Advice needed about a rental tank leak.

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brunow

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We rented tanks for a shore dive today and when we finally got in the water my sons tank was leaking between the tank and the valve. I took the tank right back to the dive shop and was told that it wasn't a big deal and that the leak was nothing to worry about. To me an air leak that may be minor could turn it to something major in a short time, am I wrong?
 
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Your training should have taught you to survive even in cause of air failure, and a leak should do nothing more than use air at a faster rate. If you watch your pressure gauge, you should still be able to surface before running out of air, if the leak stays constant, in theory :)

Not that it is safe or wise to dive with a leak. Every diver should carry a simple "save a dive" kit. Tank orings go bad very frequently. Ask your dive shop to show you how to inspect a tank oring and how to decide if it needs to be changed, and have them show you how to change it. I carry several spare orings with me, because rental tanks frequently leak. The oring on a yoke valve face sees quite a bit of wear and is exposed to the elements...especially with highly used rentals, leaks are inevitable if you dive often enough. Orings are cheap, and easy to change. If you inspect it at the shop, you can often ask them to change it there. I've seen some shops that include spare orings on a string around the valve incase a renter needs one.
 
If this was due to an old or dry "o-ring" for next time recall to check them or simply change it. otherwise it's something more serious. As a leak due to an "o-ring" will cause for air to escape quickly. Observation! is always required. Always check equipment prior to leaving the shop and a dive.

Have fun diving and enjoy!!!
 
Typically, any 'fizzing' from between the cylinder and the tank valve is caused by wear to an o-ring that helps seal the valve onto the tank. The gas lost due to this is likely to be minimal, to the point of being unnoticeable. It is a common problem and easily rectified by simply replacing the o-ring. If you were already on the dive, or in a position where you couldn't easily return or replace the tank, then it would probably be ok to dive with the cylinder. Having said that, if you are paying to rent that cylinder then you expect a cylinder in perfect working order... so definitely get it changed if that is convenient.

The only thing that you really need to worry about is whether there was any corrosion or damage to the cylinder valve threads. If the tanks are properly serviced/inspected, that should be highly unlikely.
 
puuhhleeeze.... bubbles happen.

I expect to rent a perfect tank, when I get to that perfect world my parents perfectly raised me for.

In the USA, tanks get inspected annually. Most reputable shops replace the "tank to valve" o-ring at that time. Even with the optimum lube amount and a new o-ring, sometimes "champagne bubbles" happen from day one; Murphy is everywhere.

When you were ready to splash was the tank still full? So it leaked how much since it was filled? Could everyone with first hand knowledge of a dive that had any problems (other than mental) due the big, main, "tank to valve" o-ring failure please speak up?

Most experienced divers would make the dive and then tell the dive shop about the tank o-ring bubbles when they return the tank. :idk:
 
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Depending on the dive and the size of the leak, most of the time I don't worry about them. A blown oring in easy dive conditions is nothing more than a PITA, way off shore on a deep wreck is a different matter. Our LDS makes it a habit to keep spare Orings on the valve cap string of our rental tanks just in case the customer has an issue with the oring. Plus, you really should carry a few and a pick. We will give the customer a few if they ask, a shop that is too cheap to give a customer who is renting tanks from them a couple of tank orings is a shop to avoid.
I like the oring accessory sold at most dive shops that looks like a tiny scuba tank. It has several sizes of oring and a pick inside.
 
It was stated that the o-ring between the valve and tank! The OP is not going to change that and refill at the dive site unless he has a comp. Leaking gas is leaking gas. To say you don't have a problem with it is OK. The Op may have aproblem with it and thus the ? . So if he feels he needs a different one that does not leak, it sure is fine with me. I personally do not dive leaky gear because I make sure of it with some applied care. A rental you have to count on another to do so, and I would venture to say I would expect no leaks. In my perfect world the tanks do not leak and are filled to the max! Go dive!
See you topside! John
 
Me, myself and I would prefer not to dive any leaking equipment regardless of how minor it is, especially if it was rented and especially if going right back to the dive shop was convenient enough.

Can I evaluate how serious a leak like that is and manage my gas (and risk) with a known leak so as not to scrub the dive? Sure.

Do I want to if I don't have to? NO!
 
We rented tanks for a shore dive today and when we finally got in the water my sons tank was leaking between the tank and the valve. I took the tank right back to the dive shop and was told that it wasn't a big deal and that the leak was nothing to worry about. To me an air leak that may be minor could turn it to something major in a short time, am I wrong?

Oddly enough, a leak at the tank neck is pretty much the only leak I won't dive with. (I carry spare o-rings for the external connection)

There are a number of things this could be and none of them are good:

  • The tank neck o-ring is dried out, cracked or damaged. This should have been caught during it's VIP, which means it probably hasn't hasn't had one in a really long time or ever. If the o-ring was new and the valve and tank were clean and OK when reassembled, the o-ring should last much longer than the next vip/hydro period.
  • The threads are damaged, which may mean that the neck is cracking (this is really bad)
  • The valve does not have the correct thread for the tank neck, which is even worse.

"Not having air on the dive" shouldn't have been a big issue. Having the tank explode would be. In any case, all three show a lack of maintenance and not only would I have returned it, I would have picked up the replacement tank somewhere else.

flots.
 
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