VIP needed for new tank shipped online

[stargost]

I just bought a steel HP100 from LP, and took it to VIP+filling at Sport chalet. They said as the tank is brand new, the VIP is not needed - (I still got the sticker!).
I understand the reason behind and would be ok with it, but in the LP page, in the 'ask the pro' section, it is mention that VIP is required ....

XS Scuba Worthington Cylinders HP Steel 3442 psi. Tanks

Any hint on who's right ?

thanks a lot !

 

[pickens_46929]

If the tank is brand spankin' new with the cap still in place, generally a VIP isn't required since it's new. That said, it is discretionary and some local dive shops require a VIP anyway because you still don't know where the tank has been between the time it's made and the time it's assembled and filled.

If Sports Chalet filled a new tank bought from LeisurePro, then kudos to Sports Chalet for being one of the good guys out there and not forcing a customer to needlessly VIP a new tank!

 

[spectrum]

pickens_46929

If your cylinder is like the Pressed Steel cylinders I bought new in 2005 there was a factory VIP sticker on them. The validity of any VIP is called into question anytime a cylinder arrives depressurized.

I agree that Sports Chalet graciously interpreted the intent of the VIP. Keep in mind that the Visual Inspection is not a legally required thing like a hydro test is.

Remenber that you now have a steel cylinder that I assume arrived depressurized which has been put in service. You don't know what is in there because nobody looked. I believe I have read that technically you can ship a cylinder with as much as 40 PSI in it. If the cylinder did arrive with a slight holding pressure then I would not have a second though.

Pete

 

[mike_s]

Like Spectrum said, a Visual Inspection isn't legally required for a new or used tank. It's just a self inflicted policy that the dive industry put in place.

With that being said, just because it's a new tank doesn't mean it's clean inside. I've bought brand new tanks only to find that during the manufacturing process they didn't clean them and they were filthy inside with some powder. do you really want to breath that stuff?

so it's not a bad idea to ocasionally have someone (such as a LDS) peek inside your tank and make sure someone with a crap compressor system didn't spray the inside with moisture or compressor oil.

 

[stargost]

Thank you guys!

I gonna trust them and get the tank as is now. Maybe I'll have it through VIP earlier than next year.
The tank came sealed and with a min pressure, not 100% empty...

Yes, Sport Chalet did well on this one. In fact, I like sport Chalet as an LDS. In general, I mix the purchases between them and online. There are stuff that are much better to buy locally anyway like wetsuit and ... Tank ! It happened that i really wanted the HP100, and they only had the 120 and a smaller one, with no short term order on the HP100.

thanks again!

 

[Skunky]

I bought a HP100 from Leasure Pro recently and it had some junk inside of it, lube from when they pressed the tank. It was sealed but it still needed to be cleaned. It was being filled with a partial pressure fill for nitrox anyways so it had to be o2 cleaned.

 

[rstofer]

I bought a HP100 from Leasure Pro recently and it had some junk inside of it, lube from when they pressed the tank. It was sealed but it still needed to be cleaned. It was being filled with a partial pressure fill for nitrox anyways so it had to be o2 cleaned.

I posted a comment about this a couple of days ago. All manufacturers claim their tanks are Nitrox ready. But that doesn't mean they are O2 clean for partial pressure blending. Many LDSs misinterpret that statement and fill them anyway.

What the manufacturer says is that they are clean for EAN40 premix. Not O2.

Richard

 

[mike_s]

I posted a comment about this a couple of days ago. All manufacturers claim their tanks are Nitrox ready. But that doesn't mean they are O2 clean for partial pressure blending. Many LDSs misinterpret that statement and fill them anyway.

What the manufacturer says is that they are clean for EAN40 premix. Not O2.

Richard

They lie. They all lie.


Faber claims their tanks are o2 clean from the factory.

I've gotten Faber tanks (4 of them) that were filthy inside. I mean filthy. They had a power residue in them. I even have an email from Faber/Blue Steel claiming they were o2 clean. yeah right.


I know people who've gotten Worthington tanks the same way...... Also some that had oil/grease/grime in the threads.

so never trust a tank from the factory to be clean, much less o2 clean.

any manufacturer who claims that all of their tanks are 100% clean, or even o2 clean can't be trusted.

 

[Skunky]

Ya. Worthington has a sticker on there tank too that says the tank is clean for use with any oxygen 23.5% or higher.. Laugh..