Where to get the "+" renewed on steel tanks

[kelpdiverguy]

Thanks Bruce for the info. I've read on other threads that an REE number stamped on the tank is required for the "+" rating, is this true in all cases? I have a couple of PST 72s that were originally manufactured in 1978. No REE number is stamped on the tank. Do you know if I need to track down that number before I can get the "+" rating? Thanks.

 

[Gombessa]

And the + rating can be reinstated. I have had two tanks that didn't get the plus then later, got the plus back. I have had some shops tell me "once gone always gone."

Technically, this *should* be the case unless steel can heal itself, right?

However, I think variances in testing procedures will lead to situations where a tank will fail some tests but pass others.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

What about the case where the + test simply wasn't done?

 

[Rob9000]

Here is what I went through recently regarding getting a + rating:
- Bought a used Faber LP 95 tank. mfgr and hydro date of 1995. No other hydros since.

- Got it hydro'd Sept 2007. The hydo place did not do a + rating test since the tank did not have a REE number. So at that point I essentially had a LP 86 or so.

- Emailed Faber Italy with the tank serial number. A week or two later they reply with the REE number. The hydo place (the actual hydro place, not the LDS) said they would acknowledge the REE number from the email.

- Got it hydro'd again, but now with a + rating (with the REE email). Hydro date of Oct 2007 with +.

So my tank is stamped:
- A hydo with a + from 1995
- A hydro w/o a plus from 9/2007
- A hydro with a + from 10/2007

As far as hearing about complex calculations that a hydro place has to go through, that is only if they are going to attempt to calculate the REE themselves, which really is complicated (involves both lots of math and weights and measures of the tank). Apparently DOT frowns upon a shop doing the REE calculation. One hydo place said he used to have a computer program that helped him do it, but he doesn't do it any more.

 

[kelpdiverguy]

I ran across your original post, Rob, when I searched the board about this stuff. It's nice that you were able to get the REE after some effort, and I was hoping to be able to do the same. After some painstakingly long search sessions through a bunch of old posts, I found an old post from 2002 posted by someone else dealing with the exact same tanks as mine. Apparently PST told him, at the time, that there were no REE numbers available for older model 72's. Here's the original post:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ta...6-10-overfill-plus-rating-steel-lp-tanks.html

So at least for now I'm going with the probability that a "+" rating is out of reach. Thanks to all who have responded and if anyone comes up with other information, please contribute. Thanks

 

[Aquabach]

On a related note. I just got a new Faber Blue Steel LP108. On the tank it is rated 2400 and has stamped "Do not overfill", but on the tag that came with the tank it states a working pressure of 2640, which is plus 10%. But there is no "+" on the tank. So how is a fill shop to know?

Its whats on the tank that counts. No plus. No overfill. The tank can have a + on it and the "DO NOT OVERPRESSURIZE" statement and that would not be a contradiction.

They started putting that "Do not overpressurize" on tanks because many years ago there was some confusion what was allowed in Europe and so it should be allowed here (true or not I don't know)... Also several years ago somebody at OMS put something in their brochure that made it seem like they were saying it was guaranteed for overpressuriation and so they wanted that on tanks to cover themselves legally and eliminate the confusion.

 

[BrianM]

Thanks Bruce for the info. I've read on other threads that an REE number stamped on the tank is required for the "+" rating, is this true in all cases? I have a couple of PST 72s that were originally manufactured in 1978. No REE number is stamped on the tank. Do you know if I need to track down that number before I can get the "+" rating? Thanks.

This was what I ran into on a set of tanks I was getting hydro tested last year. I had a pair of OMS LP-125s which had been doubled up (yes, you have to have quite a pair of bollocks to strap on a set of doubled 125s, which is why I sold them) Anyhow, the hydro shop said they couldn't give them a plus rating unless I could produce an REE number, and they did agree to stamp the plus + on the tanks later if I could bring in the REE and they would look up my results and be able to calculate if they pass the test for + rating. Unfortunately, I was never able to locate the REE number, and OMS never replied to my emails, and I am probably not going to be a repeat OMS customer.