Worthington HP 100s failed first hydro

[Puffer Fish]

Where? Not in the CFRs. There's no official re-hydro test option on any cylinder. Even if they eff it up XXX out the DOT stamp and its done.

There is a pretest "round out" proceedure which is recommended but not legally required to be done. If its not done the 3442psi exemption tanks will reliably fail. I suspect this was an omission on the hydrotesters part, there is not much recourse for the owner unless they admit to leaving that recommended proceedure out.

A couple of years ago, I talked with a test facility that did not know there was such a procedure and was failing most HP steel tank they tested.

Don't know which other, if any, tanks would use that procedure, but it seems that it must not be that common.

 

[Stu S.]

Did the owner say it failed the expansion test, or just "failed"? Could it have failed for rust? We have a 2006 Worthington that is prone to interior rust. Although tumbling can fix it, tumbling is often a dive shop activity rather than something a hydro tester does.

 

[Scared Silly]

There is a pretest "round out" proceedure which is recommended but not legally required to be done. If its not done the 3442psi exemption tanks will reliably fail. I suspect this was an omission on the hydrotesters part, there is not much recourse for the owner unless they admit to leaving that recommended proceedure out.

When I got the report on my two steel 72s back both had the round out and test pressures shown. What was really bad was that the cylinder that failed was failing at the round out pressure, 90% of the full 3750. They went ahead and did the full test which is the ultimate result.

I am not sure if that is standard to have the report show both pressures but at least in my case I know they did the round out.

 

[scubaskipper]

Get a second opinion and don't let them stamp the tank failed till then.

 

[Skooter]

Where? Not in the CFRs. There's no official re-hydro test option on any cylinder. Even if they eff it up XXX out the DOT stamp and its done.

There is a pretest "round out" proceedure which is recommended but not legally required to be done. If its not done the 3442psi exemption tanks will reliably fail. I suspect this was an omission on the hydrotesters part, there is not much recourse for the owner unless they admit to leaving that recommended proceedure out.

Yes and no look at 180.205. If it has been X'ed out and condemned it is over for that tank. But the round out or system check can be performed to 90% of test pressure prior to the retest. There are also provisions for a second retest in case of equipment malfunctions. I'm just saying that on a cylinder that is in for it's first hydro test after manufactur it is odd that it would fail and a person may want to consider a second test at the appropriate increased pressure to verify before stamping out the DOT spec. Not that it is imposible for a "new" tank to fail but unlikely.

 

[a22shady]

Well I actually also live in South Jersey and There are several shops local to me that do there own very respectable Hydro on tanks. (Indian Valley scuba) -- (The Scuba Connection) are 2 that I know for sure do it. and are about 1hr away. Then there is a few others in which I am not 100% that they Hydro (Aqua tech -- Marvel --North east scuba supply) so there are several

 

[dl348]

I live in South Jersey also, Mar-vel and Aquatech DO NOT do hydros in-house. I know Mar-vel sends them out to Kaplan, which is on Route 73 in Maple Shade.

 

[scubafanatic]

I have never had a tank that failed hydro, but I have always been told that if the tank failed hydro, the facility will drill holes in it. Is that a myth or something the LDS authorizes when they take the tanks to the hydro facility?

nah, they will just stamp this on the cylinder 'crown' :

 

[scubafanatic]

A couple of years ago, I talked with a test facility that did not know there was such a procedure and was failing most HP steel tank they tested.

Don't know which other, if any, tanks would use that procedure, but it seems that it must not be that common.

This is why it is IMPERATIVE that you take your steel tanks (especially if you're like me and own a bunch of HP PST ones) to a proficient 'tech' dive shop, they will already be hooked up to a hydro facility that actually has a clue.....'tech' dive shops deal with tons of steel tanks and already know which hydro facilities are the ones to do business with, so that YOU aren't the one finding out the hard way, all by yourself, which hydro facilities don't have a clue!

 

[scubafanatic]

Kind of a shock today--my two Worthington HP 100s, purchased new in the fall of 2005, failed their first hydro. Both of them. This is inconceivable to me.

The tanks do not have a lot of dives on them--maybe 70 each. Well cared for, never overfilled. The LDS where I purchased them is no longer in business but my new very good LDS is trying to work with the manufacturer--who will hopefully do the right thing and stand behind its product.

Has anyone heard of this happening with these tanks? Were possibly some lemons cranked out in 2005?

...hmm, it appears the Worthington's may require the exact same type of 'round out' procedure that the older HP PSTs required...interesting!