How to properly clean the inside of the tank?

[Mandy3206]

Hi, last summer, I loaned one of my Al 80 to a friend who was cleaning the underside of his boat, while working on the boat, he emptied the tank and the tank sat empty for a few months.
Last week, I filled the tank and found that the air tasted weird, so I emptied the tank and took out the valve to perform a visual. I found inside the tank a very small amount of white dust which I believe is Al corrosion.

I would like to know how is the proper way to clean a tank in this condition since the Hydro was made less than a yr ago and I don't think that the tank is damaged due to the small amount of dust found. This is new to me, since in 10 yrs performing the visuals for my own tanks, I've never found corrosion dust or residue inside one.

Should I just rinse it and let it dry?
Is there any special solution that needs to be rinsed with to stop the corrosion from spreading?

Any help would be appreciated
Thanks

Mandy

 

[dbg40]

Bring it in and let a shop do it.

 

[Hoosier]

If you find any mark of rust, you might neee some thumbling process.

You can do it by yourself with some gravels though. It used to take a long time. AL isn't rust very easily. So, check out the inside like you did for the visual inspection... And, if there is no rust sign, put some simple green and rinse it and dry it. It is a kind of O2 cleaning process. It isn't a sky rocket science, but a messy work.

 

[426Scuba]

FYI if a cylinder is tumbled with media it is required to be re-hydroed per CGA and DOT title 49.

 

[Dive-aholic]

You can try a rinse and dry. Best thing is to make a tank holder that will hold the tank upside down for the drying process. Simple green is a common detergent used for O2 cleaning, just make sure it is completely rinsed out. If there is any rust in the tank, you're better off bringing it to a shop. Tumbling isn't an easy process if you're not set up for it.

Oh, and don't lend your tanks out anymore...

 

[oxyhacker]

Actually current thinking is that it is not required, in most cases. The amount of material removed is just not enough to matter. I think Bill High discusses this in his book.

Especially for the sort of light tumbling wash that would be used in the case being discussed.

FYI if a cylinder is tumbled with media it is required to be re-hydroed per CGA and DOT title 49.

 

[Yoyodyne-88]

Oxyhacker,

Did you get the mouse out of my tank yet...?

 

[426Scuba]

Oxyhacker,

Did you get the mouse out of my tank yet...?

I found a frog in a cylinder once (not a scuba cylinder) it was the worst smell in the world.

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

I found a frog in a cylinder once (not a scuba cylinder) it was the worst smell in the world.

My great uncle had a cat he'd found in the walls of his old shop, didn't smell at all but it had this big hole where the rear end had rotted away and it looked like spongy calcium inside but the thing was brittle,

I get my tanks tumbled with media annually and no one ever suggested they require additional hydros.

 

[426Scuba]

I get my tanks tumbled with media annually and no one ever suggested they require additional hydros.

Why do you get them tumbled annually? If the inside is kept dry you should never need to. O2 cleaning I could see doing annually, but that to would be excessive in my mind.

Any time you use mechanical cleaners inside or outside of the cylinder it should be re-hydroed per CGA. Now do most places do this no. Why? Because most people believe it does not remove alot of material that it would cause a problem.