Do You Analyze All Tanks?

[Iceman]

Other threads have asked if you use your own or the shop's nitrox analyzer to check your tanks. But, if it is a shop or boat that provides both nitrox and air, how do you know which you have? Do you rely on the label, or lack thereof? Or, do you analyze all tanks?

Do you have nitrox at some percentage? Or, do you have air? Did the underpaid and overworked person who filled the tanks accidentally get nitrox at 36% (a standard mix) into that air tank? Or, if they also service technical diving, do you have 80%EAN in that tank that has no label on it?

[CompuDude]

Most of my fills are done at a shop that only pumps air. I don't analyze those tanks unless they were topping off a tank that had Nitrox in it, in which case I might end up with 28% or so, so it's worth checking.

On boats that offer Nitrox, I generally use it, and of course will always analyze. And when taking my tanks to other shops, I check it when I'm getting Nitrox (of course), but I generally watch my tanks getting filled so I can see what whip gets connected.

So... yes and no. Not sure how to answer poll given the answers available. But it seems common sense goes a long way... if you frequently get fills at a shop where confusion is possible or even has a higher potential, you should check. If not, there's not as much need.

[Dive-aholic]

Same as Compudude. If the shop fills anything other than air, then the tanks get analyzed. There's no way to know what banks they're filling from unless you watch which bank they're taking it from. Even then, I want to make sure they didn't mess up the banks and accidently put oxygen in the air bank. I even analyze my 100% fills. I see it coming out of the oxygen bottle, but how do I know the oxygen supplier didn't screw up?

[No Misses]

I check all tanks. I once ended up with 21 when it should have been EAN36. This could have ruined my 3 tank dive day :-(

[in_cavediver]

For me, when in doubt, I analyze. As I stated on a prior thread, I got my own analyzer to combat complacency. Its just to easy now to analyze my gas.

That said, if the dive is in one of the local quarry's with a hard bottom of 30ft, I don't worry to much about my gas or knowing if I have 32, 21 or something in between. (unless I have hypoxic something or trimix sitting around, then I analyze EVERYTHING I use until its gone). The quarry pumps only air and I really don't care what I am breathing so long as its not hypoxic. (I have dedicated 45's as 02 bottles and permanently labeled 50/50 bottles).

[danielh03]

The place I get my fills at I would never have to worry, the guy is to anal to mess up like that. But if I am at the quarry, I tend to wonder. Maybe time to purchase an analizer

[Dive-aholic]

Originally Posted by danielh03

The place I get my fills at I would never have to worry, the guy is to anal to mess up like that. But if I am at the quarry, I tend to wonder. Maybe time to purchase an analizer

A woman almost died a couple of years ago because her fiance messed up the mix. She trusted him. Do you think it's really smart to trust some stranger in a shop? Everyone has bad days...

[tremtech]

I always watch the fill at my lds, the whip for nitrox is green color coded and they have to use a din adapter.The air whip is plain old nickle .If I'm diving 50' or less I use air for the dive, but if I'm diving a mix I analyze with their analyzer. My lds is one of the best shops as far as experienced operators go, they also drain a tank that is being used for nitrox before filling it it makes the mix more accurate.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by tremtech

I always watch the fill at my lds, the whip for nitrox is green color coded and they have to use a din adapter.The air whip is plain old nickle .If I'm diving 50' or less I use air for the dive, but if I'm diving a mix I analyze with their analyzer. My lds is one of the best shops as far as experienced operators go, they also drain a tank that is being used for nitrox before filling it it makes the mix more accurate.

It doesn't make it more accurate. It makes it easier to do without having to think.

[Iceman]

Interesting responses.

Of course, if the place you are obtaining your breathing gas only has air you can be pretty well assured what is in the cylinders filled there is air.

But, if it provides both air and nitrox there are only two ways to be assured what is in the cylinder is what you want. Neither way is to rely on cylinder labeling.

The first way is to be sure the filling connection is labeled as air. That is pretty reliable if you can see plumbing routing.

The second way is to analyze all tanks. Of course this is the best way to be assured what you want is what you get.