Nitrox cylinder to use for air?

[DaleC]

If someone is using a tank thinking it were nitrox they would analyze the contents first (or be untrained/foolish). A diver should always verify the mix before use and not trust a generic sticker.

There are different thoughts about those stickered tanks. Some people think they are valuable for using nitrox but that is not true IMO. I think of them as false flags because the sticker tells you nothing. Unless it has specific dates on it the tank may have been 02 cleaned at some point in the past (when the sticker was put on) but who knows what was put in there since. One fill from a dirty compressor and it's contaminated. How does the sticker stop that. The sticker also does not tell you what mix is in there. Is it air, 32, 40, 50/50 or 80%.

What is needed is an analysis sticker/piece of tape that lists the mix, mod, date it was verified, and initials (if your tanks may be mixed with others).

 

[Mustard Dave]

No one in their right mind would do that without analyzing it first. I'd just remove the sticker because I think they're tacky. A small sticker, like the ones from Halcyon, or a piece of tape with the analysis on it is more than enough.

The dates for the O2 clean may be on the sticker though. If that is the case, and she removed it, she wouldn't be able to get a nitrox fill afterwards unless she has it cleaned again.

 

[DaleC]

Good point, but it would appear the OP isn't EAN savvy in which case, the sticker may get a nitrox fill for someone who shouldn't use it.

 

[Mustard Dave]

Good point, but it would appear the OP isn't EAN savvy in which case, the sticker may get a nitrox fill for someone who shouldn't use it.

True, removing the sticker would stop someone being able to get it filled, but the OP may choose to get certified at some point soon. And we're all grown ups - we shouldn't need to have to resort to this to stop somebody getting a gas they aren't trained to use.

In theory, the fill station should check for a nitrox qualification. Oxygen is classed as a prescription medication, so to obtain it, you should have a prescription, an O2 administrator's qualification, or a nitrox qualification. In reality, I have never been asked once.

 

[BRT]

True, removing the sticker would stop someone being able to get it filled, but the OP may choose to get certified at some point soon. And we're all grown ups - we shouldn't need to have to resort to this to stop somebody getting a gas they aren't trained to use.

In theory, the fill station should check for a nitrox qualification. Oxygen is classed as a prescription medication, so to obtain it, you should have a prescription, an O2 administrator's qualification, or a nitrox qualification. In reality, I have never been asked once.

Or be a welder. That works for me.

 

[Max Speed]

It's probably just an old tank somebody was using to hold their CO bump gas supply.

 

[rongoodman]

The dates for the O2 clean may be on the sticker though. If that is the case, and she removed it, she wouldn't be able to get a nitrox fill afterwards unless she has it cleaned again.

The dates for the O2 cleaning wouldn't be on the generic bumper sticker Nitrox label, though, but on the VIP sticker.

 

[TMHeimer]

Well all this sticker talks points to one thing really. If a rent a tank without a nitrox sticker/info. or O2 cleaned sticker I (perhaps recklessly), assume Air is in there. If I come across one with a sticker of any kind, I want it analyzed to be sure of what's in it. A newer diver may not be aware of whether the shop in question can safely fill a non-02 cleaned tank with nitrox. So a sticker of any kind may alert him/her.

 

[Mustard Dave]

Or be a welder. That works for me.

This has come up a few times on a particular British diving forum. O2 for welding is not approved as a breathing gas, so therefore it is not treated as a medicine like O2 for breathing, and can be obtained by anybody. Some will say it is not filtered to the same standards as diving / medical O2, but others say it comes from the exact same source and is just labelled diferently. One thing somebody said was the frequency of sampling for quality control purposes is reduced. Many people do use welding O2 as a breathing gas though, and without any issue.

The dates for the O2 cleaning wouldn't be on the generic bumper sticker Nitrox label, though, but on the VIP sticker.

None of my cylinders have a VIP sticker - after a visual inspection or a hydro, the bottle has been stamped. The large nitrox stickers in the photo posted by the OP usually have a section at the edge with a range of dates on them; the tester marks the relevant one with a hole punch.

 

[DaleC]

Well all this sticker talks points to one thing really. If a rent a tank without a nitrox sticker/info. or O2 cleaned sticker I (perhaps recklessly), assume Air is in there. If I come across one with a sticker of any kind, I want it analyzed to be sure of what's in it. A newer diver may not be aware of whether the shop in question can safely fill a non-02 cleaned tank with nitrox. So a sticker of any kind may alert him/her.

Not around here. Lot's of nitrox filled tanks do not have stickers. I say, if renting, analyze the tank regardless of labeling.