Surprised VIP + O2 Cleaning Many $$$'s

[NAIBdiver1]

I hope this is the proper forum for this post - if not please feel free to move.


First off, I live in the Washington DC area.

I took 5 tanks (Nitrox) to LDS to have what I thought would be a normal VIP (@$15.00 ea.) and of course a fill (30% O2).

When I got the bill, I almost fell over. Each tank (5) was charged an additional $50.00 for O2 cleaning. Needless to say, this times 5 tanks was a much bigger bill than I anticipated !!!

The LDS told me that a new rule has arisen - any tank that will be filled with more than 23% O2 has to be cleaned as though it's going to be filled to 100% O2. Somthing about a Nitrox tank blowing up sometime ago tha killed someone.

This O2 cleaning is suppose to be valid through the next Hydro, where the O2 cleaning would need be done again at another +$$$'s - unless I fill in some "bad" place and that invalidates the whole process.

#1 LDS should have infomed me first instead of surprising me. I did have a long talk with th owner and they're going to do my next 2 tanks free.

#2 No more Nitrox fills for me ! and I'll be sure to tell them that before anymore VIP's

#3 Nitrox filling equipment at LDS's could become redundant, if more like me go back to strictly air fills.

I use my personal tanks for local East Coast diving and that's usually only two boat dives a day either off New Jersey or North Carolina. I really feel the only benifit that I get from Nitrox is on my twice a year live aboard trips where I do 4- 5 dives a day for multiple days and the tanks are provided on the boats.

Anyone else have a similiar surprise ? Thoughts ?

NAIBdiver1

 

[redacted]

In recent discussions with my LDS, I was told the same thing on the O2 cleaning requirement. No more advantage to the more costly (LDS investment) blending techniques. Thankfully, nitrox is just a bit more useful than snowshovels in central TX, so it is not too important. I guess this should make rental nitrox tanks and/or home compressors a lot more popular.

I don't recall a cost so either he didn't say or it was much less than $50. OUCH!

 

[Chris Sawallich]

Back to the typical LDS games here, but anyway, they should have told you there change in procedure before you left on the day you droppped your tanks off.

I just had two tanks cleaned VIP'd and filled to 34%....$40.00 out the door....

Any tank that is filled for EAN, should be cleaned for 100% O2 because of Partial Pressure fills, where straight O2 is pressed into your tank to a certain pressure, then the rest is filled with super filtered air. There is a possiablity that when the straight O2 is pressed of fire or worse.

 

[Bill51]

I guess that’s what I like about my LDS. I just had 3 tanks done – VIP+, O2 clean, and EAN32 fill for $46 each.

 

[redacted]

Back to the typical LDS games here, but anyway, they should have told you there change in procedure before you left on the day you droppped your tanks off.

I just had two tanks cleaned VIP'd and filled to 34%....$40.00 out the door....

Any tank that is filled for EAN, should be cleaned for 100% O2 because of Partial Pressure fills, where straight O2 is pressed into your tank to a certain pressure, then the rest is filled with super filtered air. There is a possiablity that when the straight O2 is pressed of fire or worse.

Not my understanding. PP blending has always required O2 cleaning. It is my understanding that new requirements include O2 cleaning before tanks can be filled (<= 40%) from banked or continious blending sources. This is a new requirement.

 

[markfm]

Edit -- already covered in previous responses.

 

[Chris Sawallich]

Not my understanding. PP blending has always required O2 cleaning. It is my understanding that new requirements include O2 cleaning before tanks can be filled (<= 40%) from banked or continious blending sources. This is a new requirement.

Is'nt that a requirement because, a non cleaned tank that is normally filled blended, could end up at a P/P filling station?

 

[nauidiver2004]

Is'nt that a requirement because, a non cleaned tank that is normally filled blended, could end up at a P/P filling station?

The EANx stickers on my tanks can indicate two different things. My shop uses PP filling so I had to have my tanks thourghly cleaned and it has two different stickers. The first is the usual VIP. The second is Oxygen service. The Oxygen service sticker indicates that the cylinder and valve have been cleaned and serviced for use with O2. It can also indicate '21-40% EAN PREMIX ONLY'. I asked my LDS about this as I didn't understand why you would need an O2 clean tank for premix. He said some people were running into trouble getting premix fills at other shops while traveling without O2 clean tanks. He admits, for the money a 20-40%premix indicator is little more than a sticker.

He also charges $60.00 for O2 cleaning. Seems a little high compared to a lot of other people here on the board. Hydro $35, O2 clean $60, Vip with fill $15. $110for a five vear service, I'm starting to save up for it now.

Ken

 

[redacted]

Is'nt that a requirement because, a non cleaned tank that is normally filled blended, could end up at a P/P filling station?

I don't believe so. PP blenders required that the tank be O2 cleaned and so marked or they could not fill. Other simply required the nitrox label, I thought.

 

[wedivebc]

The LDS told me that a new rule has arisen - any tank that will be filled with more than 23% O2 has to be cleaned as though it's going to be filled to 100% O2. Somthing about a Nitrox tank blowing up sometime ago tha killed someone.

I would be interested to hear more about this tank that blew up and killed someone. Could you get some more details?
I recently watched on 2 seperate occasions, 2 store employees doing VIPs the procedure went something like this, open tank, wipe gunk off valve threads, look at bottom of tank with light, insert eddy current probe (no calibration), put new gunk on valve, reinsert valve, place sticker on tank. I was shocked the first time when another employee did the same thing at a later date I was just horrified. Employee 1 is a good friend and we talked about it. I am reinspecting all the tanks I have had inspected at that shop myself