Who to contact for setting up a hydrostatic testing facility

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

We own over 600 scuba tanks & pay about $18/hydro.

I'm investigating for our company to buy a hydro station and get people trained to do it.

Anyone know who I should contact--Google has not been much help.

 

[JackD342]

You might drop a note to Pat Hammer at Scuba Emporium asking about it, as they have an active hydro station in their shop. You should be able to get an education on any real world pitfalls, too. Especially inviting DOT into your facility.
Pat owned Our World Under Water up until a few years ago.

Might ask Mark Gresham at PSI PCI for his thoughts, too.

 

[diversteve]

Hydro-Test Products Inc.

Leading Manufacturer of Industrial Gas Cylinder Service and Testing Equipment for Welding, SCUBA Diving, Fire Extinguishers, Fire Departments and Oxygen Refillers

equipment and training

 

[Wookie]

Call me 281-300-4748. The one that used to be at Seaduction/Subtropic may be available.

 

[cruisekingkris]

@Capt Jim Wyatt It looks to be DOT jurisdiction ( DOT high pressure testing license) down there like it is in NJ.

Check out this link for a little help.

https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/sfm/bfp/Documents/69A-21.pdf

Yes it's about fire protection but they go hand and hand due to hydroing extinguishers and suppression system tanks. (That's what I do for a living in NJ) We use Hydro-test products. They make great machines.

 

[2airishuman]

Getz Equipment Innovators

Certified Training Company - Hazmat Training Seminars

I think you'll find that you have to push much more than 120 cylinders a year to make it worthwhile because of the equipment cost, recurrent training and recertification requirements, and labor to perform the actual tests.

You've probably already checked on this, but with the number of cylinders you have, you're probably best off hiring one of the mobile test operators that work out of a truck. They can come to your facility, and hydro everything that will expire in the next year or two. They are usually a little cheaper than the depot-based operators, and your cylinders are only out of service for a day.

 

[cruisekingkris]

You can supplement the cost by Hydroing other Dive shops tanks as well. Wouldn't be the worse thing in the world to have the local companies use you guys for this. Keeps the industry strong by working together.

 

[Wookie]

You can supplement the cost by Hydroing other Dive shops tanks as well. Wouldn't be the worse thing in the world to have the local companies use you guys for this. Keeps the industry strong by working together.

It's the dive business in the keys. It's a race to the bottom. Everyone charges .50 cents less then the guy up the street (literally up the street) and the last man standing then has a monopoly, until someone gets tired of the price and buys a new hydro rig. Luckily, Jim works for the 800 lb gorilla in Key Largo.

 

[cruisekingkris]

Funny how under cutting the competition till you aren't making money is a business tactic used so widely in this country. I have customers come to me for prices and when I'm 2 or 3 times more then the other companies, they ask why. I tell them I been in business longer then my customers and competition. I do it right the first time and that comes with a price. Cheap is hardly ever better.

 

[Wookie]

Funny how under cutting the competition till you aren't making money is a business tactic used so widely in this country. I have customers come to me for prices and when I'm 2 or 3 times more then the other companies, they ask why. I tell them I been in business longer then my customers and competition. I do it right the first time and that comes with a price. Cheap is hardly ever better.

It was certainly my business model and it served me well. I didn't want cheap customers, as the ones to complain about price will likely complain about anything else to get the price down yet further.

The Scuba business is slightly different. You don't make most of your business on repeat customers, you make it on volume, as a lot of divers are happy to go elsewhere and see something different. So many are simply looking for the least price, not the best value, as we all value value differently.