what to do with co2 tanks. i have no idea.

[wanna-b-ballin']

so one of the local fields now checks hydro on co2 tanks, how lame is that. co2 tanks have a 3 year hydro right? if so mine are out of it. what do i do with them? i wouldn't feel right throwing them out, and dont really want to buy new ones. maybe a small one for playing pump.

anything i can really do with them except have some paperweights? maybe turn them into art?

[Carbon]

DUH, bombs!

























OMG JK PLEASE DONT SET US UP THE BOMBS!

[Vex]

CO2 tanks have a 5 year hydro if they are stamped 3AL.

If you need a good place to get your tanks hydroed, I recommend:

Hydro Tester

They are inexpensive and have a very fast (24 hr) turn around time.

[Glickman]

so one of the local fields now checks hydro on co2 tanks, how lame is that. co2 tanks have a 3 year hydro right? if so mine are out of it. what do i do with them? i wouldn't feel right throwing them out, and dont really want to buy new ones. maybe a small one for playing pump.

anything i can really do with them except have some paperweights? maybe turn them into art?

how lame is that?


would you rather they didnt check them and you kill someone at the field?

splurge the $30.

[BigEvil]

splurge the $30.

You can get 20 oz CO2 tanks for about what? $25 now? Dont even waste your time hydroing them. Ditch them and pick up a few new ones.

[Rick-USA]

Your lame field must have finally realized they were being just plain stupid by not checking the dates on tanks they fill.

The numbers stamped into your bottle are there because the Department of Transportation in the US makes them be there. The DOT controls the manufacturing, handling and filling of those bottles. Or at least they make the rules about it all. IF your field decides it's okay to fill your out of date bottle anyway they are opening themselves up to a fine from DOT that can range from $1,400 to $10,400 per bottle they fill. And if one of those out of date bottles should happen to have a failure they are probably going to be sued by multiple people in addition to the fines imposed.

So yes, these are thought by many to be lame rules but they are in place for a reason.

Unless you have some special bottle, I'd just recomend you go out and buy a new bottle. You can usually replace a bottle for less than you can get it retested.

[mobsterboy]

what to do with the tanks? Well, correct me if im wrong, but isnt that why dumpsters were made? Really, its sad that ppl would hydro co2 tanks when the cost to hydro is the same as a new tank, sometimes more

[buzzboy]

Well not nessassarly. If you have many tanks you can get them hydroed for cheaper. That way it would be more economic.

[craltal]

why not talk to a local SCUBA shop and ask them how much they would charge?

If you do really plan on throwing it out, for pete's sake recycle it

[wanna-b-ballin']

how lame is that?


would you rather they didnt check them and you kill someone at the field?

splurge the $30.

well, i dont think co2 tanks really go bad at the date they are supposed to be hydroed at.
sure, if the tank is rusty, scratched, dented, or just funky looking it should be checked; but when they check every tank no matter what it looks like, even brand new shiny never been filled tanks, its kinda pointless.
sad thing is i bet the fields rental tanks are out of hydro and they fill them. those tanks look bad.

[Lohman446]

well, i dont think co2 tanks really go bad at the date they are supposed to be hydroed at.
sure, if the tank is rusty, scratched, dented, or just funky looking it should be checked; but when they check every tank no matter what it looks like, even brand new shiny never been filled tanks, its kinda pointless.
sad thing is i bet the fields rental tanks are out of hydro and they fill them. those tanks look bad.

Yeh, its sad to obey DOT standards in regards to high pressure containers that have, already, KILLED people. I mean its only someone's life we are discussing, possibly your own, and its only fines from the DOT even if someone is not injured.

I'm sure the DOT had NO reason to come up with the guidelines they did...



And people think I'm nuts when I want a minimum age for this sport

[wanna-b-ballin']

Yeh, its sad to obey DOT standards in regards to high pressure containers that have, already, KILLED people. I mean its only someone's life we are discussing, possibly your own, and its only fines from the DOT even if someone is not injured.

I'm sure the DOT had NO reason to come up with the guidelines they did...



And people think I'm nuts when I want a minimum age for this sport

well if the tanks are in great shape, and hydro expires, the tanks arent just going to blow up at that exact point in time. you have to agree with me on that.

so whats the minimum age you want?

[Rick-USA]

It may not explode at that exact moment in time. In fact it may never explode. You are trying to argue a point that has no revelance to the matter at all.
The hydro date is there because it's required to be there by law.
The field checks the date on the tank because they are required to by law.
They are also required by law to do a visual inspection every time they fill it.
They won't fill an expired tank because that is what is required by law.
According to the law you should be required to remove all but the factory stickers from the outside of the bottle before it's filled.
Notice a common thread with all these statements? Yep you got it, it's because it's required by law.

Age of the player has nothing to do with this discussion, I actually find it easier to explain to a 12 year old why I can't fill his tank than I do his Mom/Dad. I do however agree that the current minimum age for most fields at 10 is low, 12 might be a bit better but I don't get to set those rules. If it wouldn't drive off 50% of the business I'd almost vote to go back to some old school requirement of say, 16.

As far as the field tanks not being in hydro because they look bad. I have no idea what condition the fields tanks are in or if they are even close to being in hydro. However, if they use steel tanks as rental tanks they will look terrible in a very short time. The normal finish put on steel tanks will not hold up to all the handling and repeated fills a rental tank gets. They rust very quickly but unless they have damage they are still legal to fill.

[SlartyBartFast]

well if the tanks are in great shape, and hydro expires, the tanks arent just going to blow up at that exact point in time. you have to agree with me on that.

And YOU have to agree that a tank that is past hydro and suffering metal fatigue might look shiney and brand new.

Without hydroing a tank, the only way to tell if it is safe is to know that it is within hydro and assume qualified people have filled and serviced it previously.

Congratulations to the shop for being one of the few that does it right.

Makes you think that there's hope for the industry after all.

[Lohman446]

Age of the player has nothing to do with this discussion,

I know, but IQ would be harder to enforce