question on bad air

[utnapistim]

hi,

i never had a case of bad air (but allways check for it). Since I'm not sure what to expect when checking for bad air, I thought I'd ask.

So, what does bad air smell like? What does it taste like? Ayone who havd the experience cares to share?

thanks

 

[Sharkbaithawaii]

Early on when i first started diving I got bad air from rented tanks. I didn't even realize it was bad air until we finished the first dive and I had a bad headache. Because of something I don't remember why, my very expirenced dive buddy and i swapped second tanks and he took one of the rented tanks on the second dive and lo and behold he comes back with a headache and I feel great. We ended up cutting the dive a little short and went back and checked the rented tank against one of the other non-rented tanks. You could smell a sublte difference but not much. The air did taste a little different but at the time I thought it was just me and din't realize what happened until after. I don't think I would have noticed unless my budy didn't say anything.

 

[miketsp]

hi,

i never had a case of bad air (but allways check for it). Since I'm not sure what to expect when checking for bad air, I thought I'd ask.

So, what does bad air smell like? What does it taste like? Ayone who havd the experience cares to share?

thanks

How do you always check for it?

There is of course the T-shirt test which will detect excess oil suspension - cover the valve outlet with some white material and give a short blast. If the material shows any sort of stain, don't use the tank until it has been cleaned.
As for Carbon Monoxide in excess - this is pretty tasteless, but you'll feel it as you get into the dive.
Other contaminants may or may not be detectable while test breathing at the surface. Their full effect may only appear at depth.
We had one dive where everyone finished with a burning sensation at the back of the throat and the apparent source was Teflon vapor. Teflon tape had been used on the joints of the copper piping of the large cylinder bank used to fill the tanks and with the large adiabatic temperature swings inside the valves during repeated cycles, the free edges were vaporized.

 

[utnapistim]

How do you always check for it?

What i was tought is smell it and see if it smells bad, and take a few (3-4) deep breaths from it and see if it leaves any taste in your mouth.

I allways do that, but I'm not sure what kind of smell/taste to feel for. This is why I was asking.

The T-shirt idea sounds like a good one though.

 

[Doc]

Air should not have any detectable odor. Start with that.

 

[Gary D.]

hi,

i never had a case of bad air (but allways check for it). Since I'm not sure what to expect when checking for bad air, I thought I'd ask.

So, what does bad air smell like? What does it taste like? Ayone who havd the experience cares to share?

thanks

Short of sending a sample to a lab you can't. It's just like contaminated foods. But if it doesn't look, feel or taste right, it isn't.

Just best to keep an eye on the filling station. Is it clean, well set up, well filtered and in a location free of outside fumes? You going to eat at a place that hasn't been cleaned for years and the employees are somking while cooking and serving it?

Just use your head. Nothing is 100% except death and taxes.

Gary D.

 

[Zoomer]

Not to hijack this thread but does AIR go bad? Lets say you have a tank you haven't used for a year or two or even 5 years and it still has 3000psi in it, now I know you have to have your tank inspected yearly and a hydro every 5 years but can AIR actually go bad in a tank under pressure?

 

[DandyDon]

Not to hijack this thread but does AIR go bad? Lets say you have a tank you haven't used for a year or two or even 5 years and it still has 3000psi in it, now I know you have to have your tank inspected yearly and a hydro every 5 years but can AIR actually go bad in a tank under pressure?

If there is any water leading to corrosion in the tank. Use an O2 kit. If it tests any less than surrounding air, don't use - drain and have it vized.

 

[Tombo92551]

Here's a question... How long will air stay good? If I have a filled tank, how long before I dump it to be refilled???

 

[RadRob]

Here's a question... How long will air stay good? If I have a filled tank, how long before I dump it to be refilled???

If it sits for a lengthy time, why not just be safe and get a re-fill. They are cheap and easy, so why try it?