Question about + rating.

[jvevea]

I have a pair of Faber 100s that have a plus rating for a 10% overfill. That is, their nominal pressure is 3180, and with the plus rating, I've always had them filled to 3500.

Yesterday, the owner of the LDS I usually use solemnly informed me that it violates DOT regulations to overfill above 3000 on the strength of a plus rating. I have NEVER had trouble getting a fill to 3500 before. Heck, the rated fill pressure WITHOUT the plus rating is over 3000. He went on to explain that plus ratings on Faber tanks are valid only in Europe.

Please tell me the guy's an idiot.

Thanks.

 

[JeffG]

I have a pair of Faber 100s that have a plus rating for a 10% overfill. That is, their nominal pressure is 3180, and with the plus rating, I've always had them filled to 3500.

Yesterday, the owner of the LDS I usually use solemnly informed me that it violates DOT regulations to overfill above 3000 on the strength of a plus rating. I have NEVER had trouble getting a fill to 3500 before. Heck, the rated fill pressure WITHOUT the plus rating is over 3000. He went on to explain that plus ratings on Faber tanks are valid only in Europe.

Please tell me the guy's an idiot.

Thanks.

He's an idiot.

 

[joker31]

I have a pair of HP120s with + rating.... Same as yours 3180 filled to 3500... Never heard that before. think this guys an idiot

 

[SteveAD]

idiot

 

[I Dive]

Click on this link Faber Industrie and at the bottom of the web page you will find the following information:

For DOT3AA (USA) cylinders the 10% overfilling is allowed if a plus (+) symbol is marked on the dome of the cylinder.

Take a printout of that web page to the dive shop in question and tell the owner to stop being a stingy bastard and start filling your tanks to the correct pressure!

 

[Walter]

I don't know if he's an idiot or not, but he's misinformed. Of course, folks filling tanks are misinformed about what they should or shouldn't do quite often. (That also applies to those doing visual inspections)

 

[redacted]

He probably meant to tell you that his bank tanks were down to only 3000 psi so he could not properly fill your tank ..... but what fun would that be.

 

[Cave Bum]

Yup, he's mistaken... the plus rating is only an American DOT rating and is good for plus 10% (3498 psi).

 

[WD8CDH]

I had some DOT 3AA-4000 + tanks. Their allowed fill was 4400psi. There is no 3000psi limit for the plus rating.

 

[halocline]

Dive shop owners say the darnedest things, especially when it comes to tank ratings, hydros, DOT regulations. I wonder if they just make up on the spot or if they take a special course in misinformation.

The plus rating is an unusually rich topic for dive shop BS. I'll add this one to my stash of stupid dive shop plus rating comments, along with "it's only good for the first five years", "we don't ever do 10% overfills because it's too risky", and my personal favorite, "the hydro shop told me he was required to stamp the words 'no plus' on your tanks because he didn't have the manufacturer's specs, so the tanks can never be plus rated."