Where do you store your tank?

[nagel]

What's the thought on storing tanks (Aluminum 80's)? I have a garage and would like to store the tanks in it basically to limit having to carry them in the house. But, the garage is not heated nor does it have AC. I live in Mid Missouri, USA and the temps in summer can be 100 degree's plus 100% humidity and the winters can get down to below 0.

Should I "man-up" and just carry them inside or leave them out in the garage subject to the temperatures? (They will be out of the rain and snow).

S. Nagel

 

[Firefyter]

I leave mine in the garage, and here in NE Texas we have temp ranges similar to yours. I store them full, and have seen no ill effects yet.

 

[Paco]

The cold shouldn't be problem and if the sun doesn't hit them it the summer, I would think they'd be OK as well.

 

[chrisc]

I store mine in the garage, temps in Vegas range form 40's in the winter to over 100 in the summer.

 

[ziongyal]

Mine are in the garage too. Full and not complaining.

 

[ScubaRev]

The temperature is not enough to make a difference. Pressure will vary proportionately with temperature. If your tank was filled to 3000 psi @ 70 degrees, it should be 3173 psi @ 100 degrees and 2604 psi @ 0 degrees F. It would have to get pretty darn hot to pop the cork on a full cylinder. Put a pressure gauge on the cylinder and check it out. Humidity is not relevent. (They do go underwater, after all.)

Make sure the cylinders are well protected from tipping over and from damage to the valve, either by strapping them to the wall or using some kind of rig to stand them in like you see on boats. I see an awful lot of unsupported air cylinders standing around dive shops and divers. In my chemistry lab days, those would have cost you a beer. More if the OSHA inspector came around.

 

[dbombtek]

The only worry should be the o-ring but thats more about dryrot and you can replace that at anytime. The tanks can easily handle the temps full or empty. Most people that store a tank keep some air in it around 500psi but I havent heard of a have to pressure.

 

[Richesb]

Garage is as good a place as any. We live in the Keys and store all our tanks in a shed under the house. Temp & humidity have had no effect on air or nitrox tanks.

 

[PacketSniffer]

Garage or in house; it doesn't matter. It's recommended to store them upright to prevent line corrosion (pertains to steel) and either not filled (~100psig) or full. The reason for this is so that if a fire breaks out, an empty cylinder will not be able to build enough pressure to explode the tank. If it's full, the burst disc will be first to go which is what you want. You don't want the tank to have a catastrophic failure. If the tank is filled somewhere in between, there may be enough time to weaken the material properties of the cylinder as it builds pressure.

 

[PacketSniffer]

The only worry should be the o-ring but thats more about dryrot and you can replace that at anytime.

Use Viton (shelf life=forever) or EPDM and that problem will go away. Don't get the colored o-rings either. Get black as it's the natural color of the material.