Thumbs down! (TANK)

[JackD342]

did they tell you what the tested expansion value was? did they do the 90% prestretch?

i always print and tape the pst/worthington bulletins to my hdg tanks when i send them in for hydro because of the difference in procedure to make sure the shop does it right.

I checked that as soon as I first read this post.
I am pretty sure the LP85s are DOT 3AA and not the SP14157 X-series cylinders (3442 PSI) that require the special protocol.

 

[W W Meixner]

I can't tell from his profile where @rhwestfall lives, but there are probably at least a few differences between Canada and the US. I don't know about Canada, but in the US it is very rare that a shop does the hydro re-test themselves. They are outsourced to someone that is not under their direct control. (Mark from PSI/PCI likes to say "don't ever trust your hydro requalifier until you have learned to trust your hydro requalifier")
Also, my understanding is that the tester in the US is required to mark out the tank after failing the test, that it is not an option.
Again, during PSI/PCI training Mark explains the subtle difference between rendering the customer's property physically incapable of holding air without permission by drilling it or damaging the threads, and the responsibility to permanently mark the cylinder after the failed test.

Hey Jack...

The shop where I worked for seven years post-retirement had a re-hydro-machine...it was actually a revenue life-saver...especially in the winter when we did all the local fire department...and Ontario Fire College SCBA cylinders...

Whenever a tank failed...I would call the owner for disposition...if the customer wanted the cylinder back...he/she had to pay for the re-hydro/visual which was $50/$30 respectively....if the owner no longer had any interest in the cylinder there was no charge to the customer...we retained the cylinder...I removed the valve...drilled a half inch hole through the cylinder at the serial number...and the cylinder was stored in our ''scrap tank room''...when the room was at capacitiy...we loaded the truck and took a trip to the local scrap yard...

That was our process...I don't ever remember a customer wanting a cylinder back that failed either a visual or re-hydro inspection as they had to pay for the service if they wanted to retain the cylinder...destroying someone elses property without prior discussion was something we never did...

Best...

Warren

 

[Zef]

Hey Jack...

The shop where I worked for seven years post-retirement had a re-hydro-machine...it was actually a revenue life-saver...especially in the winter when we did all the local fire department...and Ontario Fire College SCBA cylinders...

Whenever a tank failed...I would call the owner for disposition...if the customer wanted the cylinder back...he/she had to pay for the re-hydro/visual which was $50/$30 respectively....if the owner no longer had any interest in the cylinder there was no charge to the customer...we retained the cylinder...I removed the valve...drilled a half inch hole through the cylinder at the serial number...and the cylinder was stored in our ''scrap tank room''...when the room was at capacitiy...we loaded the truck and took a trip to the local scrap yard...

That was our process...I don't ever remember a customer wanting a cylinder back that failed either a visual or re-hydro inspection as they had to pay for the service if they wanted to retain the cylinder...destroying someone elses property without prior discussion was something we never did...

Best...

Warren

That sound kinda predatory...having to pay for an extra service one might not want just to get one's property back? Not sure that would hold up in court.

-Z

 

[Seaweed Doc]

That sound kinda predatory...having to pay for an extra service one might not want just to get one's property back? Not sure that would hold up in court.

-Z

I read it as "the hydro is free if your tank fails and you want it back." That is, you only pay if it passes or if it fails and you want the scrap metal.

 

[Zef]

I read it as "the hydro is free if your tank fails and you want it back." That is, you only pay if it passes or if it fails and you want the scrap metal.

Ah, if that is the case, that makes more sense.

Interesting that they would not charge for the hydro if the tank failed even if the owner did not want the tank back....the labor is done regardless of pass/fail.

-Z

 

[W W Meixner]

That sound kinda predatory...having to pay for an extra service one might not want just to get one's property back? Not sure that would hold up in court.

-Z

Hey Zef...

Not sure I understand...if the cylinder failed...and the owner no longer had any interest in the cylinder...the re-hydro/visual was free...

If they wanted their failed cylinder back...they had to pay for the visual/re-hydro...they were also advised the cylinder would be drilled...

Not having to pay if we retained the cylinder was an incentive to get the failed cylinders out of the field...although it may be hard to believe it's not uncommon for drilled holes to be threaded and plugged with a bolt and filled/painted...or XXXX's to be disguised with bondo/paint...

Although it never happened...if a customer questioned my work...and wanted to take the cylinder to another shop for a second opinion...I'd have given them their cylinder back...no argument...all the tank information...including failure...has been logged on our computer...if the customer managed to get it ''passed'' elsewhere...it would not have been refilled in our shop...this customers name and cylinder ID would be posted at our fill station...

W...

 

[Zef]

Hey Zef...

Not sure I understand...if the cylinder failed...and the owner no longer had any interest in the cylinder...the re-hydro/visual was free...

If they wanted their failed cylinder back...they had to pay for the visual/re-hydro...they were also advised the cylinder would be drilled...

Not having to pay if we retained the cylinder was an incentive to get the failed cylinders out of the field...although it may be hard to believe it's not uncommon for drilled holes to be threaded and plugged with a bolt and filled/painted...or XXXX's to be disguised with bondo/paint...

Although it never happened...if a customer questioned my work...and wanted to take the cylinder to another shop for a second opinion...I'd have given them their cylinder back...no argument...all the tank information...including failure...has been logged on our computer...if the customer managed to get it ''passed'' elsewhere...it would not have been refilled in our shop...this customers name and cylinder ID would be posted at our fill station...

W...

Seaweed Doc squared me away on this.

The confusion was your use of the word "re-hyrdro" as opposed to just the term "hydro".

My initial read was that you did a "hydrostatic" test and charged for it, and if the cylinder failed then the owner would have to pay for a "re-hydro" (a 2nd test) in order to recover their cylinder.

I understand that is not the case, making my initial comment moot.

-Z

 

[rhwestfall]

Facts: I am in the US. The dive shop outsourced the hydro testing. This was 1 of 4 of the exact same tanks tested. My discussions have been with the dive shop. As I am away with all this happening, I do not know the status of the tank as to condemnation.

 

[rhwestfall]

The thing that is really messing me up is that I will need to get two tanks as these are no longer made, and so I cannot make a set of twins...

 

[JackD342]

I am pretty sure you can find a current production DOT 3AA Faber LP95 - so it won't be an exact match, but maybe everywhere it counts?
Blue Steel Scuba - Cylinder Specs

Unfortunately, I don't see any Faber LP tanks on either the XS Scuba site, or on their owned business Sea Pearls, so if they will do something for you that option is probably not in the mix. Still, worth a conversation with them.