Proper Nitrox ID

[FishDiver]

My LDS scraped off all of my nitrox stickers at my last VIP. My understanding is that a yellow/green VIP sticker stating nitrox cleaned is sufficient for getting nitrox fills, blended or pre-mix, from any LDS. I have been hassled by a few shops for not having the big 2" sticker that circles the tank shoulder. Is this on of those "shop discretion" things or do I have to put on a new sticker every year?

This question pertains to the USA in general, and California in particular.

 

[DevonDiver]

Whilst local/national regulations obviously vary, the nitrox and blender courses provided by agencies tend to give clear recommendations on what is necessary.

 

[Jerry_]

Stickers is one thing ... However stickers do not necessarily qualify your bottle for being fine for Nitrox.

As stated by DevonDiver, there are a number of rules on different levels to comply with, for having your bottle being fine for Nitrox.

Even so it might have been initially fine it could be that you had a number of normal air fills which were done without a filter. As a result your bottle might no longer match the criteria.

Ask your LDS why they removed the stickers. If they provide you with a valid reason, you will know what to do for getting your bottle Nitrox-fine again.

 

[TSandM]

There's no legal requirement for the big stickers. It's a shop thing. Stickers have to be removed for visual inspection, because they could hide corrosion.

 

[FishDiver]

There's no legal requirement for the big stickers. It's a shop thing. Stickers have to be removed for visual inspection, because they could hide corrosion.

Thanks for the brief and cogent reply, Lynne. That is exactly what I thought.

 

[Colliam7]

My LDS scraped off all of my nitrox stickers at my last VIP. My understanding is that a yellow/green VIP sticker stating nitrox cleaned is sufficient for getting nitrox fills, blended or pre-mix, from any LDS.

There's no legal requirement for the big stickers. It's a shop thing. Stickers have to be removed for visual inspection, because they could hide corrosion.

As Lynne noted, there is not a legal requirement, and it is more convention. Since we are a PADI shop we tend to operate on the basis of what we teach in the enriched air course, which is that cylinders being used for enriched air should have a 6" (or 4" depending on cylinder color) green / yellow nitrox wrap, AND an enriched air VIP sticker (and a contents sticker for that matter). Generally, we will not fill cylinders with enriched air which only have the nitrox VIP sticker, and not the wrap. That has caused some consternation with a couple of customers, but it is our practice for better or worse.

When I VIP cylinders, I remove all previous VIP stickers, in part because I do want to assure myself that there is no corrosion underneath, but primarily because it makes it easier to see what the current VIP status is, and most divers I encounter do not want their cylinder to look like a piece of old-timey luggage with travel stickers all over it. We tell customers that up front when they leave the cylinder, however. If a customer happens to have a VIP sticker from some exotic location, or with an exotic LDS name, I will usually ask them about the sticker before removing it. (Frankly, I can usually look at the cylinder exterior and tell whether there is a reasonable possibility of corrosion hiding under the sticker. )

What I do not do at the time of VIP is remove the nitrox wrap. I probably should add, UNLESS the visible exterior of the cylinder is so corroded that I am concerned about pitting under the sticker. But I have never had that happen. We charge ~ $6 each for nitrox wraps and I am not going to ding a customer for a new wrap each time they get a VIP.

 

[Scared Silly]

The only other sticker on my cylinders:



Enough said

 

[oly5050user]

should have a vip sticker stating tank is O2 clean if partial pressure method is done to fill with nitrox..If banked O2 cleaning usually not necessary. Big grn/ylw sticker is used to make it more visible that it it a nitrox tank and fill station/user should be aware of use protocols. Another method is to get a stencil and spray paint on "NITROX" ..

 

[FM1520]

As Lynne noted, there is not a legal requirement, and it is more convention. Since we are a PADI shop we tend to operate on the basis of what we teach in the enriched air course, which is that cylinders being used for enriched air should have a 6" (or 4" depending on cylinder color) green / yellow nitrox wrap, AND an enriched air VIP sticker (and a contents sticker for that matter). Generally, we will not fill cylinders with enriched air which only have the nitrox VIP sticker, and not the wrap. That has caused some consternation with a couple of customers, but it is our practice for better or worse.

I look at it more of how the tank is filled than the contents. I have two LP-95s, one is O2 cleaned and I use it for boats/location that fill partial pressure or have the right kind of filters. The other is not O2 cleaned and I use it on boat/locations that pump air or have banked nitrox. Either one or both could have any % of nixtrox or air, the difference is how (banked/partial pressuer/filters....) it was filled. The content (%) for that dive is on the tank using blue tape which is easily removed after the dive.

 

[NAM001]

When i took my course the large sticker use was put to me this way. no bill board sticker ment nitrox < 40% or normal grade e air.
with the billboard sticker concentrations of > 40% was allowed, which also ment no less than hyperfiltered E air would be used.
Billboarded tank with grade e air ment loss of billboard sticker which ment no more pp blending or nitrox >40%.

There have been so many threads on this topic, i doubt anyone knows the right answer, add that to shop perogative and it is a mess.

Keeping in mind that the rule of <40 treat as air and > 40 ( or 60) treat as pure was the guideline