Water in the tanks!!!

[Gamehunter]

I am wondering some ways water can enter a tank:confused: . I have 7 tanks and 2 have water in them, about 1/2 dixie cup. Do not know what shop caused the problem but would like to ask where I have had the tanks filled to find out. 3 tanks are al3 the others are steel, 1 of each had water.

[spectrum]

If filling is done with a water bath then sloppy operation can get droplets pushed in.
Same deal if you come in fresh from a dive. I am assuming that you never ran these down to zero PSI

To get that much water between VIPS I would think that there must have been a compressor with an inoperative dryer somewhere along the way.

You don't happen to track your cylinder by dive and fill source?

Pete

[Gamehunter]

The 1 tank in question is my daughters and she was just certified last year. The tank has only been filled in a few places, that is why I needed to know what questions to ask the shops when I talk to them.They tanks have never been sucked dry nor have they been filled in bath systems. I just don't understand how my other tanks were not effected since I ussally fill them all at the same time. Could the seperate banks be containing water while the others don't?

[spectrum]

Any chance those cylinders were freshly hydro's as part of the last VIP cycle and very poorlt dried?

1/2 a Dixie cup (no matter what size) sounds like a lot more than incidental moisture on a single event.

[Gamehunter]

No the PST tank has not been hydro'd yet and the al3 has only had about 6 fills since may 06 by 3 shops

[captain]

One of those three shops has a compressor problem, they may be depending on auto condensate drains that are not working.

[scubafanatic]

...you might also want to have your regs inspected, to confirm the water hasn't entered/corroded them as well.

Karl

[Thalassamania]

One of those three shops has a compressor problem, they may be depending on auto condensate drains that are not working.Aye Captain.

[realdiver7]

One of those three shops has a compressor problem, they may be depending on auto condensate drains that are not working.


Sounds worthy of investigating, especially if you haven't breathed your tanks all the way down.

[Gamehunter]

I will let the shops that I use know about the problem, I would not expect them to come forward and tell me that they had a problem, liability and all. The tanks may have been used but not since last year. This has been a learning experience for my self as I do use respected shops for my air and it can happen to the best of them. Since I do let the tanks sit during the winter I have decided to have them Vip'd in the spring before the beginning of the dive season just in case this were to ever happen again, as I had read the o2 can be depleated by water in the tank, don't know to what extent, better safe than sorry.

[DA Aquamaster]

If I knew that water was possibly getting in my tanks, I'd have them VIP'd at the end of the season to ensure that water did not sit in them all winter. With no water present and no oxidation or corrosion happening, the gas will be fine next spring - assuming of course you get a dry fill after the VIP...

One option if you can't trust the dive shop to supply dry ait after the VIP may be to drain the tank, remove the valve and inspect it yourself in the fall and then get the official VIP and fill in the spring. Just remember to re-install the valve (hand tight is fine) and be sure it is closed to prevent any air circulation in the tank over the winter.