Tanks suitable for O2

[Jimmer]

Vance, in your experience, what are the best valves for O2 use?

 

[rjack321]

Here in the States we don't really have any laws about WHAT can be put into a tank. Our DOT really only cares about the service pressure. So most shops will fill O2 and other >40% mixes to 3000psi. Its fairly rare for someone other than a RB diver to use an HP steel tank as a deco cylinder (that is 3400+psi). LP (2600 psi tanks are sometimes used though). I think its mostly a fill station operator comfort level to fill a cylinder to >3000psi with O2. Even if the cylinder is rated for say 3442psi.

There is a high likelihood of some shop specific rules about O2, but there are no laws governing the O2 percentage in a scuba cylinder.

edit wow a whole page of responses that I missed...

 

[oxyhacker]

Hard to say, with the current trend back to nylon seats. Not to long ago I would have said a Sherwood valve with the nitrox kit and Kel-F seat. But they are no longer available. There are some other vendors like OMS that still claim to be using 02 compatible parts, but just what they mean by this, and whether it is still true, is hard to detirmine.

We do know that nylon is only marginal for use with HP 100%, and that there has been a steady stream of incidents involving its use with it.

Vance, in your experience, what are the best valves for O2 use?

 

[Jimmer]

Do you know off hand what material the seats in Thermo valves are made out of? I have something like 7 Thermo's at home, several of which will end up on dedicated deco bottles.