VIP & Hydro Date Relationship

[spectrum]

Lets's say I have a cylinder with a factory hydro date of 5/05 and it is on a June VIP cycle. Come June of 2009 I will be due for a VIP but there wil be less than a year remaining on the hydro.

Question: Does the hydro duration need to cover the duration of the VIP issue period or need it only be current at the time of VIP?

Thanks,
Pete

 

[scuba70]

You can continue to fill your tank until the end of the month that the hydro expires. Some shops will stop filling at the beginning of the month. At that point, you will have to do a hydro and VIP.

 

[Luis H]

If I did a VIP on that cylinder in June of 2009, I would stamp the sticker with 05/ 09. That way they both expire at the same time. What our LDS will do...I have no clue.

The hydro requirements override any other dates.

And the expiration is at the end of the month. Any other interpretation is...lets say absurd.

 

[spectrum]

You can continue to fill your tank until the end of the month that the hydro expires. Some shops will stop filling at the beginning of the month. At that point, you will have to do a hydro and VIP.

True but what is the relationship to VIp Issue? Knowing the industry there is probably no consistently useful answer.

I suppose the easy answer is to go in early for a May sticker to cover the season and get it all into sync in May of 2010

 

[spectrum]

If I did a VIP on that cylinder in June of 2009, IWhat our LDS will do...I have no clue.

That's what makes it interesting!

I could survey each of the shops, I bet there's a good story in that one!

In the end I think I will try to migrate things into the April/May time frame to get this stuff done before it's prime time.

 

[Scared Silly]

The hydro date does not need to be "in line" with the VIP. A proper VIP will state that on this date the cylinder was inspected and found to conform with CGA standards. After that date anything can and does happen. What I am getting at is that a VIP does not expire as there is nothing to expire. Just the industry standard that says an inspection should occur every 12 months.

In some ways a VIP is just like a car safety inspection. The car was working safely on that particular date after which the windshield could get cracked, brakes go out, etc. You do not need to do anything about it until the following year when it is inspected again.


Of course the hydro like a car registration does expire. There may not be any consequences until you get caught.

 

[beanojones]

If I did a VIP on that cylinder in June of 2009, I would stamp the sticker with 05/ 09. That way they both expire at the same time. What our LDS will do...I have no clue.

The hydro requirements override any other dates.

And the expiration is at the end of the month. Any other interpretation is...lets say absurd.

Is your reasoning to help prevent fills of out of hydro tanks?

I worked on a boat that had its own compressor that was refilling 20 year old tanks that had never been hydro'd or VIP'd or anything. There apparently is a loophole that allows this if the tanks never leave the boat. (So said the captain/owner.) Luckily we did not have to use his tanks. He never filled them much past 1500 PSI, and they were steels so.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Is your reasoning to help prevent fills of out of hydro tanks?

Chances are, his reasoning is so that he can have the tank hydro'd, and get it VIP'd, at the same time all at once and not worry about having to open it multiple times possibly exposing it to rust/moisture. The less a tank is open, the better.

 

[Luis H]

Is your reasoning to help prevent fills of out of hydro tanks?

Yes.

I worked on a boat that had its own compressor that was refilling 20 year old tanks that had never been hydro'd or VIP'd or anything. There apparently is a loophole that allows this if the tanks never leave the boat. (So said the captain/owner.) Luckily we did not have to use his tanks. He never filled them much past 1500 PSI, and they were steels so.

Not doing VIP on steel cylinders (on any cylinder for that mater) is IMO not very smart, especially cylinders filled on a boat. IMO a visual inspection can be more important than the hydro in a tank that you know the previous history.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Well I guess I was wrong.