Using UK Cylinders in the USA

[JimboDiving]

Hello,

I'm an avid UK diver who is about to move to Virginia in a few months to stay for two years. I'm planning on bringing all my dive kit with me, which includes about a dozen cylinders.

I've been searching the net all morning to try and find out about specifications, burst disks, etc, but can't find anything of relevance. Can anyone here help?

• Will my cylinders be legal in the USA?
  
• Will I need to replace the valves (M25s) with ones which have burst disks?

I can see this isn't likely to be simple (ie cheap!).

Thanks in advance,

Jim

 

[Melicertes]

I ran into a very similar problem with my 15L Steel cylinder. Since it was not manufactured in the U.S. it does not have a US Dept. of Transport Cert stamped on the neck. Consequently nobody would even look at it sideways to even hydrotest it much less fill it for me. So now I have a very nice yellow door stop for the bathroom door.

I am still investigating whether it is possible to have it DOT stamped but my research on and off over the past year has paid off nothing thus far.
We've just consequently bought 80cft AL cylinders here since they are not very expensive and have been diving with them no problem. I am wanting to get my Steel back in active duty though but so far it does not seem there's much chance of that happening (unless I win the Jackpot and buy a compressor to and fill it myself).

 

[Luis H]

Cylinders don’t have to be made in the US, but they have to be made to DOT standards and be stamped with the DOT markings. Getting a non-DOT cylinder to be approved by the DOT is basically impossible or for the cost you are probably better of buying a few compressors.

I own some Poseidon and Drager cylinders and the only way I could really fill them is if I had a compressor or by transferring from an HP cylinder.

IMO, it is probably not even a good idea to bring cylinders with M25 valves into the US. The valve threads are too close to the ¾” NPS and it would be a bad situation if anyone mixes them up.

You are probably selling the cylinder in the UK or storing them for when you go back.

 

[Charlie99]

In the US, it is more a matter of industry standards and common practice rather than truly being a legal requirement. Searching through the legal requirements isn't all that relevant.

As the others have posted, most diveshops won't fill your cylinders if they don't have US DOT markings, and current visual and hydro inspections.

Before giving up though, I suggest that you correspond directly with some shops near your new workplace and home. What counts is not the general regulations, but the policy of the particular shop you are trying to get a fill from.

 

[SteveAD]

Sell your tanks before you leave UK buy new ones when you get to US.

 

[knotical]

This article:
Valves, Regulator Fittings, Cylinder Neck Openings -- More than you wanted to know
especially the last paragraph, might help dissuade you from bringing your cylinders.

 

[Melicertes]

Looks more and more like my door stop will remain a door stop

 

[Scared Silly]

If you want to bring your cylinders, as others have noted shops will not touch them without a DOT stamping. If on the other hand you are privately filling them then bring them along. I did the opposite when I was living in France - always got my bottle filled privately. That said I did make sure it came over with a valid hydro and did get visuals.

 

[Leadking]

Sell them in the UK. It wouldn't be worth the hassle or the money to ship them here. No commercial fill station can fill them and no one can hydro them.

 

[WD8CDH]

Sure you can get them DOT stamped, but at least one of them will have to be tested to distruction.:11doh: