O2 Analyzer if just diving air?

[DivemasterDennis]

Nitrox providers have 02 analyzers- use theirs if you feel the need. I have not ever been in the habit of testing 02 content when diving air. The places I dive have clearly differentiated tank markings, as should all facilities. I do have and recommend everyone have a CO2 tester and use it on all tanks.
DivemasterDennis

 

[fisheater]

CO tester, you mean?


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[Agility]

once testing every tank for CO has become a habit, testing it for O2 at the same time only adds half a minute to the procedure.

 

[industrious95]

Carbon monoxide is odorless, a sniff test won't cut it.

"Smells like car emissions?" Never heard that one before. Guess I don't dive in Mexico a lot.

If you ever rent a tank and it has nitrox stickers, you should analyze it, even if they say it contains plain old air. Who knows how it was filled?

They shouldn't put Nitrox into a tank that isn't marked as Nitrox cleaned. The person who is filling the tanks is theoretically putting himself at risk by doing that. Supposedly, if it isn't oxygen cleaned, there is a risk of explosion if impurities contact the O2. At least, that's the justification the dive shops have for charging us extra to oxygen clean our tanks.

 

[boulderjohn]

They shouldn't put Nitrox into a tank that isn't marked as Nitrox cleaned. The person who is filling the tanks is theoretically putting himself at risk by doing that. Supposedly, if it isn't oxygen cleaned, there is a risk of explosion if impurities contact the O2. At least, that's the justification the dive shops have for charging us extra to oxygen clean our tanks.

1. A tank does not have to have any nitrox markings on it. Some shops may require it, but there are no such rules. I own 9 tanks that are oxygen clean. None of them has any marking on it to indicate that except for the visual inspection sticker that says it is O2 clean.

2. That risk of explosion is only really true if they are making nitrox via partial pressure blending, in which pure oxygen is added at one point in the process. If the nitrox is pre-blended through any of several methods, that risk is not present.

3/ These same shops will probably also tell you that if you take a nitrox tank and put air from the compressor n it, it is no longer oxygen clean. Many courses even say that. It is not true. To make nitrox via partial pressure blending, you first put in oxygen, and then you top it off with air from the compressor. If the air from the compressor is clean enough to top off a nitrox fill without contaminating the tank, it is clean enough to give you an air fill without contaminating the tank.