Tank hydro,vis,tumble & valve service?:confused:

[redacted]

Personally I don't see a problem with doing a valve rebuild every 5 years when the tank is hydroed.
This is, after all, your life support.
I rebuild my valves every other year but I put a lot of dives on my tanks each year.

As to your other points, if you have your own compressor you can do as you wish. If I have to fill a tank for you I'm am going to err on the side of being extremely conservative. Likely you won't be there when your tank has a chance to ruin my day.

How often do you have the engine, transmission, and brakes rebuilt on your car? Shouldn't the frequency of such services have something to do with failure rates and the severity of the consequences of failures? Or is it different when customers are paying you rather than you being the paying customer?

 

[akdeepdiver]

You did not say why they are requiring the valve rebuild. Are you converting your tanks for enriched O2 service? I can understand then why the shop would require this, especially if they use partial pressure blending. In that case, they are just ensuring the safety of thier personel. Valves should be O2 cleaned as the same as the tanks. On the opposite side, if they are requiring annual rebuilds as just shop policy, then consider a new shop. From the legality side, most of the valve manufacturers recommend a annual rebuild of thier valves. The shop could just be trying to CYA.

On the subject of VIP's, I wish to submit the following when people complain about them happening annually. VIPS do catch a lot of cylinders that are potentially dangerous. If they were not done and we had a rash of cylinder explosions, we would probably have some do gooder politician lobbying to have annual Hydrotests like other counties such as Austrailia. That would get a lot more expensive. Although, since I run a hydroshop, I would reap the bennifits.

 

[halocline]

Personally I don't see a problem with doing a valve rebuild every 5 years when the tank is hydroed.
This is, after all, your life support.

This "life support" crap is gold for you guys, isn't it? How about giving us a scenario in which a tank valve in need of service will cause death to a diver.

 

[moneysavr]

this is good,
OK first the tank valve in mention is non O-2,NOT NITROX!! so lets leave that off the table,

Second a valve being life support is well a bit far from the truth my argument with the shop owner is a valve fails how? It leaks? it will not open/ close shucks darn one less tank on the dive or ruined dive plans! Its not going to blow up sending shrapnel thru my thick skull! apply more air to my regulators forcing it to explode killing divers all around! Give me a break a valve is a valve I own 30+ year old tanks all in service yes some rebuilt as needed only,valves rebuilt every two years man you got way too much time on your hands or are very abusive to your equipment!

Now burst disc replacement on older valves should be done and can easily be done with a proper torque gauge!

Last any valve IMO that has any debris,rust,corrosion, IMO should be suspect and should be serviced no problem with that at all!

I am at this time thinking this is crap PSI/PCI is pushing on tank inspectors bending the truth a bit for extra capital IMO will know more when they open Monday and can respond to my concerns!

 

[aquaregia]

This "life support" crap is gold for you guys, isn't it? How about giving us a scenario in which a tank valve in need of service will cause death to a diver.

The other day, the valve on my stage developed a slow leak while open. I was diving with a guy I wanted to impress, so I signaled it broken and we had a shorter dive. Hypothetically, he could have been the irrational, violent type, and attacked me with his dive knife for cutting his dive short. Having only a DIR-style 1" long, blunt cutting device, I would have been powerless to defend myself.

Second a valve being life support is well a bit far from the truth my argument with the shop owner is a valve fails how? It leaks? it will not open/ close shucks darn one less tank on the dive or ruined dive plans!

If you have an SPG that you're watching, I wouldn't consider it a big deal. The problem would be if you never do a bubblecheck and don't notice that it leaks until it's a somewhat significant leak, then you do a deep dive and lose track of your air or stupidly extend your turn pressure.

Someone who's paying attention to their equipment and doesn't make stupid mistakes should be safe, but I don't think any of us can claim to be that guy every day. And the LDS is probably catering towards the lowest common denominator on this point.

Now burst disc replacement on older valves should be done and can easily be done with a proper torque gauge!

I swap out burst discs if I think it's been 5-10 years. I've been thinking I should do it more regularly. A failed burst disc would be fairly unfortunate if it happened during a dive, but all the reports I've read indicate that premature failure usually occurs during filling.

 

[Slamfire]

...he could have been the irrational, violent type, and attacked me with his dive knife for cutting his dive short. Having only a DIR-style 1" long, blunt cutting device, I would have been powerless to defend myself.

Sounds like Roberto, from Futurama:

 

[Hallmac]

Looking for feedback on mandatory valve rebuilding by dive shops as being required at time of hydro,
This is not a mandatory practice just a manufactures suggestion,,,,
any shop owners your practices or comments?

In the 53 years we have been in business, we have never had that practice nor have I heard of any of the other shops in the area requiring something like that. It may be an area thing.

 

[moneysavr]

In the 53 years we have been in business, we have never had that practice nor have I heard of any of the other shops in the area requiring something like that. It may be an area thing.

are they PSI ? PCI tank visual inspectors I see many groups do tank inspection training, certifying tank inspectors,

 

[akdeepdiver]

So, did you call PSI? What did they say? Enquiring minds wish to know...

 

[fire_diver]

This was mentioned early in the thread, but if my valve can hold 3000 psi inside the tank, why can't it hold outside "bad" air out with 0 psi in the tank?