Purchase lp tank without + rating?

[cephasiii]

I have the opportunity to purchase 2 LP80 w/manifold and bands. The tanks were just hydro'd this week but the + rating was not stamped nor preformed. The seller is asking for $300 for the set. Would you purchase LP tanks without the + rating? I want to fill these to at least 2640 and up to 3000. Anyone have issues getting these fills on LP tanks without the +?

I appreciate your responses.

 

[oly5050user]

most lDS will fill to the rated pressure +maybe another 200-300psi... Do not get hung up on the "+" rating...

 

[sealark]

I have been hot filling my lp 80s to 3300 for 20 years. Cool down to around 3100. O problems. But I own a compressor. Ask around most will overfill steels some.

 

[eelnoraa]

Officially, a shop wont fill LP tank to 2640 without + rating, so you will get 2400, which give you 72cf of air. If you can find a shop willing to give you a 3000 fill, they will do it with or without the +. So it really depends on your shop(s). If they are "by the book" kind, then it kind of suck wihtout the +.

 

[chrpai]

The plus is only for the first initial hydro.

Patently false. YMMV (greatly) what an indvidual LDS will or will not do with or without the + rating. I have a tank that has had + and not + over the years. Not because it did or didn't qualify but because the hydro facilities don't always know what the heck they are doing.

I assume the OP knows all of this and is just looking for an opinion. I own 2 95's. One was not hydro'd and had 4 years left on the hydro. A friend told me to not bother because the LDS wouldn't fill to 2640 anyways. Well, I'm such a stubborn SOB that I went and had it rehydro'd and I got really assertive with the employee doing the fills until I started getting my 2640's everytime. 3000? Not in North Austin. There are places south of me that will but it's too far away.

I assume as an MSDT you have some influence over the filling procedures. I'd buy them (for the right price) get them + rated and start filling to whatever you are comfortable with. If they don't pass + you can sell them forward for the right price.

 

[Glenn08]

Are these tanks steel or aluminum ?

 

[chrpai]

Are these tanks steel or aluminum ?

AL tanks don't get + ratings. Only LP steel tanks do. It dates back to WWII when their was a steel shortages. You can read about it here:

+ rating on LP tanks

 

[cephasiii]

Thanks. These are steal LP80. My understanding was once the + was gone, you can't get it back. I obviously could be wrong about this.


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[chrpai]

I can't quote the CFR that allows it, but I know it's possible. You may need to "help" the hydro tester by providing the REE number.

Some myths about getting a plus/+ rating on a low pressure (LP) steel tank : SCUBA Blog

 

[Scared Silly]

The plus is only for the first initial hydro.

Wrong, very wrong, really wrong. Old myth that has been debunked ad nauseum.

http://docketsinfo.dot.gov/reports/rspa/2003-06/030011.pdf

Oh and the stamped psi is with the 10% overfill.

Also wrong. 2400 is the working pressure which is stamped 3aa 2400 psi, with the plus the working pressure is 2640 psi.

Only LP steel tanks do [get + ratings]. It dates back to WWII when their was a steel shortages.

Not quite, in scuba we typically consider a LP cylinder to be one with a working pressure of 2640 psi (2400 + 10%) or less. However, MP (mid pressure) steels can also have a "+" rating. They are rated at 3300 psi (3000 +10%). The most common ones were made by Faber, i.e. M71DVB:

http://bluesteelllc.com/cylinder-specifications.html