Replacing vs Rebuilding Tank Valves

[Divin'Papaw]

There were two recommendations to replace the valves after the hydro and one before. What's the thought process?

Doing it before is a bit easier IMO. You've already drained the tank down because you know you need to have it hydroed. All you have to do is drain it dry, swap out the valves, and take it in for hydro. Doing it after allows you to take a peek in the tank to make sure they didn't leave it wet and rusty after the hydro. The downside with this approach is you are draining the tank down twice ... once for hydro and once for a post-hydro valve swap and visual check. Neither process is right or wrong, they're just different. Each has pros and cons.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

You throw solid brass in the trash?

Pay for shipping and I'll send them to you for free.

 

[Ulfhedinn]

Pay for shipping and I'll send them to you for free.

/raises hand!

Will take them too.

 

[Johnoly]

You throw solid brass in the trash?

Even worse than that is.....
I throw out almost the whole lobster and only keep the tail !!

 

[Divin'Papaw]

/raises hand!

Will take them too.

I'm serious, but then you probably are as well. I have a number that I've accumulated and they are sitting in a box in the garage. I plan to go through them this weekend. For the cost of shipping, I am happy to mail them to a fellow SBer who wants them.

 

[Johnoly]

What's the thought process?

For just myself>>> I get to look inside the tank after hydro to see if the hydro guy actually put warm air inside to dry it after the hydro. OR did he just throw it on a pallet and let it flash rust. I know my hydro guy,,,Trust but verify.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

There were two recommendations to replace the valves after the hydro and one before. What's the thought process?

I do it after hydro and VIP, but I take my bottles direct to the hydro shop and clean them up and do a new viz and then mount the new valve last.

But you asked about getting the LDS to use a valve you bought without getting the LDS rump sore at you buying the valve from DGX for $40 and not from them for $85 (at least that's what I inferred). If you wanted to do that with no questions asked, you could pop one on before sending it in and it's done. And no having to do a partial fill after you swap it out before taking it back for filling.

My LDS does free fills so I try not get cross-ways with them and do try to buy any stuff I need from them when I can.

If not, you could wait to get it back and swap it out, but you'd be needing to clean the bottle threads of any gunk (lube) that the shop might put on there.

As the valve is off for both hydro and viz, nothing is really happening to the valve in the process. Matters nothing to the tank nor valve nor hydro tech nor viz inspection tech. It's just a tank handle at that point. There's a slight risk the threads could get boogered up if mishandled. There's a "torque spec" calling for way more twist than's needed - valves are usually just hand tightened so changing them is no big whoop. Unless they've been torqued. Or Jojo, the tank plumber (he of the Mo-Better-Tighter School of Engineerin') put a big crescent wrench on there and way over tightens them (I suspect brass and aloominum don't take kindly to over torque.) Tight hand tight with minimal tank pressure (say with as little 100 psi, and no gorilla is gonna twist that thing off.)

 

[greeniguana]

Pay for shipping and I'll send them to you for free.

Shipping kills it, but yellow brass was getting nearly $2/lb for recycling. If you have a box full of them, it's worth the effort.

 

[MrChen]

Thank you for the links, especially the DGX special for 2 which are perfect for my two AL80 tanks I use diving BHB.

My understanding, and it could be wrong, is that when my LDS sends the tank off for hydro, they do the VIP upon return. I assume they would catch a wet tank. If you find it wet, then what do you do about it?

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Even worse than that is.....
I throw out almost the whole lobster and only keep the tail !!

If you was from Louisiana, you'd suck the good stuff out of the head before tossing it.