some questions on double tanks

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stangguy327

Contributor
Messages
125
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Location
Southern New Jersey
# of dives
100 - 199
I have just learned that in order to double up your tanks you need to drain them first...

If you have an empty steel o2 clean tank, isnt there a chance that there will be air that will enter the tank from the room?

If that happens, I would believe that there is a good chance that it will flash rust, does that sound right?

Does anyone change the tanks back and forth from doubles to singles regularly or just leave em doubled and buy new singles?

Thanks:D
 
Flash rust occurs when the tank is wet inside - that happens during a hydro test, or during O2 cleaning if the tank is not quickly dried or if a rust inhibitor is not used.

Condensation can also occur in a tank if it drained and then de-valved while still cold. So after you drain it, let it warm back to room temperature, then de-valve it.

Flash rust could also occur if you leave the valve off for an extended period of time and allow humidity in the air to enter the tank over a period of hours (if it is really humid) or days (under normal conditions.)

But in short just removing and replacing a valve will not cause flash rust if done properly.

That said, most people have dedicated singles and doubles as setting up doubles does take some tinme and does require the tanks to be drained. In some cases, diver will use single tanks as independent doubles using a set of travel bands to quickly band 2 single tanks.

I that case the diver will switch regs during the dive to keep the gas balanced between tanks. In a situaion where the diever wants to maintain a 1/3rd reserve (deco diving, etc) the diver woudl breathe 1/3rd off the first tanks, switch to the second and breathe 2/3rds of it (with the mid point of the dive occurring after the first of the two thirds is used), then switch back to the first tank to breathe the second third from it. This ensures that either tank has enough gas to get you back to the start point in the event of a gas failure.

Some divers make it a lot more difficult by switching every 300-500 psi, but they gain no real advantage. They ensure that the entire loss of gas in either tank would be equal to the other tank, but 50% of the time they will lose more and 50% of the time they will lose less gas than they would with the above method and create more task loading to no advantage in redundancy.
 
Unless you dive them as independent doubles the valves will come off for manifold installation.

I think there may be some manifolds that can be broken down and capped off to allow single use but you need to get that hardware on there in the first place and you still need to mess with band and alignment when reassembling. In any case as DA said doubles are usually dedicated cylinder pairs.

DA mentioned how to limit moisture intrusion. Some folks will use a hose whip to flood the cylinder with dry "scuba" air as a final flush immediately prior to valve mounting.

All of this gets you to the empty cylinder dilemma. If you do empty cylinders and remount valves you usually have 2 options.
1. Own a transfill whip or compressor to get some air in them before a dive shop sees them empty.
2. Have a trusting relationship with the LDS to do the refill.
Other wise it may all be coming apart for a VIP!

Details, details....

Pete
 
You don't have to use a manifold to dive doubles. I've been diving backmounted independent doubles for a while, now I'm starting to dive them sidemount.
 
Ya, my tanks do have the modular valves on them with the caps so I would only have to remove the caps and insert the isolation manifold. It doesnt sound all that bad to switch em back and forth besides for the draining and re-filling part. Since my lds is small, knows the customers well, and is the one who sold me the tanks I am sure that she figure out that I was draining them and adding air back the first time I broght them in. I guess I may have to look for some more tanks :)
 
Ya, my tanks do have the modular valves on them with the caps so I would only have to remove the caps and insert the isolation manifold. It doesnt sound all that bad to switch em back and forth besides for the draining and re-filling part.

Breaking down and re-assembling doubles can be a PITA. If it was me, I'd look for a better solution than this.

Consider doubling your steels and getting an AL tank to use as a single. You can also use this as a stage/deco bottle later if your diving progresses.
 
Breaking down and re-assembling doubles can be a PITA. If it was me, I'd look for a better solution than this.

Consider doubling your steels and getting an AL tank to use as a single. You can also use this as a stage/deco bottle later if your diving progresses.


That sounds like a good idea, i will prob start looking for some good used tanks to use for singles when I double mine up.
 
Do you have one right and one left modular valve? Unless they are OMS face seal, you will need to get at least one new valve. What tanks do you now have?
 
That sounds like a good idea, i will prob start looking for some good used tanks to use for singles when I double mine up.

Just be careful. For some reason, owning tanks becomes addictive... :wink:
 
17 at last count (not including ones for rebreathers).:D

But they are all part of doubles or triple sets.
 

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