Overfilling Scuba Cylinders

[LiteHedded]

has a tank EVER exploded because of a cave fill? they've been doing it for years and years. has it EVER happened?

 

[dmoore19]

has a tank EVER exploded because of a cave fill? they've been doing it for years and years. has it EVER happened?

Don't know. Not a cave diver. However as a parallel let me say this, I have run many red traffic lights and NEVER been hit. Has it happened? NO Will it happen? Odds are it will.

 

[LiteHedded]

Don't know. Not a cave diver. However as a parallel let me say this, I have run many red traffic lights and NEVER been hit. Has it happened? NO Will it happen? Odds are it will.

apples and oranges

 

[Scott L]

A decade or more ago it was said the US manufactures were responsibale for the DOT's low pressure ratings for foreign made steel cylinders. Any truth to that? Ironically with HP tanks the norm now Luxfer is turning turtle. Any connection?

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

More like fruits and veggies.

apples and oranges

 

[OldNSalty]

So I'm a little slow today but do am I understanding this correctly-A tank roles off the line, if it is going to the US it gets rated at one pressure but if its going to EU it gets a higher stamp?

 

[Rhone Man]

I remember years ago (so long it was before UK went metric), they used to publish directories at the back of Diver magazine which would include the maximum pressure they would fill your tanks to. 4,000 and 4,500 were routine. 5,000 and 6,000 were less common. But they were there.

Not there anymore, but I don't doubt that rampant overfilling of tanks continues.

 

[billvi]

The biggest problem may be that the local government will step in to "protect" us from ourselves. The federal government made the rules and basically walked away from the issue. There was a rumor going around the US Virgin Island dive shops that the local government was looking at regulating fill locations due to an incident that happened in the British Virgin Islands while filling a tank. I have never been able to track down the source or the facts behind the "incident". But some politician who does not know **** about shinola is likely to take a single accident and make everyones life miserable.

Of the seven million tanks made of 6351 alloy, only nine ruptures were reported.

Pretty good odds I think. And those probably were not overfilled. Of course if you overfill a tank and there is an accident, whoever overfilled it had better have no assests, very good insurance or a very good lawyer.

 

[Rhone Man]

There was a rumor going around the US Virgin Island dive shops that the local government was looking at regulating fill locations due to an incident that happened in the British Virgin Islands while filling a tank. I have never been able to track down the source or the facts behind the "incident".

Never heard of such an incident in the BVI myself. Urban myth?

 

[jridg]

From the Luxfer site:

5. Are SLC-related scuba tank ruptures widespread?

No. Of the more than 40-million all-aluminum cylinders manufactured by various companies over the last 45 years, only 20 SLC-related or suspected-SLC ruptures have been reported to regulatory authorities around the world. All these ruptures were in cylinders made from 6351 alloy.

Of these ruptures, 12 have been scuba cylinders.

Let's look at the actual record.

Aluminum scuba tank ruptures

DATE LOCATION LISTED CAUSE INJURY? MANUFACTURER
Oct-88 Southport, Australia SLC No Luxfer
Jun-94 Miami, Florida SLC Yes Luxfer
Jan-98 Corlette, Australia SLC No CIG Gas Cylinders*
Feb-98 Riviera Beach, Florida SLC Yes Walter Kidde
Aug-98 Tairua, New Zealand SLC Yes Luxfer
Dec-98 Tampa, Flordia Not determined No Luxfer
Apr-99 British Colombia SLC No Luxfer
Mar-00 Key Largo, Florida SLC Yes Walter Kidde
Jun-00 Miyako Island, Japan SLC No CIG Gas Cylinders
Jul-04 Oahu, Hawaii Not determined Yes Walter Kidde
Sep-04 Videlia, California Not determined No Walter Kidde
Jan-05 Perth, Australia SLC No CIG Gas Cylinders
Jun-07 Rhode Island SLC No Luxfer