Wanted Old Luxfer or WK scuba bottles - NTEX

[OMyMyOHellYes]

In spite of what "ex-perts" (does that mean "used to be pert"?) at the LDS say, it has nothing to do with age of the tank. Many of them just draw an arbitrary line on the calendar and say "no". That way you don't have to know anything.

So long as the hydro inspections are properly carried out and it has a current VIP inspection, it should TECHNICALLY be good to go.

Even the old Lux and WK tanks made from 6351 aluminum alloy. Stay with me.

The 6061 aluminum alloy has no special restriction (assumes full DOT certification (or special converted and stamped "DOT" not just special permit - other rules would apply then) regardless of age). That includes all Catalina and Lux tanks after mid-1988 (IIRC - Lux has a table (google it) that says when Lux converted to 6061 alloy and dropped the 6351 alloy from productions (different size tanks were phased over at different times, but (again, IIRC) any Lux tanks after mid 1988 should be good to go with just a current hydro and viz. This bottle, Lux post-mid-1988 is 6061 and GTG.

The old 6351 alloy tanks, the ones potentially susceptible to sustained load cracking, are not barred from use, they just require more rigorous testing. At each hydro interval, they must undergo special eddy-current or some other ultra-sonic type of non-destructive testing (eddy current is the most common) to look for stress crack formation that may not yet be visible. The hydro stamp for those tanks passing would include "VE" or "UE" at the end of the hydro stamp. Lux had some other intermediate testing requirement for their 6351 tanks - since I'm unlikely to ever encounter one for inspection, i don't bother memorizing them. i can look them up if need be.

Now, the fire extinguisher company that does most all of the hydros in my immediate area refuses to hydro any aluminum tank manufactured prior to 1990. But that is their policy/rule, that is easy to implement that anybody in their shop can be instructed on and follow. It is not a legal regulation. As you likely have found, if you ask three people working in any particular LDS, you may likely get five different "rules" regarding tanks and inspection criteria.

OMMOHY

 

[Eric802]

So do you have a place in NTX where they'll hydro, inspect, and fill an older Luxfer tank as long as it's post-6061 changeover? Mine is S-80 so it would be 6061, being a 4/88 manufacture date.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

So do you have a place in NTX where they'll hydro, inspect, and fill an older Luxfer tank as long as it's post-6061 changeover? Mine is S-80 so it would be 6061, being a 4/88 manufacture date.

Actually, yours is still good. Lux changed the S80s over by January 1988. The S40s were the last of the change overs by June.

See their list:

Dates when Luxfer changed its aluminum alloy from 6351 to 6061 - Luxfer Gas Cylinders

Between 1987 and 1988, Luxfer Gas Cylinders discontinued use of 6351 aluminum alloy and began using a proprietary version of 6061 aluminum alloy for all its aluminum cylinder models manufactured in the United States. Listed below are the dates by model number when the transitions to the new...

www.luxfercylinders.com

None of the local DFW shops I know of will touch a 1988 tank of any variety as all of them go to Koetter Fire Protection for their hydros. Kotter will not do any AL before 1990. I am seeking another shop that will. If they are sharp and know what they're doing or willing to read up, they should. But their hydro tank and equipment so their rules. In any case, this one is good to go for another 2.5 years.

OMMOHY

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

OK - I happily correct myself.

I spoke with Gas Cylinder Services on the east side of Dallas off of IH-30 near where it splits with US-80. They seemed to know what they were talking about and said they would gladly hydro older AL tanks. They did caution that some tanks, depending on what they were and how old, required eddy current testing. Good to find somebody local in the business that actually knows what they are talking about. Odd, early hours (like 5:30 AM to 1:30 PM - but I guess that's so their customers can get industrial tanks out in turn to their customers during business hours).... They charge more than Koetter ($30 vs 20) but still good resource to know.

Home | Gas Cylinder Services

gascylinderservices.com

OMMOHY

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Actually, yours is still good. Lux changed the S80s over by January 1988. The S40s were the last of the change overs by June.

See their list:

Dates when Luxfer changed its aluminum alloy from 6351 to 6061 - Luxfer Gas Cylinders

Between 1987 and 1988, Luxfer Gas Cylinders discontinued use of 6351 aluminum alloy and began using a proprietary version of 6061 aluminum alloy for all its aluminum cylinder models manufactured in the United States. Listed below are the dates by model number when the transitions to the new...

www.luxfercylinders.com

None of the local DFW shops I know of will touch a 1988 tank of any variety as all of them go to Koetter Fire Protection for their hydros. Kotter will not do any AL before 1990. I am seeking another shop that will. If they are sharp and know what they're doing or willing to read up, they should. But their hydro tank and equipment so their rules. In any case, this one is good to go for another 2.5 years.

OMMOHY

Also got a referral to another area shop:

Texoma Fire Equipment in Denison TX - up by Sherman. You may be roughly equidistant between them.

Fire extinguisher Inspections | Texoma Fire Equipment | United States

Texoma Fire Equipment inspects and services fire extinguishers and kitchen systems all over North Texas along with vent-a-hood cleaning and power washing. We have a full services facility to fill CO2 and hydro-static test bottles. We have a fully trained staff to service all business and industry.

www.texomafire.com

OMMOHY

 

[L13]

Okay, I thought once an AL 80 was that old, you couldn't get it filled anymore. How is that still a diveable tank?

As long as it passes inspections and hydros, a tank is diveable indefinitely.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

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