Shipping Scuba Tanks

[Coldwater_Canuck]

I have a pony bottle that I'm going to have to ship (twice) in the next few weeks. The first time is going to be within Canada, the second will cross into the US, if that matters.

Do you need to empty or partially empty the tank or fill out anything special or anything along those lines? I'm planning to use ground shipping anyways, if there's any concerns with an airplane.

Thanks in advance.

 

[beanojones]

From buying tanks online from private parties, and having them shipped to me, I learned this:

You maybe are supposed to empty them, but if you don't say there's air in it, they won't ask. When I flew to Palau, and in the many times I moved around the pacific, that also was the case.

Airlines will make you empty them, because they have x-ray machines. the other people won't because they won't know necessarily. When I shipped my doubles sets surface (on a boat), i did leave air in them so they would not rust. When I got them (several months later) they still had air in them.

I shipped them with 200 psi or less. Just enough to keep out the salt air.

Crossing boundries these days, you will almost certainly have to empty them. Which means you will have to pay for a VIP at your destination unless you are carrying a whip.

 

[oxyhacker]

I always ship tanks empty with tape or a plastic plug on the opening, and the valve in a plastic bag taped to the side of the tank. And a note taped to the tank saying something like TANK EMPTY NO PRESSURE INSIDE TAPE/PLUG CAN BE REMOVED FOR INSPECTION.

Yes, you can usually get by with a little pressure, and under DOT regulations 25 psi is the same as empty, but things are so crazy these days that it pays to go way overboard to eliminate any chance of a misunderstanding, and you cannot trust shippers or inspectors to know the fine points of the law or have a pressure checker handy.

My fear is that at some interim stop where I am not there to explain things or claim the tank, someone will notice the tank has pressure in it, and refuse to send it on. UPS would probably contact you and ask what to do, but TSA would just as likely confiscate and dispose of it on the spot.

There are several ways to get a little pressure in the tank, so as to avoid the need for a new VIP, as a search here will reveal.

 

[beanojones]

I just sold some tanks and shipped them, and FedEx told me that even when empty, compressed gas cylinders are classed as hazardous materials. (!!)

So maybe things have changed recently.

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

Exactly what oxyhacker said. When we moved our tanks (via road and ship) from our home in NY to Hawaii, the moving company ordered us to completely drain the tanks, remove the valves, and cover the tank's opening with clear packing tape. The valves were wrapped carefully in clean Ziploc bags and secured to each tank's side. My fiance and me were terrified that the movers would force us to completely disassemble our doubles - talk about a hassle! - but we were allowed to leave them doubled up.

 

[Stu S.]

Is empty tank = VIP a dive shop preference or from government regulations? The Luxfer tank inspection guide lists conditions requiring a VIP and empty is not one of them. I have never had a dive store tell me that an empty tank requires VIP, and some nitrox blenders want the tank empty when you bring it in.

I've sold a few on eBay, and buyers always ask if I will ship it full. Sorry. One reason I take the valve off is if somebody drops the box on the valve end, it will not be damaged.

 

[Scared Silly]

The annual VIP is a scuba industry standard. The standard is questionable though but that is another matter.

When I have flown with a cylinder (valve off with a plug) and presented it to a dive shop for a fill I never once had them require a new VIP. I just tell them why it was drained. If they wanted a new VIP I would be happy to do it. I always carry some of my PSI stickers from my courses.

 

[Coldwater_Canuck]

Thanks everyone. Oxyhacker, a couple points I'd like to respond to specifically:

I always ship tanks empty with tape or a plastic plug on the opening, and the valve in a plastic bag taped to the side of the tank. And a note taped to the tank saying something like TANK EMPTY NO PRESSURE INSIDE TAPE/PLUG CAN BE REMOVED FOR INSPECTION.

What sort of plastic plug do you use? Is it made for tanks or just something that fit?

Yes, you can usually get by with a little pressure, and under DOT regulations 25 psi is the same as empty, but things are so crazy these days that it pays to go way overboard to eliminate any chance of a misunderstanding, and you cannot trust shippers or inspectors to know the fine points of the law or have a pressure checker handy.

Is 25 PSI enough to keep it clean?

There are several ways to get a little pressure in the tank, so as to avoid the need for a new VIP, as a search here will reveal.

What should I search for?



Also, general question, but how does the valve even come off, can you just unscrew it with your hands?

 

[beanojones]

I I have never had a dive store tell me that an empty tank requires VIP, and some nitrox blenders want the tank empty when you bring it in.

I would never not require a VIP on an empty tank. Once there is no pressure in the tank, there is nothing keeping anything out. Scuba tanks go in water, water corrodes tanks, empty tanks allow water in. Or empty tanks allow in regular air which corrodes tanks. Corroded tanks are by definition not O2 clean.

Dive shops are different, but it is standard every where I have worked to check if the tanks is empty, and require a VIP if it is. And the same with places that filled our tanks when I ran places that did not have a compressor. We use to have watch to make sure people using blast of air from the tanks to cool off did not empty them completely for just that reason.

That said, the Palau shop happily filled my empty pony without a VIP when I explained it to them.

 

[oxyhacker]

The best plugs are the ones with the correct threading, and an O-ring to make a tight seal, such as are used to ship new tanks. Some people use pvc NPT plugs from the hardware store, but they don't make a tight seal unless so you might as well use tape if you can't find the proper ones. Most dive stores have a bucket of them in back they have removed from new tanks, and will sell or give you a couple.

Can 25 psi keep a tank clean? Sure, as long as the valve isn't opened with the tank is exposed to contaminants at more than 25 psi. Which is unlikely unless you really work at it, like taking a tank with 25 psig of pressure in it down 100', open the valve, then close it and surface. So 25 psi is pretty arbitrary and what you want is just enough pressure to provide an indication that the tank hasn't been run completely dry. But this is pretty much irrelevant to the discussion at hand since you really oughtn't be shipping a tank with pressure in it, for reasons already discussed.

Re search, you are looking for threads about traveling with tanks by air. Basically, after you revalve the tank you find another tank with a little pressure in it, hold the two valve faces together, and shoot a little air into the empty one. You can get enough air in this way to allay suspicions at the dive shop when you get it filled.

Oh and do a search for "installing valve" or something that has been covered many times too.

Thanks everyone. Oxyhacker, a couple points I'd like to respond to specifically:


What sort of plastic plug do you use? Is it made for tanks or just something that fit?


Is 25 PSI enough to keep it clean?


What should I search for?



Also, general question, but how does the valve even come off, can you just unscrew it with your hands?