled, has pits and gets condemned.

With regard to the 6351-T6 Al tank, they are more prone than 6061-T6 Al tanks to sustained load cracking but there have been no instances of properly inspected (hydro every 5 years and an annual Visual Plus inspection) 6351-T6 alloy tanks catastrophically failing due to sustained load cracking since the current inspection protocols were put in place a few years ago.

The current inspection protocols catch any incipent cracks well before they propogate to the point where failure is possible - despite what they guy selling new tanks at the LDS says and despite very dated pre-visual plus inspection stories and pictures on various websites.

 

[Andiron120]

Condemned tanks also make interesting lamps, either floor or table models depending on the length of the neck you install. Just drill a hole near the bottom to run the cord through and install the hardware and socket in the neck. You can get all the parts you need at any hobby shop or hardware store and for a little classier look an airbrush paintjob with a bit of clear coat makes them really stand out.
Thanks for the bell idea I hadn't seen that anywhere before.