How long is it safe to store air in your scuba tanks?
- Thread starter Bogie
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
There's nothing better than Rocky Mountain Fresh Air mixed w/ PURE O2!
HEY BOGIE.
Good question. My opinion;;;;;; you dont leave tanks on full presure for storage. metel has to relax sometine. There is somewhere a thing about storing less than 50 lbs psi. that is not for protecting the the material from presure. i has to do with corrosion. steel rusts in o2 environment the higher psi the higher the ppo2 and the faster the rusting process. So i think that is the real reason for storing at lp and not working psi. most willl not see anything in the tank as most fills are good dry air, however a damp fill could do you in over time. i have not seen problems in my tanks having them full for a year and the o2 is good when i test them prior to use but i now make it a practice to run them down to <100 for the rusting issue. one never knows what he got filled with the last time. besides who needs a "BOMB" in the closet. Especially if your dive site has a good filling service.
------------------------------------------------------
How long is it safe to store air in your scuba tanks?
dioxide, argon)
Are there any scientific studies on this?[/QUOTE]
Good question. My opinion;;;;;; you dont leave tanks on full presure for storage. metel has to relax sometine. There is somewhere a thing about storing less than 50 lbs psi. that is not for protecting the the material from presure. i has to do with corrosion. steel rusts in o2 environment the higher psi the higher the ppo2 and the faster the rusting process. So i think that is the real reason for storing at lp and not working psi. most willl not see anything in the tank as most fills are good dry air, however a damp fill could do you in over time. i have not seen problems in my tanks having them full for a year and the o2 is good when i test them prior to use but i now make it a practice to run them down to <100 for the rusting issue. one never knows what he got filled with the last time. besides who needs a "BOMB" in the closet. Especially if your dive site has a good filling service.
------------------------------------------------------
How long is it safe to store air in your scuba tanks?
How long is it safe to store air in your scuba tanks safely without resupplying with fresh air?
I personally would not use air that was over 60 days. (just my preference)
How does Oxygen content degrade in stored scuba tanks? You start with an air fill with the normal 21% Oxygen. If you store a full tank for 3,6, or 12 months does the Oxygen content decrease? What if stored longer 2, 3, 5 years? Does temperature, moisture, or other factors contribute? What about type and physical make up (steel, AL, composite) of the tank? Are there other factors (rust, organic growth etc.) that can make the air unsafe?
Do the other gases of air in the tank change concentration? (Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon)
Are there any scientific studies on this?
I personally would not use air that was over 60 days. (just my preference)
How does Oxygen content degrade in stored scuba tanks? You start with an air fill with the normal 21% Oxygen. If you store a full tank for 3,6, or 12 months does the Oxygen content decrease? What if stored longer 2, 3, 5 years? Does temperature, moisture, or other factors contribute? What about type and physical make up (steel, AL, composite) of the tank? Are there other factors (rust, organic growth etc.) that can make the air unsafe?
Do the other gases of air in the tank change concentration? (Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon)
Are there any scientific studies on this?
dioxide, argon)
Are there any scientific studies on this?[/QUOTE]
This should answer most of the questions
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ta...-cylinder-long-term-storage-fact-fiction.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ta...-cylinder-long-term-storage-fact-fiction.html
Garth
Contributor
Until the next hydro/viz?
I don't feel it's safe to let air sit for two weeks and that's why I tell my wife I have to dive at least once a week.
I don't feel it's safe to let air sit for two weeks and that's why I tell my wife I have to dive at least once a week.
Hatul
Contributor
Along the lines of Andy's post, being into animal welfare I only buy cage free and free-range air. Sure it costs a little more, but I feel better that the animals are treated humanely.
Similar threads
