Steel tank basic care/maintenance?

[thomasj1107]

Before I go buying steel tanks for my wife and I, what are the basics of care/maintenance for this equipment? I haven’t seen a thread that basically says “do this and don’t do that”. And I’d prefer not to learn the hard way if possible. We will be diving mostly salt water, and planned to get the galvanized steel.

But do you rinse, leave air in, not leave air in, ok to sit for how long, etc etc etc? I want to know all the things

 

[Lorenzoid]

There is no almost no "maintenance" or "care" to do. Sure, rinse off salt water if you dive in salt water. Other than that, zilch. In the US there is a requirement to have them hydrostatically tested every five years and visually inspected annually.

Tanks should be stored with at least 500 psi remaining in them to inhibit moisture intrusion. They can be stored that way for years if you wish.

 

[thomasj1107]

And if I filled the tank after a dive, so it is ready for a future dive on short notice… there is no issue leaving it full for say, 2 months, and then grabbing it and using that tank/air?

 

[Marie13]

And if I filled the tank after a dive, so it is ready for a future dive on short notice… there is no issue leaving it full for say, 2 months, and then grabbing it and using that tank/air?

There are people who leave tanks filled for YEARS and they’re still good.

If you’re diving salt, probably a good idea to knock the boot off occasionally and make sure there’s no corrosion from salt under it. Not an issue I worry about since I only dive fresh water.

 

[Lorenzoid]

And if I filled the tank after a dive, so it is ready for a future dive on short notice… there is no issue leaving it full for say, 2 months, and then grabbing it and using that tank/air?

It can be left full or at any other pressure for years and years without a problem. Just don't leave it completely "empty" for the reason I mentioned above.

 

[Wibble]

The main thing is to keep them dry. As in a dry garage/shed. Rust can't rust if it's dry.

My twinsets are bare metal on the bottom through dragging them around with no boots. Yet they don't rot in my dry garage.

 

[Marie13]

The main thing is to keep them dry. As in a dry garage/shed. Rust can't rust if it's dry.

My twinsets are bare metal on the bottom through dragging them around with no boots. Yet they don't rot in my dry garage.

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BIG difference to note: US steel tanks have rounded bottoms! Boots are absolutely needed for single tank diving.

 

[Wibble]

BIG difference to note: US steel tanks have rounded bottoms! Boots are absolutely needed for single tank diving.

Good point. I avoid rounded bottoms on a twinset, although did have a set. Just meant there was a great streak of no paint around the bottom -- they still got dragged around! They ended up being split and used for sidemount.

I believe that boots on cylinders are a major cause of corrosion because they keep the damp around the steel.


Those tins are "flat-bottomed Euros", think they're made in the Czech Republic. Slightly taller than Fabers and work extremely well as twinsets as there's a little more weight at the bottom which helps with trim. (Appreciate they're probably extremely uncommon in the US)

 

[Tracy]

The main thing is to keep them dry. As in a dry garage/shed. Rust can't rust if it's dry.

My twinsets are bare metal on the bottom through dragging them around with no boots. Yet they don't rot in my dry garage.

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Mine sit outside under a leaking rain gutter. They are coated in 6-12 inches of ice for at least a few months per year. The rest of the time, they just sit out in the weather. No issues so far, but most of them are only 40-60 years old.
I think most people tend to overthink things. If you dive in salt, keep them rinsed clean. Outside of that, they are pretty tough. The knobs need replaced every 5-10 years of sitting in the sun, they get sticky.

 

[Marie13]

Mine sit outside under a leaking rain gutter. They are coated in 6-12 inches of ice for at least a few months per year. The rest of the time, they just sit out in the weather. No issues so far, but most of them are only 40-60 years old.
I think most people tend to overthink things. If you dive in salt, keep them rinsed clean. Outside of that, they are pretty tough. The knobs need replaced every 5-10 years of sitting in the sun, they get sticky.

The scuba police are going to ticket you for tank neglect!