HELP ME ID THESE TANKS

[Deep South Divers]

Kinda a weird one, but here ya go:

A client of mine is a captain on a large sailing yacht that came to the Savannah, GA USA area and is looking to sell the scuba tanks off the boat. Like the vessel and the crew, they're European.

Shoulder stamps say:

SCUBAPRO
M25 D ecs YON126 UT
PS232PT348BAR
16.2kg 12L 4.7mm

I'm interested in the buoyancy characteristics of these tanks and the dry weight. The crew says that they measure 7.7" in diameter, which sounds like a botched measuring job. They also say they're 21" tall without the boot or valve, which - at 12l capacity - would hint that it's really a short, fat, 8" diameter tank. I can't see how something that small weighs in at 16.2kg... 35.7 pounds!

Clearly they're SCUBAPRO brand, which everyone tells me is actually made by Faber, but Faber says they're not theirs. The long neck, round bottoms and pressure rating suggest they're steel. Their pain scheme definitely says Europe.

Manufacture date is 6/2010, which could be month 6 or week 6. I'm not sure.

232 BAR = 3365 psi. I assume that's the working pressure, except that I expected a "PW" number, not a "PS" number.

Without DOT numbers, getting them hydroed will be an issue... And they're currently out of date. But I am close with my hydrostatic tester, and he is willing to test them and date stamp them, but can't offer a DOT rating. I'm okay with that as a commercial guy with his own compressors.

Help from divers on the other side of the pond, perhaps? I really need to know what they are, their buoyancy characteristics, and their empty weight. Also, will a standard Thermo "Pro" DIN/yoke convertible valve fit them?

Thanks in advance!

 

[runsongas]

looks like a short 12L from ECS (Eurocylinders System AG). 204mm which is roughly 8 inch diameter. already has a convertible scubapro valve it looks like. m25 threaded so the usual 3/4 thermo valves wont work. buoyancy is probably closer to a hp80 than conventional hp100 though.

 

[Deep South Divers]

OMG, you may have cracked the code.

I've sent an inquiry to ECS and a request for specs.

 

[WarrenZ]

I think I remember that you can hydro non DOT tanks that are in service on ships/aircraft however the rule is normally used since said tanks will be leaving the US on board the ship. But if you have your own compressor you can do what you want. I commend you on keeping them in hydro I know of a lot of people with their own compressor (including diveshops) who dont worry about Hydros or VIPs on their tanks. I dont think it would be too bad unless you need to get them filled while you are on the road.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Per the Faber data base, they've made total of 70 different 12 liter capacity tanks. None exactly match the specifications provided but this one comes close:

CYLINDER'S FEATURES:

Working Pressure = 232 bar
Test Pressure = 348 bar

Water Capacity 12L (nominal)

External Diameter (D) 204.4 (nominal, mm)

Length (L) 520 (nominal, mm)

Weight 15.2 (nominal, kg)

According to CEE/EEC/EWG 84/525 (EUROPE)
Cylinder manufactured from plate
Chromium molybdenum steel

 

[runsongas]

the posted tanks aren't made by faber. they are made by a german company, ECS.

 

[Deep South Divers]

I think I remember that you can hydro non DOT tanks that are in service on ships/aircraft however the rule is normally used since said tanks will be leaving the US on board the ship. But if you have your own compressor you can do what you want. I commend you on keeping them in hydro I know of a lot of people with their own compressor (including diveshops) who dont worry about Hydros or VIPs on their tanks. I dont think it would be too bad unless you need to get them filled while you are on the road.

Thanks!

I admit to being rather slack about it, although I take the hydro much more seriously than the VIP. I'm not certified to do VIPs myself, but I have read and fully understand the instructions for the procedure as published by Luxfer, from whom I have many tanks. I bought a tank light and check them regularly in accordance with the instructions, which frankly I trust more than some dive shop monkeys. I just never got certified to do VIPs.

Hydros, on the other hand, I consider to be the real test. There's a place 20 minutes away, too, where I have it done, so it's not difficult or complicated.

the posted tanks aren't made by faber. they are made by a german company, ECS.

Yep, and I would agree. The lowercase letters on the tank shoulder seem to support this, as does the "These are not our tanks" email I got from Faber. I sent them an email to verify it, but haven't heard back from them yet. I'm comfortable at this point in the belief that they were made by Euro Cylinder Systems.

 

[halocline]

I think the hydro shop will have trouble testing the tanks unless they have an adapter to fit those threads. At least I remember hearing something about that at a local hydro shop where they had a very nice set of LP85 doubles sitting around from Europe they couldn't test.

 

[Scared Silly]

FWIW - PS232PT348BAR

pressure service 232 bar
pressure test 348 bar

Adjectives follow nouns in latin languages.

 

[tursiops]

Adjectives follow nouns in latin languages.

?? You mean, as in, "This is an incorrect statement?"