Old steels denied fills due to store "policy"

[Storker]

The issue with cylinders, is that there is no real record of their history.

So what?

If a tank, particularly a steel tank, has current vis and hydro stickers, what more do you need?

 

[Bert van den Berg]

I'm a USA citizen living in New Zealand. The local dive shop refused to hydro my relatively new pony bottle because it's a USA certified bottle and doesn't have a New Zealand certification. I can understand not filling it (I do that myself), but to not test it? New Zealand sells the same pony bottle manufactured by the same USA company (Catalina) but with a New Zealand certification. I think the LDS was trying to get me to buy a new pony bottle from them.

 

[JackD342]

I'm a USA citizen living in New Zealand. The local dive shop refused to hydro my relatively new pony bottle because it's a USA certified bottle and doesn't have a New Zealand certification. I can understand not filling it (I do that myself), but to not test it? New Zealand sells the same pony bottle manufactured by the same USA company (Catalina) but with a New Zealand certification. I think the LDS was trying to get me to buy a new pony bottle from them.

Totally expected and understandable. In the US, requalifiers are totally governed by (US) DOT standards and individual permits, and would never touch a tank that was not DOT stamped regardless of anyone's opinion that it was "the same tank". I would think you just experienced the flipside with another country's regulations.

 

[runsongas]

I'm a USA citizen living in New Zealand. The local dive shop refused to hydro my relatively new pony bottle because it's a USA certified bottle and doesn't have a New Zealand certification. I can understand not filling it (I do that myself), but to not test it? New Zealand sells the same pony bottle manufactured by the same USA company (Catalina) but with a New Zealand certification. I think the LDS was trying to get me to buy a new pony bottle from them.

find out who the local catalina distributor is and see if you can bring your tank to them and have them overstamp it with the equivalent NZ certification

 

[Bert van den Berg]

Thanks for the suggestion runsongas. To get the USA pony bottle certified for use in New Zealand costs more than a new pony bottle.

It's kind of funny because New Zealand does not allow lawsuits (for personal injury) whereas the USA is known for its litigious ways so I would think that tanks sold in the USA would have as good or better a safety rating than those sold in a country without lawsuits.

 

[Diving Dubai]

So what?

If a tank, particularly a steel tank, has current vis and hydro stickers, what more do you need?

If its all the same to you, I'll r ate my years on metallurgical and NDT experience above that of someone who's done a 1 or 2 day "inspection course" YMMV

For the record, I recently carried out Eddy current (VE) and Ultrasonic inspections on a batch of personal cylinders belonging to me and a couple of friends (roughly 60) mainly steels but a few Al 80 and S40's for piece on mind

I found 1 small neck crack (not detectable by vis) and 2 material voids

All had just passed hydro and vis

 

[Storker]

For the record, I recently carried out Eddy current (VE) and Ultrasonic inspections on a batch of personal cylinders belonging to me and a couple of friends (roughly 60) mainly steels but a few Al 80 and S40's for piece on mind

I found 1 small neck crack (not detectable by vis) and 2 material voids

All had just passed hydro and vis

I can see that that's an argument that current hydro and vis isn't a guarantee that the tank is OK.

I can't see that it's a particularly strong argument that an old steel tank is suspect just because of its age.

 

[AfterDark]

I have 8 steel tanks none newer than 1978. I take them to a fire extinguisher testing facility for hydro. The LDS does the yearly VIP. Go to any construction site in the USA you'll find steel HP tanks 400cuft with manufacturing dates from the 1940's and 50's all tested all working.
My guess is those tanks don't get VIP every year either. Tanks don't need to be perfect, just up to the job, hydro testing is the standard for that, if it passes it's up to the job.

 

[Ana]

Tanks don't need to be perfect, just up to the job, hydro testing is the standard for that, if it passes it's up to the job.

ooooooh how dare you? hmmmm what cowboy attitude ! ...and you are saying that openly in a forum where everyone can read this.
Now some new diver is going to somehow misinterpret your post and go diving with his grandmother's fire extinguisher.... unbelievable!!!

 

[BenjaminF]

ooooooh how dare you? hmmmm what cowboy attitude ! ...and you are saying that openly in a forum where everyone can read this.
Now some new diver is going to somehow misinterpret your post and go diving with his grandmother's fire extinguisher.... unbelievable!!!

Please post pictures!