Tanks

[mikea]

I'm new to the forum and I need some help. I've not been diving in about 3years and I'm buying some used tanks that have been used for nitrox, can they be used with air only. thanks for any advice

 

[Spratman]

Yep. Make sure they are in hydro. If they are not, subtract that from the selling price. You should be good to go.

Welcome to the SB and dive safe!

Jack

 

[mikea]

Thanks for the info Jack. The tanks are current on the hydro.

 

[Hoosier]

But, as you may know, when you go back to Nitrox, you might need to clean the tank again depending on your LDS's bledning method, either partial pressure or pre-mix.....

I'm new to the forum and I need some help. I've not been diving in about 3years and I'm buying some used tanks that have been used for nitrox, can they be used with air only. thanks for any advice

 

[jham2081]

Yep. Make sure they are in hydro. If they are not, subtract that from the selling price. You should be good to go.

Welcome to the SB and dive safe!

Jack

how much should one expect to pay for hydro/vis inspection?

 

[Hoosier]

Depending on your LDS.

In my area, Hydro: $25 plus alpha VIS: $10.....

 

[crpntr133]

Hoosier is in the ball park for most LDS. I think mine is $25 hydro and $15 VIP.

 

[mike_s]

Like the others said, you can put air into a Nitrox tank, but you can't fill it with pure oxygen again for nitrox blending unless you have the tank o2 cleaned.

Unless your dive shop can/will fill the tank from the nitrox side of the blending
panel, which has already been "o2 cleaned". This is essentially getting a
"21% Nitrox fill", which of course is the same percentage as regular air.
It's just filled from the O2 cleaned side of the fill panel and doesn't "void"
the o2 cleaness of your tanks.

My LDS I use charges $25 for Hydro, but that includes cleaning the tank and $10 for Vis. Another local shop charges something like $20 for the Hydro. I can get it done at the local hydro facility directly for $12 or $15, but they close at 4pm and it's not worth taking off work a couple hours early to save a few bucks when I can drop it at the LDS and they take care of everything. BTW... when you see how dirty the hdyro facilities are in an industrial setting, you'll be glad to have your tank cleaned.
Also yet another dive shop in this area charges $50 for a hydro, but that includes
a Vis and an air fill. (but still seems a little steep to me).

BTW... the hydro facility does a "Visual inspection" of the tank as part of the
hydro process. For example, if they find cracked threads, etc during the vis,
then they'll "fail" the tank. Ironically, we pay for the VIS (and the sticker)
a second time for the Local Dive shop. Oh well, guess it's just one of
those "industry" things we suffer through since pretty much all the dive
shops do it this way.

 

[Hoosier]

VIS is a market standard, not government standard. LOL~~~

 

[mike_s]

VIS is a market standard, not government standard. LOL~~~

Yeah.... I think it's kinda a joke of how "they" mandate it.

But, I actually think it's a good idea to do a yearly inspection.
If I've had a tank get contaminated by something, etc....
then hopefully the yearly inspection will catch it.

But I also didn't like having to pay $15 bucks to have a VIS done
in Bimini when apparantly one of our VIS stickers had come off
the tank from the previous month. They wouldn't fill the tank
without doing it even though it had been inspected the month
before. They were the only dive shop on the island and could
"overcharge" what ever they wanted. (I think they also gouged
us for $8 each air fills).