I recently jumped on the air train. Like last week. I currently have a FX impact M4, Notos , and am ordering a Huben GK1 today. Also, I purchased a GX4-I and a 6.8L tank from Air guns of Arizona. We live on ranch in West Texas and pretty much patrol the ranch nightly. Wither it be changing irrigation in fields, Varmint hunting with friends or my 4 kids. We have quite a few ranch vehicles. We also have a home gun range setup for pistol and LR and either my kids or I are their every day. We shoot burners alot... Having all this in mind, I am worried about having air supply handy. I would like to get some more tanks setup where I can mount them in some of the ranch buggies and maybe one at the range. How many of you that are filling at home worry about the DOT certification? My 6.8 L has it. But I see several on ebay etc. for half the prices that are only CE certified. I realize i would lose the ability to have a shop fill it. But i intend on buying a larger twin compressor for larger fills soon. Just wondering if it's worth the extra money for the DOT stamp in my case. Thanks!
Supply Tank certification
- Thread starter Jgarret7
- Start date
Springer guy here but if it was me I would go overboard from a safety standpoint. No warning ehen a tank goes.
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*Don't be dumb like me* I have an scba tank with a 2002 manufacturing date. It's fine. I fill at work or a friends house. Used tanks can be cheap, but you have to make sure you're comfortable with them being out of date. Another thing to remember, we fill them from roughly 3000-4500psi unlike firefighters or divers going from empty to full on a regular basis. Our use puts far less stress on them so they can last longer. That's my take on the subject.
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As someone who is a consultant in the pressure pumping industry yet new to the air gun world, I am having a hard time with this. I understand pressure and certifications pretty well. But, on my search I have seen so many new tanks on ebay and other online sources that are 50% cheaper due to the lack of DOT certification. Most of these said tanks are however CE certified... To my understanding, DOT is only required in the US (Department of transportation) to travel. Commercial shops here in the US will also require a DOT cert. It is also my understanding that CE certification is required by countries in the EU or China. From what I have found the certification requirements for DOT and CE are almost identical. Seems like a waste to pay 50% more for a citification I wouldn't need if I am filling at home. Maybe I am missing something though.
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Another consideration is that a 15yr tank in the US is a 30yr tank in Europe. The same exact tank.
Most of the DOT and Certification bs is driven by tort law and insurance companies in the event of a failure. That's not to say we shouldn't have standards, but *I* think it's mostly about money. You're not missing anything. As I stated, using tanks that are past cert or don't have dot certification are to be used at your own discretion and comfort level.
Most of the DOT and Certification bs is driven by tort law and insurance companies in the event of a failure. That's not to say we shouldn't have standards, but *I* think it's mostly about money. You're not missing anything. As I stated, using tanks that are past cert or don't have dot certification are to be used at your own discretion and comfort level.
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I asked this question in another group and got halfway treated like I was a threat to society lol. Most of the commenters were talking about "it's not worth saving a few extra (€€€) to risk your life" indicating they were from the EU. I can't help but wonder if their tanks are DOT certified lol. Here in the US, we are really good at coming up with useless requirements to line the pockets of someone that has no real concern or knowledge of the material, application or industry. Thanks
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I will also add that I am not just trying to save a FEW extra $$. Buying half a dozen of these tanks at a time adds up. roughly a ~1,000$
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I buy USED SCBA tanks all the time on EBAY and they are fine. I hope this picture puts this issue to rest for people. Here is a July 2010 45 min tank that just came off it's 15 yr service life showing it's passed it's hyrostatic test at 7500 psi! Let me say that again it PASSED it's cert test at 7500 PSI! As others have said WE as airgunners put FAR less stress on them that when they are used to fight FIRES. We are not strapping them on our backs, taking them into high heat environments or draining and filling them completely. I fill mine to about 4400 and refill again around 3200 which I what I suggest people do. Also they have a BURST disc which will releases high pressure long before the tank would fail. I have done it. Left a FULL tank in the sun like an idiot and BANG the disc let go and all the air come out tank was fine. The disc are IMPOSSIBLE to find to replace which is why I suggest you replace the valves with the cheap Chinese ones or the fancier ones if you want to spend the money like UA and others sell. Of course you always have to respect high pressure air but the used SCBA tanks used for fire fighting are fine just pick one that still seem okay and not all beat up or smoke stained. The one in the picture here I got for $50 which is the best price I have ever seen for a 45 min tank. I think the 45 min are just the right size for portability.
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CE certified tanks are safe. I would have zero concern. I have some mint condition expired Scott scba tanks from ebay and fill them myself. 15 year DOT certificate is expired on them but they will last 30 years.
When initially filling large tanks from zero Psi. Give the compressor a few breaks to cool down. Do it in stages 1500 psi stages
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You'll be fine. Tanks do not "blow up" when filling them with a proper compressor such as one that is intended to do so regardless of age of the tank. Idiots on YouTube have tried to blow them up by shooting them with a firearm. No explosion, just twirling them around expending the air in the tank. What a waste of tanks.
The part that will fail first and is designed to do so is the burst disc. It's loud when it fails but no explosion. And burst discs can be replaced.
I use a 6.8L tank that expired four years ago and fill it to a full 310bar with with a Coltri gas compressor.
The part that will fail first and is designed to do so is the burst disc. It's loud when it fails but no explosion. And burst discs can be replaced.
I use a 6.8L tank that expired four years ago and fill it to a full 310bar with with a Coltri gas compressor.
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Where at in West Texas are you? I am in Odessa,
Now back to the tanks, Carbon fiber is for safety,, I would not trust anything else,
Mike
Now back to the tanks, Carbon fiber is for safety,, I would not trust anything else,
Mike
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ISO/CE are ten billion % fine. The DOT certification game is exactly as humbled.ag: said. Let me highlight this because this is the only truth.
^^^^^^YES^^^^^^
^^^^^^YES^^^^^^
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Aside from owning 4 SCBA'S for airgunning (15, 30, 45 & 60 minutes) I worked for over 30 years with them including being licensed to hydrotest. NEVER had, seen or heard of one violently exploding. Only one of my tanks is within the 15 year window yet, knowing what I know, I feel perfectly safe with them. A healthy fear of High pressure air in general keeps me on my toes but the fact that our use of tanks is nowhere near as extreme as firefighters use I feel confident in the margin of safety with D.O.T. or European tanks.
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Thanks for the reassurance. I somewhat got laughed at in another group for asking... You would have thought I was trying to make my own tank or something. Most comments were coming from countries outside the US. Which I found funny, being their tanks were most likely CE and not DOT...
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The main reason they only have a 15 year life cycle in the US is because of hydro testing CF tanks taking them to 7500 psi with water cracks some of the fibres and after three test's they start to fail. CF tanks should only be tested with Acoustic Wave machines.
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Here in California it's whatever the Fire Marshal of a given jurisdiction deems acceptable for certification. Sometimes even they & the State Fire Marshal seem to differ but I agree that acoustic method is least stressful to tank itself.
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I fill my own tanks, therefore I do not re-certify them. I do inspect them for surface damage which could lead to a rupture, otherwise, I feel that my few fill cycles will not approach the fatigue limit of the tank. If you have to have them filled at a fill station or dive shop, then you'll have to certify them. The annual inspection consists of draining the tank, removing the valve and inspecting the interior for moisture and/or corrosion. You can do that yourself if you feel so moved. The 5 year inspection consists of inflating the tank to 6000 psi; too much IMO.
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