Do you have your own tank?

[diverkim]

I wonder how many local divers own their own tanks? What is the average life span of a tank before it fails the hydrostatic test.
Do steel tanks last longer than aluminium tanks?

 

[Aquamaniac]

I have many, mostly Al's.
Life span?
Depends on how you look after them. My oldest are 14 years (first one's I ever bought), and passed Hydro last year.
They are in pristine condition and I hope to get another 10 out of those two .
Steels are more prone to rust, Al's are more prone to expansion.
Once again, it depends on how you treat them, and how good your fill gas is. At home I fill my own with only the best gas (made in Australia gas)


Dave

Footnote: A hydro is required EVERY year in Oz, and VIP is non existant. As a result a well looked after, older tank will look like hell around the break due to the excessive number of stamps, I wish they would do something about that, Id rather a plastic card with the serial# on it and the hydro status or something similar

 

[Rooster1]

if you have your own tanks it is cheaper then renting over the long run and I have heard the life span of a tank is 40-50 years

 

[trymixdiver]

I have 6 tanks all about 6-8 yrs old and still going strong.

I havent had a tank fail yet so i cant say im any help there.

I would say the tank life dosent depend on its material as much as its care over time. You may take perfect care of your tanks, but if the LDS is pumping crappy quality air then your tanks not going to last nearly as long regardless of what it is made of.

Can someone post info on air quailty from the LDS. Is there an organization that analzyes LDS air quality ?

Whats the LDS responsibility to air quality ?

Are they required to post anything regarding the air quality ?

Andy

 

[DiveTub]

Rooster1 once bubbled...
if you have your own tanks it is cheaper then renting over the long run and I have heard the life span of a tank is 40-50 years

Depends on How many dives you do a year

Add together the cost of the tank, How much an airfill is and hydros.

divide that by how many dives you are doing into a year check this figure aginst hiring a tank over say 10 years.

What is cheaper ?

I have 8 Fabers 4X85Ft and 4X100Ft

 

[bwerb]

to post or have available for viewing an independent lab assesment of their air quality? These should be updated frequently as the filters are replaced. I would be concerned if a LDS didn't let you see where the tanks were being filled or made a big deal about any inquiries about the standards they are keeping.

I had an instructor once make the comment that he always felt somewhat protected if the owner of the dive shop was a frequent diver who filled his tanks at the shop. It is very expensive to change compressor filters and if the maintenance is not done correctly, air quality suffers. Therefore it follows that if the owner uses the air, they should be pretty careful about ensuring the air is decent.

Just some thoughts.

 

[Rooster]

I had to go and count them all. I have 25 personel tanks. Ok give me a break, I didn't buy them all. A friend who left Island gave me 5 of them ;-} A couple of them are due Hydro and a I have 4 in for Vips, but all are in good shape. Some of the AL 67s I have have just passed thier third (after manufacture) hydro.

 

[Strick]

I agree with what some of the others are saying. Depending on how you treat your tanks will determine it's individual life expectancy. I perform Hydro and VIP inspections, the VIP inspection itself will not harm a tank, Hydro however, due to marking the tank with stamps will weaken it over a period of many inspections (in theory). The Hydro is performed every 5 years, so even a 10 year old tank will get inspected 2 times (barring abnormal conditions that may warrent an out of cycle Hydro inspection). That tank, if cared for properly will last you many years to come... Like the rest of your scuba gear, it is not a cheap investment... with that being said, why abuse it, throw it away, and neglect it. With proper care, you will never have to replace it. Steel tanks as someone else mentioned, are prone to rust/corrosion faster if not cared for. They are also heavier (which you don't notice underwater). Aluminum tanks will expand over the years since it isn't a hard metal like steel. You can not prevent this, but just because it expands a little doesn't mean it is unserviceable... thus one of the reasons tanks must undergo a 5 year Hydro inspection and 1 year Visual inspection for your safety!
=-)

 

[subdude]

I have 7 al 80's, 2 al 92's, and an o2 clean steel 72.

subdude

 

[Stone]

8 AL80s and a 13 cf pony (and I'm holding one of subdude's AL80s hostage)