Extendable tank life up to 15 years beyond current expiry?

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Revoman

Revoman

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May 4, 2018
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Lakeside, California
I had heard about this "Life Extension" for SCBA tanks, yet was too busy to track anything down and it seemed that some of the leads from Google were not good.
So, I retried and just found this information, but have yet to call and verify the cost and if in fact this is doable.
Just throwing this out to see if anyone else has heard or know of such a program with a special license to perform this testing and certification?

Sure sounds interesting anyway and per the YT vid, is a couple hundred dollars to perform.

mike
 
Gerry!
Dalmation would make more sense for a FIRE tank....maybe Dog POOP??? (HA!)

Mike!
While $300 isn't too bad considering that a new tank, at least from Brancato, is around $900 complete with valve, gauges and whip including tax and shipping. We would only need this extension once the tank has had the 15-year expiration and is no longer renewable from the usual places.

Mike
 
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Revoman said:
Gerry!
Dalmation would make more sense for a FIRE tank....maybe Dog POOP??? (HA!)

Mike!
While $300 isn't too bad considering that a new tank, at least from Brancato, is around $900 complete with valve, gauges and whip including tax and shipping. We would only need this extension once the tank has had the 15-year expiration and is no longer renewable from the usual places.

Mike
Click to expand...
True.
 
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"I would be leary unless a retest is under $100. Figure new to you tank $389. (PA video) retest if $300 ? X two = $600. +$389. = $989 + shipping to and from 2 times
Cheaper to buy new @ $700 or $800."
Why is retest included twice in your scenario? If this is legit and the new test increases lifespan by 15 years, you in essence now have a 'new' tank for the price of a single retest according to the video. No? I also am talking about a more expensive tank, one made in USA from JB, so the price of new would be closer to $900 including tank, whip, dual gauges and slow-fill valve, plus tax and shipping (Komiefornia).
mike
 
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Something I copied and pasted


Thanks for the input, everyone. I ask because I've been looking at tanks and Pyramid Air is advertising extended life tanks for $400 that have to be recertified every 5 years and I spoke to the company that does the recertification in Denver and the cost is $400+/-. (Plus shipping.) PAir says the cost to recertify is about the same as a hydro and that didn't sound right to me. I was thinking maybe $50 to hydro, so I wasn't too far off. So, If you see these tanks, just know that the real cost at 5 years is another $400+ unless you are going to fill it with your own (or a buddies) compressor.
 
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Okay, it's one thing to test (Hydro) every five years, that has to be done until the LIFE SPAN expires. The LIFE SPAN of a tank is 15 years, period, and it's done, it cannot be tested (Hydro'd) after that time. It is considered trash.
This company can extend that LIFE SPAN to 30 years (or close to it) by extending the LIFE SPAN by 15 more years (per the video). Yes, you will still need to test (Hydro) at 5-year intervals just like before, but you DON'T have to buy a new tank after 15 years, which you would need to do if the LIFE SPAN of 15 years were to expire.
Thereby costing less than a new tank at the 15-year mark.
That's what I get out of this video anyway.
BTW, most hydro tests are in the $30-50 range depending on your source.
mike
 
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rcs9250 said:
Hope this doesn’t hijack the thread but has anyone ever had an SCBA fail a hydro or know of one that blew up ?
Same goes for the 480cc ones on the rifles.
Randy
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Yes, many years ago, I was a Non-Destructive Inpector (Mag Particle, Liquid Penetrant, Ultrasound (Shear also), Radiography). The company I worked for went to do a quote for one of the SoCal Scuba Tank Manufactures at the time. So we watched the process, of them putting the slug in the bore, the press extruding the bottle, than the necking down process, and neck machining, it was really cool.
They showed us several examples of failed hydro bottles where they split. Wouldn't want to be around when that happened, large steel (THICK) plate, filled with water, immerse tank, fill, measure expansion, good or Bang, seemed to be the only two options. :ROFLMAO:

Smitty
 
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Smitty911 said:
Yes, many years ago, I was a Non-Destructive Inpector (Mag Particle, Liquid Penetrant, Ultrasound (Shear also), Radiography). The company I worked for went to do a quote for one of the SoCal Scuba Tank Manufactures at the time. So we watched the process, of them putting the slug in the bore, the press extruding the bottle, than the necking down process, and neck machining, it was really cool.
They showed us several examples of failed hydro bottles where they split. Wouldn't want to be around when that happened, large steel (THICK) plate, filled with water, immerse tank, fill, measure expansion, good or Bang, seemed to be the only two options. :ROFLMAO:

Smitty
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Actually, failure during hydro is not explosive. The tank being tested is completely filled with water and connected to a high pressure water pump. Then it is lowered into another tank also filled with water and a lid seals everything up. The pressure in the tank being tested is raised to the DOT specified pressure. The test ank expands some and causes the water in the other tank. The water that is displaced by the test tanks expansion goes up a glass tube called a burette. The burette is calibrated with graduations. The high water mark is noted and then the water pressure is released and the water level is noted again in the burette. The DOT specifies what the difference in the two readings can be. If the water line drops very little it means the test tank didn’t return to its original size or the acceptable expansion.
In the event that a tank splits open, the water from the test tank merely squirts into the outer vessels water.
First picture is commercial hydro tester for tanks up to about size of common scuba tank. Second picture is illustration of test set up.

79CDF165-C9C3-4196-9AC8-59E3CC880009.jpeg


BFFD29B2-CC46-4B6D-BDEA-E777E93ED203.jpeg
 
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rcs9250 said:
Actually, failure during hydro is not explosive. The tank being tested is completely filled with water and connected to a high pressure water pump. Then it is lowered into another tank also filled with water and a lid seals everything up. The pressure in the tank being tested is raised to the DOT specified pressure. The test ank expands some and causes the water in the other tank. The water that is displaced by the test tanks expansion goes up a glass tube called a burette. The burette is calibrated with graduations. The high water mark is noted and then the water pressure is released and the water level is noted again in the burette. The DOT specifies what the difference in the two readings can be. If the water line drops very little it means the test tank didn’t return to its original size or the acceptable expansion.
In the event that a tank splits open, the water from the test tank merely squirts into the outer vessels water.
First picture is commercial hydro tester for tanks up to about size of common scuba tank. Second picture is illustration of test set up.

View attachment 283210

View attachment 283212
Click to expand...
Wasn't sure if they filled the tanks back than - It's been 30 years. Clutch is slipping. That seems like a much better way and much safer. When we do burst test at work now, we fill with water then add the air so there is very little volume of air to worry about.
I hate testing Carbon Fiber anything, if it lets go the clean up is horrid and you will bleed. One of those pieces always finds it's way into your finger, hand, ar,, etc.

Smitty
 
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