New tank question....

[Lorenzoid]

Before I bought a new tank I went to my LDS and had a chat about the total cost of a tank from them as opposed to getting one online and coming in for a fill. It worked out that I bought the 19 cuft pony online, however they are a rec shop and don't carry ponys and it would be a special single item order and they wouldn't have any room to bargain. With one of there in stock tanks we could have worked something out, if nothing else, giving some "free fills" as a discount. In any event that owner appreciated that I tried to do business with him rather than making the assumption that he could not help me.

Same here. Just bought my first tank, but from DGX instead of my LDS, which did not stock the size I wanted. It came with an ambiguously worded sticker with month and year punched out, stating it's ready for enriched air according to the manufacturer. But I could immediately tell it was not a true "visual inspection" sticker. So, as I expected, even though I had it filled with air, the LDS required a vis.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

O2 supply bottles sometimes sit for years and years - full. O2 does not metalugically degrade steel or ali tanks. Water + O2 sure. Checking new cylinders for water is ridiculous.

If they are clean, sure.

 

[rjack321]

If they are clean, sure.

I'm still waiting for your info on O2 degrading tanks...

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I'm still waiting for your info on O2 degrading tanks...

I followed up with shop. Occasionally mold does get into cylinders if they are not kept air tight. XS Scuba claims that this happens rarely, but it does happen. A quick VIP would have caught it, and a quick tumble would have solved it.

 

[Jack Hammer]

I've personally seen a brand new tank that was dirty inside. It's rare but it does happen. I always do a full vis on a new tank, including checking the threads, just to be sure. It only takes a few minutes.

As to an LDS requiring a vis for a brand new tank, I've become OK with it. They don't know what people may or may not have done with the tank before bringing it in to be filled.

 

[Kmosmen]

Your LDS will most likely make you pay for viz to be done with them before they fill it, regardless of whether it is air or nitrox. It's quite common for the inspection sticker that comes with tanks purchased online to be not considered as valid or "enough".
As far as dedicating it to nitrox, one of the things it depends on is what their setup is for fills. You may need to get an O2 clean when the viz inspection is done. You may also be required to attach a sticker/label marking the tank as nitrox only or something, in addition to the viz inspection sticker. I know some training agencies have this requirement but have not personally seen an LDS requiring this for fills.

Call a couple of shops and ask what they need to see before they'll give you an EAN fill and pick the one that sounds the most reasonable to you.

Thank you for your assistance!

 

[Kmosmen]

Brand new tanks should come O2 clean/Nitrox ready. I just took a look at the scuba toys website to see, and yes, the tank comes with a VIP sticker from the start, and the tanks and valves are Oxygen cleaned.

In short, it should be ready for you to fill and dive. You should add a tank sticker for Nitrox, but it isn't a requirement. The VIP sticker should have a spot on it to be punched out to signify that the tank is ready for partial pressure Nitrox blending.

Thanks!

 

[KevinNM]

Same here. Just bought my first tank, but from DGX instead of my LDS, which did not stock the size I wanted. It came with an ambiguously worded sticker with month and year punched out, stating it's ready for enriched air according to the manufacturer. But I could immediately tell it was not a true "visual inspection" sticker. So, as I expected, even though I had it filled with air, the LDS required a vis.

I didn't have any such problem with the DGX tanks I got.

 

[divad]

If someone owns a fill station, they can require whatever they want and charge whatever they want for whatever their requirements are. You are free to go where wherever else you want. (but remember, no matter where you go there you are)

 

[Bob DBF]

It came with an ambiguously worded sticker with month and year punched out, stating it's ready for enriched air according to the manufacturer. But I could immediately tell it was not a true "visual inspection" sticker

Sounds like it is ready for nitrox, but not O2 clean.

Does the ambiguous VIZ make the hydro equally ambiguous, since you are taking mfg's word on both? And if you got it from an LDS that just swapped their "true" VIZ sticker with the mfg sticker before sale, does that make it cleaner?


Bob