Seattle area VIP prices

[nwbrewer]

Most shops in the Seattle area that I have dealt with want to see the "nitrox" spot on the VIP sticker punched to fill with Nitrox. All tanks with Nitrox should be labeled with the mix, mod, date and initials. We typical use blue painters tape. I check my own tanks and label them whenever I'm using one that's ever been used for something other than air. (EAN 21). I've never been told I had to have the big green and yellow sticker.

My personal opinion on those is the big sticker is dumb, since they don't really tell you anything about your NDL's or MOD.

When I asked the question about the Air vs nitrox vip at my LDS, I was told that with the nitrox vip they make sure that the valve does not contain silicone or other non-O2 safe grease, but that 's not a full 02 hydrocarbon inspection. Which seems silly to me, either the tank is clean enough for 02 and PP blending, in which case it gets an O2 clean vip, or it's not and it's still good to fill with banked gas to 40%.

You'd probably have to ask the individual shop what they do differently.

 

[boat sju]

When I asked the question about the Air vs nitrox vip at my LDS, I was told that with the nitrox vip they make sure that the valve does not contain silicone or other non-O2 safe grease, but that 's not a full 02 hydrocarbon inspection. Which seems silly to me, either the tank is clean enough for 02 and PP blending, in which case it gets an O2 clean vip, or it's not and it's still good to fill with banked gas to 40%.

Exactly. My understanding is that a good silicone is fine for recreational nitrox mixes. What is tribolube exactly anyway?? I have no understanding of how an oxygen clean tank needs to be cleaned or subsequently handled to stay oxygen clean. My tanks will never be anywhere near 100% O2. I guarantee that my tank stem oring is going to have Perma lube on it and is nowhere near oxygen clean.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Most shops in the Seattle area that I have dealt with want to see the "nitrox" spot on the VIP sticker punched to fill with Nitrox. All tanks with Nitrox should be labeled with the mix, mod, date and initials. We typical use blue painters tape. I check my own tanks and label them whenever I'm using one that's ever been used for something other than air. (EAN 21). I've never been told I had to have the big green and yellow sticker.

My personal opinion on those is the big sticker is dumb, since they don't really tell you anything about your NDL's or MOD.

When I asked the question about the Air vs nitrox vip at my LDS, I was told that with the nitrox vip they make sure that the valve does not contain silicone or other non-O2 safe grease, but that 's not a full 02 hydrocarbon inspection. Which seems silly to me, either the tank is clean enough for 02 and PP blending, in which case it gets an O2 clean vip, or it's not and it's still good to fill with banked gas to 40%.

You'd probably have to ask the individual shop what they do differently.

That's when you tell them you are sure there's no silicone grease on or in that valve. And you know that because you used Quaker State 10W-30 motor oil when you rebuilt it!