pros and cons of hydro test not at LDS?

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jd50i

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Location
Knoxville, Tn.
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I have seen where some have their tanks hydro tested at a company that does fire equipment. I am needing my old but never used tank tested. LDS wants $80 for test and VIP, fire equipment company wants $25 for test.
What are the pros and cons of using the fire equipment company and what should I watch for?
 
The LDS doesn't have a permit to do their own hydro testing, so they ship it out to the company that has the permit. They pay the company $25 for the hydro test, and you pay your LDS $80 for their costs, effort and profit. If you cut out the LDS they will become less profitable and finally go broke.
Be a good boy and continue to waste your money by supporting your LDS, they need your money more than you do.

Michael
 
Can you do the balance of the work? Steels will need to be handled additionally to address the flash rust of the hydrostatic test. Will you be getting a sticker from the Hydro Facility? Yes, the process of a hydro requires a visual to be performed before, but that doesn't mean it is stickered (that is a SCUBA policy, not a Law)...

Are you inspecting the valve? Rebuilding it? Replacing the burst disk? Hydro has nothing to do with this....

I'm sure this discussion will get interesting....
 
Ask what is included in the $80. The hydro tester may not be affixing a VIP sticker, so that will still be needed from LDS. And an airfill. Also, valves are supposed to be overhauled every 5 years. Is that in the $80? Do you have an older tank requiring eddy current test? May need to add that on to the $25, narrowing the gap.
 
About 12 years ago I had my steel tank hydrotested at a local cylinder test facility (mostly fire extinguishers) . It did not get a +, because the facility did not do overpressurization certification. Some shops will charge for a VIP sticker after testing insisting that the hydrotest and inspection does not cover what a VIP does. (VIP is a dive industry requirement, it has no force of regulation or law). Ask what you are getting before you drop off the tanks anywhere.
 
As noted upthread, what you get for a "hydro" varies, not just hydro shop vs dive shop but every shop does things a little differently.

The very best dive shops do it this way:
1) They visually inspect your cylinder right when you bring it in, and if it's a basket case they give it back to you right then and don't charge you. (Hydro places invariably charge for testing service whether or not the cylinder passes)
2) They put an identifying sticker on the valve and cylinder so you can be sure you get the same one back. (Hydro places, while making some effort to keep things straight, consider valves and cylinders to be fully fungible)
3) They take the cylinder to the hydro shop, and go back and pick it up (so you don't have to drive there twice. There are far more dive shops than hydro shops)
4) They visually inspect the cylinder themselves, and put a VIP sticker on it.
5) They replace the neck O-ring unless the hydro shop already did it.
6) They replace the burst disc.
7) If the cylinder has a yoke valve, they replace the yoke O-ring.
8) They fill the cylinder with air.

If you have a twinset then a good dive shop will break down and re-assemble the twinset, though most charge extra for this.

There is a case to be made for disassembling and cleaning the valve at hydro, but I'm not aware of any shops that do this as part of the hydro -- it must be separately requested and there is an additional charge.
 
Agreed with the above are saying. Be sure to ask what the $80 includes. CGA recommends valves be rebuilt at the time of hydro. Most people don't do that. It is also recommended the burst disc be replaced at the time of hydro. Again, rarely does anyone do that. Visual inspections are not DOT, CGA, or OSHA mandated. It isn't just a scuba industry requirement. Many fire stations visually inspect their tanks. All of the fire stations in my area visually inspect their tanks. Their form is just like the one I use.

Be sure the hydro tester is familiar with scuba tanks. Recently I dealt with a tank that was hydro tested by a small facility in a remote area that wasn't aware of the plus + rating. In addition, an o-ring was not placed on the valve. To keep it from leaking the valve was installed SUPER tight. I had to take it to a gas/cylinder facility to have it removed. When we (myself and the facility staff) looked inside everyone gasped at the amount of flash rust on the inside.

A dive shop does need to make money. Whether or not one likes the mark up is a personal issue. What is included in the LDS $80 cost? Perhaps it is worth the extra money for the work they do.
 
I did this five years ago when I had almost 15 tanks come due all at once. I obviously didn’t want to pay over $750 just for hydros & VIPs.

It worked great for the AL80s. But, the steel doubles had flash rust in them before I could get them to VIP. They had to be tumbled. Not sure if this would have been the case otherwise.

So, I would say definitely for AL80s, but it’s probably better & cheaper to have steel tanks done at the dive shop.

There are a few dive shops than can hydro tanks in-house, which is another option.
 
I guess I should have added more of the information. My tank is a new AL80 I bought in 2008 but never used and never filled. Most of my diving has been overseas and I didn't want the extra weight going through airports. The valve is a K valve and is also unused and bought new at the same time and never had air through it.
LDS sent me this "Hydros are $50 + VIP and fill. Total is $77.70 including tax."

The fire equipment company just sent me this "$21.50 per tank + tax." I have requested more information from them. www.chattanoogafire.com to be exact


A lot of great information, thank you everybody.
 
I think it’s only worth by-passing the dive shop if you have a large number of tanks. If it’s just one or two, I just take them to the shop. I have one in there now that I somehow missed last time.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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