Horn...
I know I'm a little late to the party...
It's a steel tank...low pressure...2250 PSI...US Divers...
The photo is not the best...
A lot of these old tanks were manufactured under specific permit numbers which are stamped on the tanks...these permits have long since expired...
You'll need a new valve...the seat and service parts will need to be replaced...it's not worth the service and parts cost even if the service center still has parts available...
The tank may be rusted/pitted inside beyond acceptable limits...
Re-Hydro - $50....Annual Vis - $30...Tumble/Pit Inspection - $30...O2 Clean - $25...Valve - $50...
You're well beyond the scrap value of the tank...at best...it's a $2. yard sale tank...and certainly not worth any shipping costs...
Some shops are now refusing to fill tanks this old...valid stickers or not...In Ontario a lot of shops are now using a 1989 cut-off date for filling ''any'' scuba cylinders...
I would not service it in my shop...
In comparison to most scuba gear except the very basic bits and pieces...''new'' scuba tanks are an ''inexpensive by comparison'' investment...
Check out Dive Gear Express...ordered on line...you'll have your new tank from SE Florida in 24 hours...
For ''good'' used tanks...there should be lots available in the dive shops along the Gulf...
Best...
Warren
I don't agree with most of these points.
First, these are not SP (Special Permit) steel tanks. Those are all HP. This is a 3AA LP tank. We've discussed LP72s before and a forum search will bring up lots and lots of discussion. It is perfectly true that they might be pitted or rusted inside. It's likewise true that they might not, and in my opinion probably are not pitted or rusted beyond the limits. I have a dozen or so and I haven't gotten a bad one yet. From prior discussions, that's typical. And, it's the same story for any used LP steel tank.
Valve parts appear to be available from
Home | Vintage Double Hose They probably have the same seat material as anyone else's, and that material (like everyone else's) is not particularly suitable for O2 service. We all use them anyway because it's all there is. *No* scuba valves are ideal for O2 service and that one's no exception. Also, the OP never said he intended to use it for O2 service (including PP blending for Nitrox).
The OP doesn't live in Ontario. Nobody has ever refused to fill my LP72s. I think *all* of them date from before 1989, and all of mine certainly do. I have seen shops that refuse to fill old 3AL tanks, in addition to SP AL tanks, but not 3AA tanks. When I was last at Dive Tech, they had no issues with LP72s. That you would not choose to service them, while fully within your rights, does not make this typical of shops south of the US/Canada border.
New steel tanks ain't cheap, either. The LP72's closest current cousin is the LP85 at $289 (USD) from DGX:
Faber LP85 Steel Cylinder - Hot Dip Galvanized which would be $387 Canadian at today's Dollar/Loonie exchange rate, *without* Canadian import duties if you got them in Ontario.
Service price structures likewise vary. I'm paying $25 (USD) for hydros here. When last I checked, the local shop charged closer to $50 for O2 cleaning including tumbling, another $50 for O2 cleaning a valve and replacing its guts (making new Blue Steel valves that come O2 clean competitive), and pit inspections are included in the VIS cost (which I recall was $15).
All that said, it's always a sure bet to buy new. That much, I can agree with...
