Tank not Nitrox capable?

[Astona]

Tank not Nitrox capable?

I was out with a friend who brought his tanks to a local drive shop and he was told that they can not fill them with Nitrox, that there is a special tag,(not the yellow and green Nitrox sticker, we asked) that needs to be on the tank stating that it is nitrox capable. We asked if they had to be O2 Clean, and they said no, they do not partial pressure fill but they have to have a special sticker other than the yellow and green nitrox, and other than O2 clean in order for them to fill it. The tanks have current vis and are about a month old, so I am lost.

Can anyone help me understand this.

 

[Jimmer]

They are wrong, if they do not PP fill and use pre blended banked nitrox, then any tank is suitable.

 

[David P]

no, because your dive shop doesn't understand it. And besides why would you want to understand his idea of reality?

 

[scott&sara]

Go to another dive shop... they are obviously f@cking morons so I would not want them touching my tanks anyway. sorry there are people this clueless that work in dive shops.

BTW. There isn't even a requirement for the green/yellow nitrox stickers... that is just something the industry has adopted but it is far from a rule or regulation or law. O2 clean would be a bonus but if they are not PP blending then this is not necessary for 40% or less either.

Scott

 

[Scared Silly]

What they are probably looking for is a visual inspection sticker that says nitrox compatible. My guess is that currently it has an air only inspection sticker. Given that the industry standard seems to that up to 40% preblended nitrox can be put in a cylinder with out O2 cleaning that it makes little sense to require it.

For instance, my local shop was talking up keeping my cylinders O2 clean when they put premix nitrox in them. I just laughed cause they use the same compressor, the same fill station, the same whip as they do with with air.

Where you want a clear and definite sticker is when they are O2 clean for PP blending.

 

[stairman]

The VIP sticker has an o2 clean part that must not have been punched.Some shops dont look that hard,some dont really care.Kinda like the big nitrox stickers in big letters.Ive heard some shops wont fill with nitrox without them.I breathe only nitrox and only have the VIP sticker punched.With a piece of blue painters tape with the blend.Its always been enough but who knows.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Dive shops wonder why they keep losing business -- it's because of ridiculously stupid policies like these.

 

[JeffG]

Dive shops wonder why they keep losing business -- it's because of ridiculously stupid policies like these.

Dive Shop Monkeyitis is nothing new. I've even seen offshoots of this disease in stereo stores.

 

[ucfdiver]

I REFUSE to put those stupid bands on my tanks. I'll go elsewhere. Mine are o2 clean, and I've had a dive shop want to see a nitrox sticker for "safety" (so I don't mix up an air and nitrox fill).

Unless you're an idiot and dive deep on air, there really aren't any dangers associated with 32% nitrox in a tank that aren't there with 21%, since the MOD of 32% and 21% are both 100ish ft when you factor in narcosis, so the bands make no sense.....all in my opinion, of course.

Label your tanks with tape or an inspection sticker EVERY TIME. Even if you get air, the shop might have screwed up and put o2 in the tank, or if you asked for nitrox it might be air, or the wrong mix. Depending on bands to separate nitrox and air tanks is a breeding ground for complacency.

 

[Scared Silly]

These are my Tank stickers.