Free tank, will it work?

[JayGem28]

So my step dad is a captain at our local volunteer fire company. I was telling him yesterday about how I'm venturing into the PCP world, and the cost of things. He took me into the room that they fill their SCBA bottles and showed me 5 bottles that they were about to take out of service (nothing wrong with them, they got a state grant to purchase new ones) He said i could have one and that he could fill it whenever I needed. So, my question is, will this work and what additional valves and or adapters would i need? I'm pretty stoked about not having to buy a bottle and pay for fills, just hope it CAN work.

 

[RusBear]

Of course it will work! You've got to check the valve and make the crimping for 450 atmosphere pressure. If everything is OK, you can use it normally.

 

[Tominco]

At minimum, you'll need a...
CGA 347 fitting to come off the SCBA tank.
Bleeder valve
a length of high pressure hose and related fittings
a female foster fitting
It's very nice to have a 2-1/2" gauge built into the system since the small PCP gauges are very often inaccurate. 

Be cautions about NPT threads vs. BSP threads. "LINK"
They look very similar but are not designed to work with one another. 

I use Northshorecompressor.com for my fittings. You can find pre-made setups from north shore compressor, some of the sponsors, eBay, amazon, etc. Make sure that everything you get is rated for the right PSI! 

 

[Marks4runr]

Did he say why they were taking them out of service? Is it because they are 15 years old? These SCBA and other carbon fiber vessels can only be used for 15 years. However, they can be life extended to 30 years of use from the original manufacture date. This life extension option is a service that Digital Wave corporation offers. Check the date of manufacture on these bottles to see.