Question regarding VIP on aluminum tanks

[clydewilson41]

So I have a question regarding visual inspections on aluminum tanks. I'm fairly new to scuba diving and don't know much about them. A few weeks ago a buddy of mine and I found an ad on craigslist by a lady getting rid of some aluminum tanks. She wanted 5 bucks each. I went and picked them up, got 4 AL80 and 2 AL63s. Manufacture dates were all mid 90s. I gave 2 of the AL80s to my buddy and kept the rest for myself. I took mine to a local cylinder testing place and had them hydro tested then dropped them off a my local dive shop to visual and fill. Didn't have an issue. My buddy took his to the same hydro testing place but then took them to the local quarry where we dive. He was told they couldn't visual them because they were too old. Is that normal? He also had a tank that was in visual but completely empty and was told that he would have to have a another visual done on it before they would fill it. Also wondering if that is normal.

 

[oldschoolto]

Just a fast answer... If the tank is "0" psi... The shop could want to do a VISUAL as with zero PSI something "COULD" get inside.. And as far as tanks being "OLD" that just a load of crap that some fill places say because they don't know any better..

Tell your friend to bring them to the same shop you used..

Jim..

Edit to add... I had the dive shop at Penn camp in key Largo tell me they needed to charge me for a visual on a rental tank I returned because it "ONLY" had 200psi in it... Some shops are a$$hats.. I just told the guy if he could put a drop of water in that tank with 200psi coming out of the valve.. I'd pay for a Visual...

 

[WarrenZ]

There were a few tanks made with the bad alloy that require a visual Eddy test in addition to VIP that some shops don't want to mess with but they haven't been made since before 1990.

 

[clydewilson41]

Thanks for the info guys. I was pretty sure something was off. I actually have my buddies tanks and will be dropping them off at the dive shop near my house today.

 

[halocline]

I just picked up from hydro test an AL tank from the late 90s, clearly 6061 alloy, and there was a VE stamp. I asked about it, and the tester said that the shop (hydro shop, not dive shop) had received a notice saying that all AL breathing gas tanks were required to be VE tested at hydro. The test was $2.50 so I didn't argue.

Hydro shops seem to have a tough time getting the rules straight, imagine the confusion at dive shops. The bottom line is, it's the dive shop's compressor, they can invent any idiotic rules they want to.

 

[2airishuman]

took them to the local quarry where we dive. He was told they couldn't visual them because they were too old. Is that normal?

It's not normal but it's not uncommon and it varies regionally. Around here getting 80s aluminum cylinders hydro'd, VE'd, VIP'd, and filled is no problem at all. 90s shouldn't be a problem anywhere but lots of places get the nuances wrong.

He also had a tank that was in visual but completely empty and was told that he would have to have a another visual done on it before they would fill it. Also wondering if that is normal.

The idea is that moisture is more likely to enter a tank if it is empty or nearly so. Whether this is a problem depends on the circumstances that led it to become empty. If you drained it to replace the valve, for example, there should be no problem.

Edit to add... I had the dive shop at Penn camp in key Largo tell me they needed to charge me for a visual on a rental tank I returned because it "ONLY" had 200psi in it... Some shops are a$$hats.. I just told the guy if he could put a drop of water in that tank with 200psi coming out of the valve.. I'd pay for a Visual...

I've used that shop before. They get a plethora of rental customers who are occasional divers who, how shall we say, do not have excellence in diving as their goal. I think the cumulative weight of that affects the attitude of the counter people.

 

[guruboy]

Awesome deal on those tanks

 

[redacted]

Edit to add... I had the dive shop at Penn camp in key Largo tell me they needed to charge me for a visual on a rental tank I returned because it "ONLY" had 200psi in it... Some shops are a$$hats.. I just told the guy if he could put a drop of water in that tank with 200psi coming out of the valve.. I'd pay for a Visual...

You really should qualify that challenge. Anyone with a fill whip and high pressure source can easily introduce water into a tank.

 

[tursiops]

You really should qualify that challenge. Anyone with a fill whip and high pressure source can easily introduce water into a tank.

In that case, ALL tanks could have water in them, so what means a 200psi cutoff?

 

[Scared Silly]

For the OP, your friend probably who took the cylinders to the quarry shop probably got hit with the bovine excrement 20 year rule. That is any cylinder over 20 years old is too old too be filled. He should've thanked them and let them know that he would not be coming back and not recommending their shop to others.

As for the empty cylinder needing a visual. Technically that is correct BUT if the most recent visual was within a year and a plausible reason for it being empty (like the value did not get fully closed) a descent shop would take a quick for free.