If a cylinder had broken glass in it can it be tumbled out or would it be safer to get a different tank?
Broken glass
- Thread starter leabre
- Start date
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Peter_C
Contributor
How did the broken glass get into it? I would just about consider it a tumbling media.
OP
broken inspection light.
No reason I can think of, just needs to be cleaned good....unless it was a floresent light in which case I would be more concerned about the chemicals in the light than the glass. Still, it just needs to be cleaned.
fire_diver
Contributor
Just have it cleaned and inspected. It'll be just fine.
KD8NPB
Contributor
I would just blow it out with Grade E air and call it a day.
A hose attached to a yoke is a handy thing.
A hose attached to a yoke is a handy thing.
OP
The line attached to my inspection light un-knotted during an inspection of my wife's tank and it dropped into the tank right smack on top of the light bulb. So the question was asked to determine whether I should buy a new tank or whether a tumble would be enough. I'm happy to buy her a new tank if it would avoid any health complications.
There should be no health concerns, even if all you do is invert the cylinder and let the residual broken glass fall out, tapping the sides with a rubber hammer as you do it (I would do a bit more than that, only making a point here about the safety margin - any small residual particulate matter that might just happen to get into the dip tube, and make it all the way through the valve, into the regulator, should be captured by the filter). Having said that, a possible 'health concern' might be if a piece of glass of just the right size managed to somehow become lodged in the dip tube and obstructed it. The chances of that happening are really quite small, but the consequences might be 'undesirable'.
So, three options, all of which begin with simply inverting the cylinder as noted above, to let the majority of glass particles fall out: 1. Use a LP hose to thoroughly blow out the interior to eliminate any remaining particles, if any; 2. Use a water hose and thoroughly flush the interior of the tank, while it is in an inverted position - I mean gallons of water, not a simple spray - then let it dry in an inverted position; 3. Have the tank tumbled - with glass beads, and a cleaning solution - then rinsed and allowed to dry.
If it was my tank, and I was going to breathe from it, I would probably go with 2. If it was mine, and there was any reason that I needed to tumble it anyway (oxygen cleaning, observed accumulation of flash rust on a steel tank, etc.), I would tumble it (but I have ready access to tumbling equipment and supplies, so doing so is not an issue of cost or convenience for me).
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