Is there a danger? Should air divers analyze thieir gas?

[Splitlip]

Another discussion prompted my thoughts here.

When an air diver picks up his tank or is given a tank by a charter, does he or she analyze it? From my experience the answer is no. Should it be analyzed? I think yes. Unfortunately most air divers are unaware of the potential dangers of diving air enriched with oxygen and they likely don't know what an analyzer is for nor how to use one.

At a busy fill station it is possible for an attendent to pump pure O2 into a cylinder not labled for Nitrox. In fact, some Nitrox divers get their fills in cylinders which are not labled.

Pure O2 is toxic below 20 ft. I know of an incident where in the frenzy of filling tanks during mini season, a partial blend facility pumped pure O2 in a tank and no air.
The diver who was assigned the tank did not analyze. Fortunately predive he noticed that the tank was not full and he did not dive it. It was found later that it was pure O2. It would have killed him.

Now most Nitrox divers don't trust a fill station to guarantee the 02 percentage in their tanks, why should an air diver.
I analyze avery tank I use, even if it is "air".

[deepdiver47]

Anything is possible. Say you get 40% nitrox put in that tank you go down on a wreck 150 ft you could be in for trouble. I'll bet they look at you funny when you check?

[Warren]

Newbie question.. How do you analyze it?

[thesmoothdome]

Most fill stations have O2 analyzers, but it's not a bad idea to have your own either. Something like this http://scubatoys.com/store/detail.as...D=AmoxtecO2EII

[deepdiver47]

with an O2 analyzer, take a look at this:

http://www.scubatoys.com/store/Scuba_Nitrox.asp

[WV Diver]

This is why you check the qualifications and certifications of your fill station and know who you are dealing with.

I can't imagine the amount of incompetence it would take to fill an unmarked AL 80 with 100%, let alone unknowingly giving it out to a customer, not to mention who in their right mind would fill a tank with anything other than air if it was not properly designated for nitrox intentionally or otherwise.

Who was this?

[TxHockeyGuy]

Originally Posted by WV Diver

This is why you check the qualifications and certifications of your fill station and know who you are dealing with.

I can't imagine the amount of incompetence it would take to fill an unmarked AL 80 with 100%, let alone unknowingly giving it our to a customer, not to mention who in their right mind would fill a tank with anything other than air if it was not properly designated for nitrox intentionally or otherwise.

Who was this?

Not to mention filling a non o2 clean tank with pure o2 has other possibly disastrous consequences for the fill operator (think boom for those who are not Nitrox certified). I've been considering getting an analyzer for an upcoming trip as I want to dive nitrox. I've kind of been on the bubble but the more and more I think about it the more I think I'm going to want to pick up an analyzer sometime later this week over at ScubaToys. I just wish they weren't so expensive.

[RonFrank]

Originally Posted by Splitlip

Pure O2 is toxic below 20 ft. I know of an incident where in the frenzy of filling tanks during mini season, a partial blend facility pumped pure O2 in a tank and no air.
The diver who was assigned the tank did not analyze. Fortunately predive he noticed that the tank was not full and he did not dive it. It was found later that it was pure O2. It would have killed him.

Now most Nitrox divers don't trust a fill station to guarantee the 02 percentage in their tanks, why should an air diver.
I analyze avery tank I use, even if it is "air".

I've never seen a fill station put pure air into a NON-NITROX tank. It is a good way to.... explode!

Non-Nitrox divers don't use Nitrox tanks. Nitrox divers use Nitrox tanks, and they are marked. If you get a Nitrox tank as a non-Nitrox diver, than get another tank. If you are Nitrox certified, then you know the answer. NEVER dive a Nitrox tank that you have not personally verified.

Nitrox blend air is ALWAY in a different bank vs. the just air.

I don't see any valid reason for air divers to be analyzing their air.

[Dive-aholic]

Many shops use the same hoses for both air and nitrox. They just flip a valve to get air from one set of banks and flip it the other way for nitrox. I've seen tanks get filled with 32% when it was supposed to be air. Go below 110' with that 32% and your blowing the MOD. Personally, after reading some accounts lately of seizures occurring at ppO2 above 1.2, I adjust my MOD accordingly. If I get air fills at places where nitrox is also filled, I analyze.

[Splitlip]

Originally Posted by WV Diver

This is why you check the qualifications and certifications of your fill station and know who you are dealing with.

I can't imagine the amount of incompetence it would take to fill an unmarked AL 80 with 100%, let alone unknowingly giving it out to a customer, not to mention who in their right mind would fill a tank with anything other than air if it was not properly designated for nitrox intentionally or otherwise.

Who was this?

The op is still around. I don't recall where the fills came from.

The tank might have been stickered "nitrox", but they don't have to be be filled with nitrox. My point is that mistakes happen and there is never a guarantee of what gas ends up in a cylinder where mixed gas is offered.

Even doctors remove the wrong limb and organs.

Less likeley to screw up in a partial blend facility I suppose, but where EANX is banked with air, it is very easy.