O2 Clean Steel Tanks

[Maxpcf]

Recently spoke with a seller about purchasing an LP 50 as a deco bottle and he told me that they come O2 clean.

I'm just wondering if most shops are willing to fill these to 70% O2 or if I need to get some additional cleaning done.

 

[Wookie]

They are only O2 clean if the shop accepts them that way. That's a question for your fill station, not any of us, unless you plan to have any of us fill them. I will fill personal O2 cylinders properly marked for their contents, but then, I will run a quick VIP for free, too. It doesn't take 5 minutes to make the call.

 

[Maxpcf]

I was wondering if there was a general consensus as I'll be having this tank filled at multiple locations

 

[Caveeagle]

I have wondered the same thing. I recently bought two brand new faber tanks and had two brand new valves installed. I were reported to come O2 clean from the supplier. I was given a VIP sticker that was punched safe up to 50%. I did not even question it because all the local shops near me bank nitrox and I did not foresee a need to prep for 100% or partial pressure fills.
When I was diving a few wks later down in S.Fla, I had trouble getting nitrox fills because the tanks were not stickered O2 clean for 100%.

Was this just my mistake for not asking for the 100% rating?

 

[uncfnp]

From my experience, when I buy new tanks I have learned to ask for them to be labeled as O2 clean with the appropriate punched marking. The shop does nothing different except making sure the new valve has a vitron O ring and use O2 lube, which most do anyway. It costs me nothing extra.

But if you don't specifically as for the O2 label they will just pinch the standard 40% label. Any shop that knows you are buying it for deco it should do it automatically but I would still clarify the label just as a precaution.

 

[WetLens]

This issue has been very frustrating to me. My thinking is that tanks are either O2 clean or they aren't. What exactly differentiates a tank that can accept premix up to 50% from a tank that can go to 100%? Both need to be O2 clean. If you buy a new tank w/valve and they are deemed clean enough for premix, they should be clean enough for O2. Marking a tank good for nitrox, but not O2 clean seems disingenuous and sends the wrong message to other fill stations.

Now I see that newer tank valves are marked okay for premix up to 40%. What's with that? How do shops that partial pressure blend deal with that situation?

I understand the issues faced by dive shops, especially the areas that I dive in Florida. Tanks are coming to them from all over and they have no way of knowing the level of competence the person that performed the VIP had. One shop even mentioned that stickers are available online - again, I understand their apprehension. I tried fixing that by getting my tanks inspected by a PSI-trained technician and had their sticker w/inspector SN applied. That wasn't good enough as it didn't have the dive shop's name and address on it.

I planned to have my VIPs done at a shop in Florida this year, but timing did not work out. Seems to be the only solution - unless, of course, one FL shop won't accept another FL shop's sticker...

 

[Wookie]

At my fill station, we will not put O2 in anything that isn't marked as O2 clean or has an O2 band on it. We will put nitrox in most anything that has a nitrox sticker on it, or has a nitrox VIP. We will often knock the valve off and have a peekie inside with a blacklight, of which I have many. It isn't a test for O2 clean, but it's a great test for cylinders that aren't O2 clean. Other shops, other rules.

 

[Dnaber]

I have a question along these same lines.... Why is it that after you have a tank O2 cleaned during your hydro that every year after you have to have it re O2 cleaned during your annual VIP? I mean we are talking a $20.00 difference at my shop for the same inspection as an air VIP. Or is there more to the story?

 

[Wookie]

The reason they will give you is cristolube vs silicon and viton vs buna. I find the difference to be less than pennies per cylinder, for instance, I just threw away 3 tubes of christolube that had expired before I used them, and they have about a 10 year shelf life. I only use viton and I only use christolube, so the point is moot. I also have a tank inspection light that costs $50 more than the white light, and I clean everything with blue-gold instead of simple green, but either works as well. A gallon of blue-gold lasts 5 or more years.

But is it cheaper than taking the class and buying the tools and materials yourself? And ask yourself: Are you mad about it because you think it's a ripoff, or you think there is no value, or you just don't understand the process. Once you understand the process, make the decision to run through the process yourself or just pay the extra 20 bucks.

 

[Dnaber]

I guess I'm asking because I don't understand the difference between the two. I know they use a different seal and lube but other that not sure what else they do. Not sure if you were being sarcastic or helpful but thank you Wookie for your insight.