Does air go bad?

[grouchyturtle]

I saw this question a while ago, but I can't find the thread, so I'm asking it again.

Does the air in a tank ever go bad. If does it depend on he kind of gas in the cylinder, type of tank, etc. How long is it good for.

For example: Say I do my last dive in October, get my tank filled, but then never do a second dive. Then I don't dive all winter. Come Spring can I dive with that tank, or do I need to dump the air and get it refilled?

 

[Genesis]

If there is no contamination (e.g. salt water, etc) in the tank, then the air should be good for quite a long time. Note that the ABO (Aviator's breathing oxygen) tanks I get for mixing up my Nitrox have an expiration date on them - that is a couple of years in the future! Needless to say they don't last that long around here

The spring should be fine. I'd hook up a reg and take a couple of breaths off it - if it doesn't taste funny, go ahead and use it.

If its a steel tank you might be wise to check the O2 content (steel rusts, and that consumes O2) and if in doubt dump it - the fill is only a few bucks.

I had a tank with air in it that was ~6 months old before I used it, and it was fine.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

You should have a VIP annually at which point the tank has to be emptied anyway. Year old air should be fine as long as the tank does not have water in it to aide the corrosion/rust process which can lower the O2 content of the air. If it's older than a year, I'd dump it anyway just to be safe and then get the tank VIP'd.

If in doubt, I dump it and refill it. Air is cheap, your health insurance deductible and co-pay isn't .

 

[grouchyturtle]

I'm going to get it checked every year like your suppossed to.

I'm not that stupid!

I was just wondering if it's good for up to a few months if I don't dive. Less than a year.

Actually it would probably just be in the winter, in which case all my gear would be in for annual maintanance the begining of the season anyway.

 

[Big-t-2538]

The tanks should be good to go so long as you have had VIPs in the past. It would be really rare for the air to go bad....if you want to be certain...you can always just crack the vavle very very slightly and smell the air coming out.

 

[grouchyturtle]

What does bad air smell like anyway?

 

[Genesis]

If it does, there's a potential problem....

 

[H2OHead]

grunzster once bubbled...
What does bad air smell like anyway?

Ever been to Philadelphia?

 

[grouchyturtle]

No, but I do live pretty close to Ellizabeth, Newark,and NYC.

And I drove past that swamp area on the parkay just past the Rariton toll plaza last week. Mmmm Mmmm now that's some fresh air!