Hydros...Is this crazy or am I?

[Gombessa]

I think you're getting a bit confused (not your fault) with terminology. To clarify:

It sounds like you brought your tanks into a DIVE SHOP, which either sends tanks out to a HYDRO SHOP (more commonly, a hydro facility) for the actual hydrostatic test, or does the hydro in-house (not as common). A dive shop, when it gets the tanks back from the hydro facility, will perform a viz, re-install your valve and fill your tank if the hydro facility doesn't do that.

A hydro facility will often accept tanks (with or without valves), perform the hydro test, and return the tank to you as-is.

People "in the know" will sometimes bypass the dive shop and bring their tanks in to the hydro facility directly, in order to save time/money (shops often charge $20-40 per hydro, the hydro facility itself charges $5-15 for the hydro). That's what Oxyhacker is talking about - he's dealing directly with the hydro people. Most regular folks like you and I just drop off tanks at the dive shop, which is a more full-service affair.

 

[pollywogg]

I think you're getting a bit confused (not your fault) with terminology. To clarify:

It sounds like you brought your tanks into a DIVE SHOP, which either sends tanks out to a HYDRO SHOP (more commonly, a hydro facility) for the actual hydrostatic test, or does the hydro in-house (not as common). A dive shop, when it gets the tanks back from the hydro facility, will perform a viz, re-install your valve and fill your tank if the hydro facility doesn't do that.

A hydro facility will often accept tanks without valves, perform the hydro test, and return the tank to you as-is.

People "in the know" will sometimes bypass the dive shop and bring their tanks in to the hydro facility directly, in order to save time/money (shops often charge $20-40 per hydro, the hydro facility itself charges $5-15 for the hydro). That's what Oxyhacker is talking about - he's dealing directly with the hydro people. Most regular folks like you and I just drop off tanks at the dive shop, which is a more full-service affair.

Thank you for the information, but I did indeed take it to the hydro shop(facility), not a dive shop. This facility charges $35 for the hydro/vis(!), the only other one I know about is in Palm Beach County and charges $40(!) for the hydro/vis, but that one is a dive shop as well. I understand that these facilities tend to do hydro only. This one does hydro and vis for SCUBA, SCBA, and fire extinguishers, and, as far as I know, is the only one in Broward County. Because this facility does offer the full service(they will also tumble the tanks and polish or blast if necessary, in addition to the hydro/vis), I made to sure to ask specifically about my valves. I was told that with the hydro/vis comes valve install/reinstall and an air fill.

 

[Gombessa]

My reading comprehension just sucks today, you clearly stated hydro shop in your first post. My bad

 

[DennisW]

When I get a tank hydro'd, I expect it to be dried completely, vizually inspected, and my valve put on immediately. Preferably the hydro facility will have a compressor and will either fill or put at least 500 lbs of air in the tank. The tank should be vizually inspected immediately after the drying process and the valve installed immediately as well. Especially for a steel tank.

 

[vshearer]

Actually this is standard for most hydro's. They will leave them unplugged. With AL it is not such a big deal.

Dive shops, I assume, will then wiisk or at least rinse and dry before putting the valve back in. So I also take mine to a hydro facility, then tumble or wisk, rinse and dry, and know I have a clean, pristine tank.

I would suggest all ask their dive shop the procedure.

By the way, anything over 15$ from the actual hydro facility is rape.

 

[Graeme Tolton]

Sounds like a good place to avoid!

 

[captain]

I often bring my tanks to the hydro shop without a valve. I want to look in it after they are done anyway so why have them install it. My shop charges $18.00

 

[clay144]

I don't know the regulations in Fla, but here in NJ, I take my tanks to a shop that does the tanks for the fire cos. I can truly say that I trust Eric, because I have seen him Hydro a tank, he does all of the Fire Dept tanks for the Trenton area, and every tank is Current Eddied inspected and taped over befor it comes back to me. I have been taking all of my coustomers tanks to Eric for 8 years now, and have never had a problem finding the tank or with the cleanleness of the shop (very important). If you have anything like that in Florida, you should give it a try. Trust the professionals.

 

[coldsmoke]

This thread made me think of a brief conversation I had with our only local hydro facility a couple of weeks ago.

So I have a few future bank bottles that I was having trouble removing the valves on. I called the local hydro shop to see if they offered steam cleaning of the bottles and that at minimum I needed help removing the valves. He asked what kind of bottles and I told him 2400 psi T bottles and a couple of 4500 psi K's. He asked what those were.

I wasn't really sure how to answer him because I don't know of any other name for the bottles. Even if there are other naming conventions that I am unaware of, you'd think that I hydro shop tech would be familiar with the letter names.

Anyway, I decided to try a little harder to remove the valves myself.

Hunter

 

[dannobee]

...So I have a few future bank bottles that I was having trouble removing the valves on. I called the local hydro shop to see if they offered steam cleaning of the bottles and that at minimum I needed help removing the valves. He asked what kind of bottles and I told him 2400 psi T bottles and a couple of 4500 psi K's. He asked what those were.

I wasn't really sure how to answer him because I don't know of any other name for the bottles. Even if there are other naming conventions that I am unaware of, you'd think that I hydro shop tech would be familiar with the letter names.

Anyway, I decided to try a little harder to remove the valves myself.

Hunter

This is often a problem. Scuba people call the big bottles "T" bottles. Welding people (at least around here) would look at you with a blank stare if you called anything a K; they call them "250's" as in ~250 or 330 cu ft, even though it could be anywhere from 250-350 cu ft. The ones in my area are actually "330's" , but the gas guys still call them "250's." The skinnier ones that are a little shorter are called "125's" because, you guessed it, they hold ~125 cu ft of gas.

Call him back and tell him you have some 250's that you need hydroed.