New to HPA

[jbtamu1011]

Needing to buy a HPA tank for the automag I just got. Thanks captain!! Anyways, I'm having some worries on how safe those tanks are with being such high pressure. I'm new to HPA tanks so, how safe are they? What are some things to be mindful of?

[Gundam V]

You dont need to worry, especially with classic mags and rts. Those valves can take input pressures upto 3000 psi. So having an 700 - 1100psi output pressure is nothing stressful for it. As long as your not doing things outside of what's common sense, you have nothing to worry about.

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[trbo323]

Ya in all honesty I've seen more safety concerns out of co2 tanks

Hpa tanks (and co2 tanks outside of 9oz) have 15 year lifespans, at the end of 15, can't be filled or tested, you also need to test them every 5 years so there is some built in safety. Technically you need to test co2 as well but it's almost always cheaper to buy a new co2 tank than to retest.

Hpa must have a regulator, most commonly this brings the output pressure to around 850 psi (known as high pressure output) which is the same as co2 tanks output, the difference being it is much more constant and co2 can fluctuate some

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[Beemer]

Anywho, I posted a post like this last night, tried to edit my original post on my mobile, and poof.....original thread is gone.

There seems to be an issue with the mobile app doing that when you try to edit. I put this one back for you for the replies.

[jbtamu1011]

Thanks Beemer.

[jbtamu1011]

Am I just being over cautious/concerned about HPA tanks? No concerns with tanks blowing up or other serious failures? What things should I look out for to make sure the tank is in tip top shape before I would take it to get fixed?

[smilestyler]

Anyone playing paintball needs to have a certain level of common sense and safety awareness. Hpa tanks are as safe as the rest of the sport. If you have used co2 then you will be fine with hpa.
Look for a tank that has an output of 800 psi or greater. Buying used tanks can be a bit of a risk. The two things that I prefer to always buy new are masks and tanks but I am sure that there are people here to give you the tips you need to buy a used tank. I would start by recommending that the tank itself should have no visible damage to show abuse by the previous owner and pay attention to the date of manufacture and the date it was last hydro tested. Tanks do expire and can only be recertified a certain number of times. Also as I am from Canada I have to be certain that a tank is labeled with a TC number (transportation Canada) in addition to the DOT number but you should be aware of this type of thing if your location has specific rules.

[trbo323]

Am I just being over cautious/concerned about HPA tanks? No concerns with tanks blowing up or other serious failures? What things should I look out for to make sure the tank is in tip top shape before I would take it to get fixed?

I'm sure it's probably happened out there somewhere but I'm also willing to bet it was under some circumstances that were already bad, as in, tank was out of hydro but the shop/field was still filling, filling a 3k tank to 4500 etc

Let's put it this way, in the 14 years I have been playing I have never heard of a first or even second hand case of a tank rupturing

I have first hand seen 1 burst disk blow in those 14 years and it wasn't even the tank side disk it was the regulator side (most tanks have 2 burst disks, one for the tank itself and the other for the output pressure)

As for what to look for, signs of damage. Messed up threads, dents/gouges. Always check the hydro date, add 5 years to that date and that is when the tank needs to be retested.

When I get to the shop later I'll send some photos of good/bad tanks

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[trbo323]

Here are some photos for you

In this photo I want you to see 2 things, first, the cracking in the shell, this is FINE. there is no safety concerns because of the outer laminate cracking like this. If there were large chunks missing it would start to be concerning but as is, no problem. The other thing is the hydro date

04 CL 12

Means this tank was produced in April 2012. Tanks have 5 year test dates so this tank came up for testing in April 2017. Tanks also have 15 year life spans so this tank will die April of 2027 and can no longer be filled or tested after that date

If you are looking at a used tank make sure that date is within 5 years or you better be getting the tank for super cheap as you will need to have it tested (usually around $35 and a week or two without your tank)





These two photos are the same tank/reg, chances are you will never be able to see this as any tank you have will already have the regulator installed but I came across this recently when installing the regulator, the threads were damaged either when the regulator was taken off or when the tank was being tested. This is a very unsafe situation and there is no way I will be continuing to install this regulator. This same situation can still happen with co2 so don't think this is specific to hpa.

Basically, if you ever need a tank tested or serviced, just bring it into a shop.

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[jbtamu1011]

I'm sure it's probably happened out there somewhere but I'm also willing to bet it was under some circumstances that were already bad, as in, tank was out of hydro but the shop/field was still filling, filling a 3k tank to 4500 etc

Let's put it this way, in the 14 years I have been playing I have never heard of a first or even second hand case of a tank rupturing

I have first hand seen 1 burst disk blow in those 14 years and it wasn't even the tank side disk it was the regulator side (most tanks have 2 burst disks, one for the tank itself and the other for the output pressure)

As for what to look for, signs of damage. Messed up threads, dents/gouges. Always check the hydro date, add 5 years to that date and that is when the tank needs to be retested.

When I get to the shop later I'll send some photos of good/bad tanks

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Thanks for the reassurance!!

Anyone playing paintball needs to have a certain level of common sense and safety awareness. Hpa tanks are as safe as the rest of the sport. If you have used co2 then you will be fine with hpa.
Look for a tank that has an output of 800 psi or greater. Buying used tanks can be a bit of a risk. The two things that I prefer to always buy new are masks and tanks but I am sure that there are people here to give you the tips you need to buy a used tank. I would start by recommending that the tank itself should have no visible damage to show abuse by the previous owner and pay attention to the date of manufacture and the date it was last hydro tested. Tanks do expire and can only be recertified a certain number of times. Also as I am from Canada I have to be certain that a tank is labeled with a TC number (transportation Canada) in addition to the DOT number but you should be aware of this type of thing if your location has specific rules.

Thanks for the information! I have played with co2 tanks. Good to know they are similar in pressure.

Here are some photos for you

In this photo I want you to see 2 things, first, the cracking in the shell, this is FINE. there is no safety concerns because of the outer laminate cracking like this. If there were large chunks missing it would start to be concerning but as is, no problem. The other thing is the hydro date

04 CL 12

Means this tank was produced in April 2012. Tanks have 5 year test dates so this tank came up for testing in April 2017. Tanks also have 15 year life spans so this tank will die April of 2027 and can no longer be filled or tested after that date

If you are looking at a used tank make sure that date is within 5 years or you better be getting the tank for super cheap as you will need to have it tested (usually around $35 and a week or two without your tank)





These two photos are the same tank/reg, chances are you will never be able to see this as any tank you have will already have the regulator installed but I came across this recently when installing the regulator, the threads were damaged either when the regulator was taken off or when the tank was being tested. This is a very unsafe situation and there is no way I will be continuing to install this regulator. This same situation can still happen with co2 so don't think this is specific to hpa.

Basically, if you ever need a tank tested or serviced, just bring it into a shop.

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Awesome pictures!! Thanks for the information on the expiration and hydro dates.

[jbtamu1011]

So how many shots are people getting on avg with an X Valve using a 68ci and 77ci 4500psi tanks with standard 800-850psi output pressure?

[Gundam V]

If I remember correctly, you get almost half a case of paint on a 68/4500 tank. Keep in mind this is a ballpark figure, I don't know the exact number.

[Nobody]

[jbtamu1011]

Hey Nobody!! Thanks for the great information!! I think I will be going with a 68ci tank. Not looking to spend a fortune on a tank so that size should work great.

[trbo323]

https://www.ansgear.com/Ninja_Lite_Carbon_Fiber_Air_Tank_68_4500_w_Adju_p/ninjatanklw-68-gry-adj.htm

Go with this one. Ninja is a great company

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