Scuba Tanks hope?

[Troutmaster]

To the op, do what Jim said (generally a good policy). Get a hydro/vis where ever is cost effective, and dive those tanks until they wear out, which will be never.

Do not replace the valves, if there is something wrong with one, have it fixed, but those tank valves are fine.

I would not bother removing the old paint unless it is required by who ever is doing the vis. I would certainly not waste any time or money puting any paint ON the tanks. Tanks get banged around alot (mine do at least) and pretty tanks don't work any better than ugly ones. Plus if the paint is nice, you feel bad if you chip it. If I chip the paint on one of my tanks it would be really hard to tell where the new chip was (unless it knocked off some dirt, then the clean spot would show)

 

[knowone]

Turn em into nos tanks for the rex.

 

[Scubaru_Steve]

I would not want a shop that ignorant touching any of my stuff. I would very politly explain to the owner of the shop that his policy is retarded and that you will never be doing buisness with him agian unless he changes it, then leave.

If shops don't want to fill pre-90 AL tanks because it is an easy policy to enforce/understand, fine, there are some really safety concerns with the "bad" aluminum alloy used in SOME tanks pre-90. But to refuse an LP STEEL tank that has current hydro and vis is just stupid, and probably designed to get you to buy newer tanks.

As much as I would like to do this in the event the scuba places I contacted to try to ignore filling my tank, I just can't afford it. I live in Pennsylvania where between home and college there are all of 2-3 scuba shops. So to turn down one knocks out almost half of my options. I have emailed the two scuba shops I use in hope they will get back to me this week and let me know their policies, places to get the hydro done, and cost they ask for their visual and fill.

 

[Scubaru_Steve]

Turn em into nos tanks for the rex.

Haha I'll just get a bigger turbo Keep these for when I drive my rex out to the next dive spot.

 

[knowone]

Email shmemail.
Phone call with your numbers handy then take em in and say G'day.

 

[Scubaru_Steve]

Email shmemail.
Phone call with your numbers handy then take em in and say G'day.

Well I am currently 4 hours away from home, I work 6 days this week 10p-6a so I sleep during their normal buisness hours. The closest shop to my home is still an hour away, and the other shop is 3 hours away. Email is my best bet.

 

[crt261]

If you have a Aluminum tank over 20 years old you'll have a hard time finding a place who will fill them. Even if you have current hydro. I have 6 old 1985 luxfer 80's, and noone here in Palm Beach County will touch them, that includes hydro. One would think if they pass hydro the shop should fill them but not. Good luck.

 

[diver 85]

90% of the shops here in So Fla will be more than happy to send them out for hydro,vis and eddy testing.
But they won't fill them even if they do pass.
Ain't that a kick in the @ss?

I have three 1970's LP steel 72's that passed both in June and the shop that sent them for hydro and did the vis won't fill'em......AND THEY'RE STEEL TANKS..
They said they won't fill ANY tank manufactured prior to 1990.

Stupid bunch of people working in that shop--I'd tell em 'screw you' & get to another shop...

 

[halocline]

You could try getting the alloy information, maybe on the Luxfer site, that shows that your tanks are in fact made out of the newer alloy. Print that out and bring it to the shop. Unfortunately, some shops just have an ignorant approach to filling tanks, but it's their compressor and you can't argue with it.

 

[captndale]

Stripping and/or painting tanks is a waste of time and energy. Leave them alone. Nobody cares what your tanks look like. Make them look pretty and everyone will know you are a new diver. After a few days diving with them they will be all banged up again anyway.