O2 Tank in Ottawa

[DPVDiver]

Are you saying that KDS, Sharky's and Divetech have bad Air??

As far as I know most PADI Facilities use Trace Analytics and I believe it is around $50 for the test, I may be wrong. Sorry if I exaggerated to say 6x. BTW, if you go to their website, www.airchecklab.com they say they are accredited, are they liars?

And, this thread started about an O2 tank in Ottawa. I fail to see how you can turn it into another one of your rants about air testing.

I am now through talking about air check labs.

DPV

 

[pufferfish]

DPVDiver once bubbled...
Are you saying that KDS, Sharky's and Divetech have bad Air??

As far as I know most PADI Facilities use Trace Analytics and I believe it is around $50 for the test, I may be wrong. Sorry if I exaggerated to say 6x. BTW, if you go to their website, www.airchecklab.com they say they are accredited, are they liars?

And, this thread started about an O2 tank in Ottawa. I fail to see how you can turn it into another one of your rants about air testing.

I am now through talking about air check labs.

DPV

No I am not saying they have bad air.

You are right in that this thread did start out on O2 tanks but the subject of O2 cleaning came up and as I stated if you are going to pay to have your tank O2 cleaned then you might as well put oxygen compatible air in it, otherwise you are wasting your money and potentially endangering your health.

So DPV we know that Divetech uses OUC (unaccredited) and Dolphinos uses Maxxam (accredited) but what about the other two shops?

You know I apologize if at times this comes across as a rant but you know it just seems like such a no brainer as to why one should use an accredited lab. Cost is really not an issue here for doing the test twice a year. As far as some of the editorializing thrown in to my 'rants' it is the only way to spice up what is a pretty dry but important and potentially explosive subject matter

 

[Kevin R]

KDS is required to test to Z180 standards by the Ministry of Labour since our air is used by our commercial diving division as well as our recreational customers. We also fill SCBA tanks for firefighters, and we fill tanks for Parks Canada. Tests are purchased from Lawrence Factor and sent to Aqualung Canada in BC. I don't know offhand which lab Lawrence Factor is using. We have never failed a test and inspect and replace our filters on regular intervals depending on compressor hours. If in doubt, feel free to ask Rob for the certificate. It's hanging by the cascade. This is as far as I'm going into the great air debate.

Kevin

p.s. could this be considered a thread hijacking?

 

[pufferfish]

For those of you who have not come across the excellent books by Vance Harlow they are the Haynes manuals of scuba repair and gas mixing. I forget what name he posts under but Vance has been on the board in the past.

Here is a quote from his book "The Oxygen Hacker's Companion" on O2 cleaning. No it is not rocket science but does take time and care to do properly.

As for getting your tanks O2 cleaned AND ensuring you have oxygen compatible air (oil and particulate free) he offers the following advice for those of you who think you can get away without having one or the other.

"It's one of those things that you may get away with ten or a hundred times, but if on the thousandth time it blows up in your face you're going to feel pretty stupid in those last micro-seconds."

Just like the shuttle managers got away with foam having flown off a few times before and hit the heat tiles without problems Murphy saw that their overconfidence and complacency was sadly rewarded with the demise of the shuttle.

Using untested air or air tested by unreliable labs will see that Murphy will visit you at some point. Pure oxygen ,dirty tanks, or air contaminated with oil or particulates just don't mix.

Here is the link to the above quote.

O2 Cleaning

 

[Kevin R]

Do you really think that the people on this board are so naive as to think that Parks Canada, that has a few of their own breathing air compressors in Ottawa, would drive all the way from the east end to Kanata to get an air fill? Same question for the fire dept.

Dude, I don't have any reason to lie to you, but if you really don't believe me, stop in and see. Davidson's hydro's them, sends them to us, and we vis+ & fill them. This means our air has to meet the Ministry standards. Also, many outlying FD's do not have their own compressors and have to get the SCBA tanks filled somewhere.

Kevin

 

[Mark L]

Kevin Ripley once bubbled...


Dude, I don't have any reason to lie to you, but if you really don't believe me, stop in and see. Davidson's hydro's them, sends them to us, and we vis+ & fill them. This means our air has to meet the Ministry standards. Also, many outlying FD's do not have their own compressors and have to get the SCBA tanks filled somewhere.

Kevin

If Davidson's does the hydro they are legally required to do a visual at the time of hydro. Do you redo them as you are completely familiar with CSA z-94.3 and NFPA 1989? Are you claiming that there are Parks Canada cylinders in the shop now?

 

[DivingGal]

This thread has been "clean up" and much of the rantings contained within certain posts have been removed.

The member who started the thread had a question. It was answered. Others added in concerns about having "valid" O2 fills and what that meant, this added value to the thread. The rantings did not.

... so please play nice in the sandbox.

 

[Big-t-2538]

DivingGal once bubbled...


... so please play nice in the sandbox.

but...but...but I don't have a sand box....please show me where the sand box is...I want to playu with my new loader....oh where's the sandbox...

:haha:

 

[pufferfish]

Yah I guess things were getting a bit out of hand there weren't they, but I must admit the Puffinator was real good. I am still trying to get the coffee out of my keyboard

In anycase you guys and gals as mods have a tough job to do and I take my hat off to you for keeping SB a fun and lively place for the exchange of ideas and information. I apolgize for getting carried away with my posts at times and will try and keep them more concise and on topic.

Happy Belated Birthday by the way DivingGal

 

[divemed06]

So I brought my "D" cylinder O2 tank to Davidson's Fire Extinguishers in Ottawa and got it hydroded: 14$

Brought it then to Vitale Aire and they are going to fill it for 18$

All in all, everything worked out and it cost me very little.