Steel 3500’s “going away??”

[Bischofftep]

Hello all!

I brought my 10L steel 3500psi tanks in to be filled by a shop I’d not used before, and was told by the operator that “they just made these tanks unusable, enjoy them while you can.”

Kind of confused… who’s “They” and where can I find out more about this?

Alternately, is this particular shop just unwilling to fill to 3500psi and the “they” refers to their own operating procedures?

Thanks for any help.

-Doug

 

[zider]

Probably referring to the fact that the DOT exemption on these tanks had expired in October of last year. A new exemption from DOT was released in December and the tanks are again good to go for another 5 years. Show them this from the DOT. If they still refuse, find a new shop.

https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/documents/offer/SP9791.pdf/offerserver/SP9791

 

[tursiops]

Probably referring to the fact that the DOT exemption on these tanks had expired in October of last year. A new exemption from DOT was released in December and the tanks are again good to go for another 5 years. Show them this from the DOT. If they still refuse, find a new shop.

https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/documents/offer/SP9791.pdf/offerserver/SP9791

Also show them Breaking News: PSI-PCI Announces US Department of Transportation Has Renewed Special Permit 9791 through 2026 - DiveNewswire. It is easier to read.

 

[Gone for diving]

Whatever you do don't scrap them,
Or let anyone damage them, like drill a hole, those are good tanks

Down the road
It might be an excuse to get a compressor,
Or sell them to someone with one.

 

[Bischofftep]

whew!

Thanks for the intel! Much appreciated, and I'll pass it along if they question it again. Felt like the Nøøb that I am.

Thanks again,

-Doug

 

[Bob DBF]

Probably referring to the fact that the DOT exemption on these tanks had expired in October of last year. A new exemption from DOT was released in December and the tanks are again good to go for another 5 years. Show them this from the DOT. If they still refuse, find a new shop.

https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/hazmat/documents/offer/SP9791.pdf/offerserver/SP9791

I'd find another shop regardless.

 

[coldwaterlloyd]

Great tanks , find a new shop

 

[OTF]

PST3500s are some of the very best tanks ever produced. But there is a weird quirk of DOT cylinder licensing bureaucracy that leads to a panic every couple years about how the permit for that design is expiring and nobody can fill them, but then it's inevitably re-extended every time. This has nothing to do with the tank design or materials, just incompetent governance. It's my understanding that there is a huge number of similarly licensed industrial cylinders out there and many many more people than the scuba world would be very mad if these really were ever put out of service.

 

[IslandKraut]

I always thought the recall the "real" high pressure steels are 300 bars. By my math that's ~ 4,500 PSI...
(and most DIN regulators sport that proud 300 bar rating).
But I concede that most shops can't get there with their compressors, struggling often with 3,400..
On that note - has anyone ever seen a DOT rated 300 bar Faber perhaps?

 

[Bob DBF]

I always thought the recall the "real" high pressure steels are 300 bars. By my math that's ~ 4,500 PSI...
(and most DIN regulators sport that proud 300 bar rating).
But I concede that most shops can't get there with their compressors, struggling often with 3,400..
On that note - has anyone ever seen a DOT rated 300 bar Faber perhaps?

No DOT scuba tanks over 3500 psi, and new ones are not being made now. DIN are 300 bar regs, but there are no 300 bar yokes available. I do have an old '80's Sherwood yoke reg that is made for 4000# service.

I have no problem finding shops that can fill to 3500# now, of course if a shop never upgrades their equipment...