Storing Tank for Winter

[TRACI]

Should you store you tank for the Winter full, partially full or empty?

[ertechsg]

store it how ever... if its full one less thing to do for the next time you need it . either way does not hurt the tank or air

[RoadRacer1978]

I try to keep mine full. Never know when the bug might hit to go diving and I like it to be ready for the adventure. I might wake up one day and decide it's time to join the polar bear club

[TRACI]

I did the Polar Bear thing in Feb at Lake Ouchita in Arkansas, with only a wetsuit, it was freezing!!!!!!!!!!!

[RoadRacer1978]

I'm thinking about it sometime this winter. Maybe just one dive in a wetsuit to say I've done it. Not anything crazy deep, but I can't afford a drysuit right now or a trip to some warm water place and I really don;t want to stop diving for the winter. I may have to suit up and sit in the bathtub. Just to keep from going through withdrawls.

[No Misses]

Store it any way except empty. If you walk into your LDS with an empty tank, They will insist on a VIP prior to filling the tank. I usually keep mine filled. As Roadracer said, you never know when the bug will hit you :-) It drives be crazy that one of my regular dive buddies does not get her tanks filled until the day before the dive. We live in Florida. Your tanks should be ready to go at a moments notice! It's kind of like a surfer that keeps his board strapped to the car. He is ready when the surf is right.

Happy diving.

[skdvr]

I have always heard best to store it completely full or with a couple of hundred lbs in it. Reason being is incase of a fire.

Completely full = If there is a fire the burst disc will go before the metal is comprimised and the tank explodes.

couple hundred lbs = If there is a fire the metal of the tank will fail but there will be very little pressure built up in the tank when it happens causing no real exposion.

If there is say 2000 lbs in a 3000lb tank the metal could fail before the pressure reaches the 5000 psi fail point of the burst disk. The pressure may get to 4500 lbs and if the metal fails at that point then if there is a fireman near by it could really ruin their day.

I am sure that someone will correct me if I am wrong but this is what I have been told.

I personally say dive all year, but if you cannot then keep the tanks full. You may have more days like we are having in Mo. right now where it is the middle of Oct and it is 85* and sunny. It would be a great day to be in the water.

Phil

[BSea]

Originally Posted by skdvr

I have always heard best to store it completely full or with a couple of hundred lbs in it. Reason being is incase of a fire.

Completely full = If there is a fire the burst disc will go before the metal is comprimised and the tank explodes.

couple hundred lbs = If there is a fire the metal of the tank will fail but there will be very little pressure built up in the tank when it happens causing no real exposion.

If there is say 2000 lbs in a 3000lb tank the metal could fail before the pressure reaches the 5000 psi fail point of the burst disk. The pressure may get to 4500 lbs and if the metal fails at that point then if there is a fireman near by it could really ruin their day.
Phil

I had never heard this before, but it makes sense.

And as someone else mentioned. Never ever store them empty.

[CompuDude]

skdvr is right.

Keep them full, or with about 300-500 psi in them. Either way is fine, but completely empty is bad (requires a vis), as is partially full (explosion hazard in a fire).

There's no hard and fast "expiration date" on air fills, but my personal rule of thumb is that if it's more than 6 months old, it's worth a few buck to drain and re-fill. That should get you through the winter. (I know some others who will take their tanks to a year before draining... personally, I've never hit 6 months. LOL)

[Venio]

Originally Posted by skdvr

I have always heard best to store it completely full or with a couple of hundred lbs in it. Reason being is incase of a fire.

Completely full = If there is a fire the burst disc will go before the metal is comprimised and the tank explodes.

couple hundred lbs = If there is a fire the metal of the tank will fail but there will be very little pressure built up in the tank when it happens causing no real exposion.

If there is say 2000 lbs in a 3000lb tank the metal could fail before the pressure reaches the 5000 psi fail point of the burst disk. The pressure may get to 4500 lbs and if the metal fails at that point then if there is a fireman near by it could really ruin their day.

I am sure that someone will correct me if I am wrong but this is what I have been told.

I personally say dive all year, but if you cannot then keep the tanks full. You may have more days like we are having in Mo. right now where it is the middle of Oct and it is 85* and sunny. It would be a great day to be in the water.

Phil

Phil, no offense but pressure cannot be represented in pounds since that is a measure of force and not of pressure, which in this country is measured most commonly in psi(pounds per square inch). I'm making the remark only so so we don't confuse people that are trying to learn.

Thanks.