Jupiter area banked nitrox

[soamelt]

I will never have my tanks filled with partial pressure again. The last time, I was poisoned by the result. It wasn't the shop's fault... it was the fault of the shop before it who contaminated the tanks.

What could a previous shop have done that caused your mix to poisioning you from another shop partial blending?

 

[Orlando Eric]

Jupiter Dive center. Banked 35% and it is quite tasty. They even FILL your tanks and not just optimistic / pessimestic icon them like some shops.

 

[The Chairman]

What could a previous shop have done that caused your mix to poisioning you from another shop partial blending?

They obviously contaminated my otherwise O2 cleaned tanks. When the pure Oxygen is put in the tank, any combustibles (contaminates) will do their thing leaving lots of CO. I was puking on every breath... it was horrible. The inside of the tank looked sooty when I opened it up. Yuck! At first I thought it was the shop who did the fill and called them. On further thought, it became apparent what really happened. I haven't had a partial pressure fill since. I would rather dive air. Is it an irrational phobia? Perhaps. But it's based on my experience.

 

[djtimmy77]

Holy crap! $146.00!! My lds quoted me at 30.00 per tank. I'll just have them do it.

If you have them o2 cleaned you can get them filled at JDC or Scuba Works, the latter of which does partial pressure (and is where I usually get my fills)

 

[mselenaous]

Don't overlook that it's not just the tank that needs O2 service but also the VALVE. New tanks out of the box need cleaning as they are not completely sealed & pressurized during transit (just a plastic cap). I once purchased two pallets of tanks w/ valves that were supposedly O2 ready upon delivery from the supplier. I did go ahead an O2 clean the tanks, but it was the VALVES that were not O2 service compatible with viton o-rings, etc.

 

[soamelt]

Don't overlook that it's not just the tank that needs O2 service but also the VALVE. New tanks out of the box need cleaning as they are not completely sealed & pressurized during transit (just a plastic cap). I once purchased two pallets of tanks w/ valves that were supposedly O2 ready upon delivery from the supplier. I did go ahead an O2 clean the tanks, but it was the VALVES that were not O2 service compatible with viton o-rings, etc.

I'm pretty sure the XS valves the come on the Worthington tanks are O2 clean and have Viton o rings.

 

[mselenaous]

I'm pretty sure the XS valves the come on the Worthington tanks are O2 clean and have Viton o rings.

That's what I was told about the pallette of AL80s and the pallette of AL100s, until we took one apart...

 

[mksmith713]

It would be nice if ALL shop had banked nitrox but I usually get my fills close to where I dive and they blend their nitrox.

As a side note, when I took two brand new tanks to JDC.
Not the 2 tanks I mentioned earlier, but two other tanks that were brand new in box with valves yet to be applied.
I had JDC do the VIP and they slapped " Air Only" stickers on the tanks.

 

[The Chairman]

So it's clear, it's impossible to differentiate between Viton and other o-rings by only doing a visual. They all come in different colors and durometers so you have to trust the packaging one way or the other.

Of more importance than the o-ring is the lube used during valve assembly. Again, there are so many variants even within the same brand, that you have to trust the packaging.

Finally, simply being exposed to air will not contaminate a tank unless you leave in an automotive shop! The act of compression entails the exposure to lubricants and their vapors. While using filters are essential to take out these contaminants, using an oxygen compatible lubricant is best. This is why you don't want to fill an oxygen clean tank with just any air and then expose it to partial pressure blending procedures.

 

[mksmith713]

This is why you don't want to fill an oxygen clean tank with just any air and then expose it to partial pressure blending procedures.

True true.
Hence the need for viton "O" rings and christolube.
Buuuuuuut, I'm still befuddled why JDC would just slap an "Air Only" sticker on those tanks when they offer banked Nitrox.

How often do you see tanks with huge green and yellow "Nitrox Only" stickers on them and yet they have no VIP sticker that states it was O2 cleaned?
My tanks are reversed in that they have no big green nitroxonly stickers but I do have O2 cleaned VIP stickers on them.

How easy would it have been for me to just slap a couple of those big green stickers on those tanks and dropped them off for filling.
Fortunately, I understand the safety implications of such an irresponsible act.
Someone could be killed by such a stupid but often overlooked blunder.