Is my air still good after 8 months?

[DaleC]

I bought a steel 72 once that had only the original 1958 hydro stamp - still had air in it.

If you intend to vent the tank make sure to look into CEPA regulations regarding introduction of contaminated gasses into the atmosphere. 2011 amendments according to the Gershwin accord make this a class 6 contravention requiring 6a.2 inspection.

 

[scubadada]

Luckily, air does not go bad, no expiration date

 

[Peter_C]

A dinosaur might have had bad breath, so I would recommend replacing your air with fresh air, straight from a city full of cars.

 

[jeangadbois]

Im sure the air is still good, ut if you are worried why not just dump the air and get them refilled? For piece of mind 8$ seems like a good deal

 

[Instructor_Tom]

I filled my 119 cubic foot steel cylinders in August 2013, I'm going to make my first dive since that fill next April 2014, is the air still good to use?

Shipwreck;

There seems to be a bunch of wise asses whom have decided to jump on this thread, and people wonder why folks leave scubaboard....

The truth is the condition of the gas in the tanks complete depends on the condition of the tanks on the inside and the quality of the fill you gas before they where stored away.

If i was you i would check the VIP and see how far until they need a new VIP, if its getting close go a head and get them VIPed and you'll have peace of mind on the condition of the tanks and the gas in them.

If you still have a few months and you don't want to VIP the tanks give them the smell test, open the valve slightly and if you smell anything other than plain air, get them VIP and Cleaned prior to use.

As for storage, stand you tanks up, this way any contaminants will fall to the bottom away from the valve and be immediately noticed on a VIP.

Be safe and remember its your gear do what is right for you to have piece of mind.

T.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Namreg 58]

I filled my 119 cubic foot steel cylinders in August 2013, I'm going to make my first dive since that fill next April 2014, is the air still good to use?

I'm amazed that no one came up with the surefire test for bad air..........hold a match near the valve and open it, if it blows out the air is bad.

Seriously, if your tank was perfectly clean and dry on the inside and the compressor and filters were in proper operational condition at the time of filling, there is no reason why the air should not last indefinitely as someone has already stated, air does not go bad. By all means, do a smell and taste test to satisfy your curiosity.

Moisture is the culprit that causes oxidation which is the reason a visual is important, especially if you get your tanks filled from an unknown source. Always make sure that your tank valve is vented before the fill whip is attached in order to blow out any water that may have found its way in the hole during transit.

 

[Shipwreckscanada]

Thank you all for you're comments, although it would seem that the air is good, I will take Jeangadbois's advice and spend 8$ per cylinder just in case.

 

[gcarter]

Personally, I hate wasting a tank of air. Near the end of the season I only fill when I am going to use them, so they get put away with ~ 500 - 700 PSI. When I get the VIPs done in the spring I get them back full. Free fill.

If your tanks are well maintained and you got a good fill from a good source, the air will be just as good as when you put it away.

 

[Peter_C]

To put it another way, my banks get turned over maybe every couple of years. There will always be some remaining air (Or in my case nitrox) in the banks no matter how many fills I perform. It is not of concern as the air doesn't go bad (Air has been around for millions of years in one form or another). Smell the fills as suggested and use them. The bigger danger is CO from the compressor or it's surroundings.

 

[Kharon]

I learned that steels should be stored *standing*, but not full (say, containing 200-500 psig), long term. The bottom of a steel is much thicker than the sides and so can tolerate a bit more rusting/pitting than the sides.

Different strokes. My pony and 50cf are too thin to safely store upright (guess I could build a rack). My 27cf has a round bottom. All are new, and since they are vis'd yearly I doubt that I'm going to get significant rust before I have to stop diving (I'm 67) and the pony is Al so ...

at high pressure would blow the burst disk. Not sure why the intermediate pressure wouldn't blow the burst. Sounds like something someone thought of without confirming the science.