Tank explosion - San Pedro Belize

[Paulmal]

You've got me beat. I won't pick up in FL, don't need them that bad!

I'll take them, I live in Fl so the pick up. Is no problem.

 

[Clammy]

Bit of a hijack here but WOW.....how much did that cost?

I'd imagine it wouldn't cost that much unless they KNEW it was a tank. An empty LP120 is what like 50lbs? You can probably get away with it shoved in a bag with padding and pay the overweight fee. If they KNEW it was a tank, a lot of the airlines tack on some stupid exorbitant charge ($100?) even though it's empty with the valve off and essentially just a large paperweight at that point.

---------- Post Merged at 11:30 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 11:22 AM ----------

They fill nitrox pre-blended over there and not partial pressure so he wouldn't have been filling anything with just O2.

 

[diverdorr68]

Bit of a hijack here but WOW.....how much did that cost?

I was not charged extra, but had to show the cylinder to the TSA. That was in Jan-Feb of 2010. I had to be under 70 pounds and just made it including the separated valve and the suitcase. The used Samsonite I got from a thrift store was all but destroyed by the time I took the ferry back to my place. One thing, it is still there and not ever coming back. To heavy to do again. I sold it to the LDS owner and switched over to 100cf AL luxfers for longer shallow dives.

 

[themagni]

Breaking news that a compressor operator at Amigos del Mar dive shop was killed this afternoon when a tank he was filling exploded. More news as it comes.

I'm really sorry to hear that.

 

[Doc Harry]

Almost every single documented scuba cylinder explosion was caused by neck cracks in the old 6351 aluminum cylinders. All of the 6351 explosions occurred during filling at pressures well below the cylinder's rated fill pressure.

One explosion was caused by a manufacturing defect - slag was accidentally included into the wall of the cylinder. This one also failed during filling.

Recently an aluminum deco bottle filled with oxygen exploded when the owner accidentally knocked it over.

Proper inspections, at proper intervals, should prevent explosions from occurring during the filling process. That's why the inspections are being done. These inspections include visual inspections, hydrostatic testing, and eddy current testing. There are rare exceptions (like the cylinder with slag).

FYI, we call visual inspections "annuals," but the actual recommended frequency of visual inspections can be more frequent than annually (e.g., a busy dive shop should be doing visual inspections at least as often as quarterly).

 

[SC_Hoaty]

Proper inspections, at proper intervals, should prevent explosions from occurring during the filling process. That's why the inspections are being done. These inspections include visual inspections, hydrostatic testing, and eddy current testing. There are rare exceptions (like the cylinder with slag).

FYI, we call visual inspections "annuals," but the actual recommended frequency of visual inspections can be more frequent than annually (e.g., a busy dive shop should be doing visual inspections at least as often as quarterly).

Do we know how often they are performed in Belize?

 

[Scared Silly]

I personally no longer keep aluminum tanks that are older than two hydros because of my belief that the repetative filling cycles cause too much stress and wear on a soft metal tank made of aluminum.

I certainly hope you drive to all your dives as you might be surprised at the age of some aircraft and how many cycles and the stress the aluminum wings and body are subjected to. BTW I hear Henny calling ...

 

[DMDavid]

I certainly hope you drive to all your dives as you might be surprised at the age of some aircraft and how many cycles and the stress the aluminum wings and body are subjected to. BTW I hear Henny calling ...

Whenever I need to sell any 15 year old tanks I know I can count on you to buy them off me so that I can keep getting newer ones. :cool2:
I pay an average of $130 per tank and use it for 15 years (that's two hydros during my ownership) and then I sell it for an average of $75, so that means that it has cost me around $55 + $30 per hydro = $7.70 per year to own fairly new tanks.
With the money I make off selling OLD tanks to you I can now buy NEW tanks for only $55 out of pocket and I have the peace of mind of having a new tank.
And for that, I thank you, my family thanks you and my dive buddies thank you.


And as a pilot I am fully aware of the t/o and landing cycle stress that my aircraft is under, but the testing procedure for an aircraft is not to stress it out to see if it fails.
For the record I trust an aluminum built aircraft way more than I trust composites.

Note to self:
SB members to sell my 15 year old tanks to for quick sale -

• Notso_Ken
• PfcAJ
• Paulmal
• Scared Silly

 

[CMAN]

Whenever I need to sell any 15 year old tanks I know I can count on you to buy them off me so that I can keep getting newer ones. :cool2:
I pay an average of $130 per tank and use it for 15 years (that's two hydros during my ownership) and then I sell it for an average of $75, so that means that it has cost me around $55 + $30 per hydro = $7.70 per year to own fairly new tanks.
With the money I make off selling OLD tanks to you I can now buy NEW tanks for only $55 out of pocket and I have the peace of mind of having a new tank.
And for that, I thank you, my family thanks you and my dive buddies thank you.


And as a pilot I am fully aware of the t/o and landing cycle stress that my aircraft is under, but the testing procedure for an aircraft is not to stress it out to see if it fails.
For the record I trust an aluminum built aircraft way more than I trust composites.

Note to self:
SB members to sell my 15 year old tanks to for quick sale -

• Notso_Ken
• PfcAJ
• Paulmal
• Scared Silly

I must have missed the reply where anyone offered you $75 for your used tanks!

 

[DMDavid]

I must have missed the reply where anyone offered you $75 for your used tanks!

I had several criticizing my 15 year use of my personal tanks and most if not all said they would take them, so my going rate for used tanks is $75.
They did not ask how much I was selling them for, the merely passed judgement on my reasons for not wanting to keep them beyond 15 years.

For the record, at the moment I have no tanks older than 6 years so everyone will have to wait an additional 9 years for my next selling cycle.