UPS dropped my tank!

[Scared Silly]

Having dealt with UPS with two sets of doubles that the seller did NOT package correctly I can tell you that if there is a dent in the box from the valve UPS will deny the claim. Cylinders can be shipped with the valves on but the shipper had damn well use solid hard foam around the valve. Further, they had better be in a box rated for the weight.

At this point I would contact who ever did the shipping and tell them to send you money for a new valve. BTW if you can not get a DIN plug in the what makes you think your reg will work any better?

As for the hydro - if you are worried about it then you should probably not be diving. That said I would look at the alignment of the valve. I doubt it got whacked hard enough to tweak the valve/tank interface but one never knows.

 

[halocline]

If the valves are the 300bar DIN type, they're especially easy to knock out of round. I'm sure the tank is fine, as long as the valve screws in and out of the neck threads normally.

 

[JBRES1]

My guess is Valve bad, Tank good.
The valve is made of brass, and it is much softer than the steel tank.
So the deal you got on these tanks just went down by about $35.00 for each bad valve.

Jim breslin

 

[Belmont]

A tool should be made available to bring roundness back to "ovalised" valves.
Plumbers use such a tool to re-shape copper tubing.

 

[spectrum]

A tool should be made available to bring roundness back to "ovalised" valves.
Plumbers use such a tool to re-shape copper tubing.

First of all we're talking about orders of magnitude in terms of pressure and risk. I'd be very leery about the fatigue and dimensional accuracy reforming that metal predictably in the field.

Second the brass is chrome plated and it would probably be ruined between the damage and reforming.

The valve is wrecked, replace it and move on. They can be good for parts.

One strategy with these valve is to keep a metal plug threaded in the port. That helps prevent deformation if a valve gets an impact in rough handling.

Pete

 

[J Easy]

Thanks all for the insight. I'm not worried as one person mentioned but I was curious as to any protocol for dropped tanks. I never owned tanks before. I think it will be fine after I get a new valve.....that UPS pays for. I'll let my LDS determine if it needs a hydro or not. He won't steer me wrong.

 

[halocline]

I'll let my LDS determine if it needs a hydro or not. He won't steer me wrong.

Famous last words......

There are numbers on the tank that determine when it needs a hydro test. Follow those. The LDS does a visual inspection, which basically looks for rust in the steel tank. You can do the same thing with a small light ( a light stick with LEDs or even a set of Christmas tree lights works fine, and a small mirror to check the neck/shoulder area. Of course, the LDS will still need to inspect it and put their sticker on it, but you should know that this is purely an invention of the dive industry, not anything to do with law. If you had your own compressor, all you would need is the 5 year hydro test that includes a visual inspection by a licensed (hopefully) trained inspector.

 

[TSandM]

It is possible, if a UPS shipper packed the tanks, that you MIGHT get a new valve out of it from UPS. If UPS themselves didn't pack the tanks, they will simply refer you to the person who did. If the seller packed the tanks, you are SOL unless the seller makes good on the problem. I know this from personal experience.

 

[Stu S.]

The force of the impact was absorbed by the valve. The tank probably saw very little. If the valve screws in and out of the tank easily, then the tank should be good.

 

[J Easy]

It is possible, if a UPS shipper packed the tanks, that you MIGHT get a new valve out of it from UPS. If UPS themselves didn't pack the tanks, they will simply refer you to the person who did. If the seller packed the tanks, you are SOL unless the seller makes good on the problem. I know this from personal experience.

It actually was UPS that packed them so maybe I'll get lucky. Who knows.