16 replies to this topic

[Bubble2Bubble]

I just bought some old dive gear from somebody. I thought i got a good deal till I went to get a Vis and Airfill on the tank. the Dive shop told me that the tank was a certain make of 6498 from Luxfur that had some troubles on refills. they would explode
He went on to tell me that there had been 13 such explosions on this make of tank over several years. he went on to say tanks like that need to be electronical checked for stress cracks and that he didnt have that tool and advised me to just dispose of the tank after making it unusable like filling it with cement. Ok I said and went on to dive with other tanks I have. well I was in yet another diveshop yesterday and that owner said that he was aware of this problem and had the tool to check it and if it checked out he would fill it no prob and added that this electronic crack inspection should be done every 3 years. he said 13 tanks out of millions made is not something you should be alarmed at if you do the proper inspecting of it and most of the 13 faulty tanks where special firefighter tanks anyway.

I would really like to hear from YOU SD.comer's.
If you knew about this and what would you do with this tank???

B2B

Edited by Bubble2Bubble, 07 April 2005 - 12:14 PM.

[RichardB]

Man, sorry to hear this!

Unfortunately, aluminum Luxfers June 1988 and prior are not considered safe tanks. They really should be destroyed and it's hard to find someone that will fill them. Additionally, you won't be able to get a legitimate hydro on them. I hate to say it, but it's better to take them a recycling plant and sell them for weight.

The eddy current testing for cracks is usually done each year during a visual. It's a quick, easy and worthwhile test and most dive shops that have the gear do not charge extra for eddy current testing. If your shop doesn't have the gear, you may want to find one that does.

[intotheblue]

It's terrible to be uninformed... and then have someone take advantage of you... What RichardB advised is wise. Luxfer had a credit program awhile back if you turned in those tanks you would get some credit towards purchase of a new one. The alloy in the old cylinders was prone to stress failures and not considered worth the risk by most that fill cylinders. I would not fill any such old cylinder as my life and property and the lives of others are much more important than the unfortunate prospect of lost business because I would not fill that cylinder. Cheer up... I'm stuck with two of the old bombs myself... But... I got a lot of dives out of them before the defect surfaced and I did not try to pass them off to some other unsuspecting diver to recover some of my investment. Even if you can get it filled after an eddy current test, I think I'd recommend chalking the purchase up to "learning" and go use newer cylinders. Oh, also stay away from old "Kidde" cylinders too. While only "13 of the millions" of cylinders have actually had catastrophic failure, how many more have been pulled from service due to evidence from eddy current testing that there were problems... or maybe due to other evidence from visual inspection... or from evident leaks around the valve opening? The older these old alloy tanks get, the more problems they will have if still in service.

OAN, I've seen some nice "bollards" made from old SCUBA cylinders...

Hope this helps...

ITB

[intotheblue]

I just bought some old dive gear from somebody. I thought i got a good deal till I went to get a Vis and Airfill on the tank. the Dive shop told me that the tank was a certain make of 6498 from Luxfur that had some troubles on refills. they would explode
He went on to tell me that there had been 13 such explosions on this make of tank over several years. he went on to say tanks like that need to be electronical checked for stress cracks and that he didnt have that tool and advised me to just dispose of the tank after making it unusable like filling it with cement. Ok I said and went on to dive with other tanks I have. well I was in yet another diveshop yesterday and that owner said that he was aware of this problem and had the tool to check it and if it checked out he would fill it no prob and added that this electronic crack inspection should be done every 3 years. he said 13 tanks out of millions made is not something you should be alarmed at if you do the proper inspecting of it and most of the 13 faulty tanks where special firefighter tanks anyway.

I would really like to hear from YOU SD.comer's.
If you knew about this and what would you do with this tank???

B2B

And B2B... what is the problem with using forest products??? I got my degree in forestry just so people could use "forest products" and know there will be more trees in the future...

JK.... I love tree huggers too...

ITB

[RichardB]

From Luxfer's press release department. The tank trade in program ended in 2003.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (December 9, 2002)—Luxfer Gas Cylinders has announced a new scuba tank trade-in program to enable owners of older Luxfer scuba tanks manufactured in the U.S. from 6351 aluminum alloy to trade in their tanks and receive credit toward the purchase of new scuba tanks made from Luxfer’s proven, proprietary 6061 alloy. Luxfer will implement the simple four-step program outlined below on January 1, 2003. The program will end on December 31, 2003. This is a limited one-year offer!

To determine whether your Luxfer scuba tank is made from 6351 aluminum alloy, check the original hydrostatic test date (the earliest date) stamped on the crown. (Look for a month/year combination, such as 3/75.) If the stamped year is 1972 through 1987, the tank is made from 6351 alloy. A limited number of Luxfer scuba tanks were also made from 6351 alloy during the first half of 1988. If you have a 1988 tank with an original hydrostatic test date of 6/88 or earlier, Luxfer will assume that it is a 6351-alloy tank and issue an RG number. Tanks with an original hydrostatic test date of 7/88 or later are made from 6061 alloy and are not eligible for the trade-in program.


Call the Luxfer Customer Service Department toll-free (1-800-764-0366) and report the number of 6351-alloy tanks to be exchanged. A Luxfer customer service representative will ask you for the model number, serial number and original hydrostatic test date for each tank, as well as your return mailing information. The representative will then issue you a returned goods (RG) authorization number and tell you how to ship tanks to Luxfer in order to receive a special $50 credit voucher for each tank.


Send your 6351-alloy scuba tanks directly to Luxfer’s plants in Graham, North Carolina, or Riverside, California (whichever is closest).


Luxfer will mail you a $50 voucher for each tank. You may redeem these vouchers1 toward the purchase of new Luxfer 6061-alloy scuba tanks at any participating dive shop or retail store.
Remember, this limited program will only be available during 2003—so don’t delay!

[BSG]

B2B,

From your Dive Buddy - MAKE A LAMP OUT OF IT!!!!! Hey, we're going to dive together for years to comeand I expect you to be there! If you need an extra tank, I'll give you mine - I can always rent and I'm trying to find more right now !

[Bubble2Bubble]

BSG

I can always rent and I'm trying to find more right now

Buddy thats the whole reason for this post so others well be informed.
Its funny you said lamp post because thats what I'm thinkin of making
out of it. calvin has enough of them to make a giant wind chim by cutting
them to differant lengths

ITB

I think I'd recommend chalking the purchase up to "learning" and go use newer cylinders.

Yep good thing it didnt cost alot for this lesson

RichardB
Thanks for the info from luxfur

Its all FYI for our SD.com members!

B2B

[Desert_Diver]

Here's a handy note I'd saved from (somewhere) when I was hunting for tanks last year, covering all of the bad aluminum tanks. You'd be surprised how many of 'em were still showing up on eBay last year. A couple of people wouldn't respond when I asked 'em 'what EXACTLY are the tank markings'. I took the hint.

After getting a lot of odd replies from folks, I said 'stuff it' and got a couple of new steel tanks so I wouldn't have any concerns. My ponies are both Catalina :-), mostly 'cos they never had a problem. Ya gotta support good manufacturers somehow...


All DOT-3AL tanks manufactured under one of the following exemptions or special permits: 6498, 7042, 8107, 8364, 8422
All composite cylinders manufactured under one of the following exemptions: 7235, 8023, 8115
All Walter Kidde DOT-3AL scuba tanks.
All Cliff Impact DOT-3AL scuba tanks made before July 1990.
All Luxfer 80.8 cu. ft. scuba tanks (S80.8) made before May 1987.
All Luxfer 72 and 100 cu. ft. scuba tanks (S72, S100) made before August 1987.
All Luxfer 80 cu. ft. scuba tanks (S80) made before January 1988.
All Luxfer 50 and 92 cu. ft. scuba tanks (S50, S92) made before April 1988.
All Luxfer 30 and 63 cu. ft scuba tanks (S30, S63) made before May 1988.
All Luxfer 40 cu. ft. scuba tanks (S40) made before June 1988.
All other scuba tanks made in the US before February 1990 (except Catalina).
All scuba tanks not made in the US.
Unless proven otherwise, all scuba tanks in the above list should be assumed as being made using the 6351-T6 alloy.

Note that many other types of cylinders (SCBA, Medical, Industrial, CO2, etc.) were also made from the 6351-T6 alloy. However, for brevity, only SCUBA type cylinders are listed above. See the DOT Safety Alert Bulletin for information on those.

Also, it should be noted that Catalina cylinders were NEVER made from the 6351-T6 alloy. They were made using alloy 6061-T6, which as of yet, has not been known to fail explosively. All of the manufacturers in the above list, except Walter Kidde, switched to the 6061-T6 alloy on the dates shown.

[Walter]

Don't forget, the valve is probably still good, so it wasn't a total waste.

[CaptSaaz]

Don't forget, the valve is probably still good, so it wasn't a total waste.

Always one to look on the bright side Walter.

[Cold_H2O]

Another brightside...B2B it looks like you are gonna get a really cool lamp.. You might want to do the whole room with a "DIVE" theme.....

[Dennis]

I was recently given a Walter Kidd tank that has the same troublesome alloy. I intend to have it checked and if it checks ok, have it hydro'd and filled. If the tank meets the eddy current checks, it's a good tank. However, there are some shops that will refuse to fill them anyway. If all of the shops in your area will not fill the tank, you are out of luck. By the way, most hydrostatic testers will tell you that they have never seen an aluminum tank fail hydro, no matter what the alloy. I intend to use my tank to test regs with. If it fails the viz and eddy current testing, I think I'll have it cut up to use as a visual aid.

[steelemagnolia6]

I took the adivce of a couple of seasoned divers and bought a new tank, well a new used tank that had only 5 dives on it...

But the lamp thing sounds like a good idea to me....

[ryvor]

I just bought some old dive gear from somebody. I thought i got a good deal till I went to get a Vis and Airfill on the tank. the Dive shop told me that the tank was a certain make of 6498 from Luxfur that had some troubles on refills. they would explode
He went on to tell me that there had been 13 such explosions on this make of tank over several years. he went on to say tanks like that need to be electronical checked for stress cracks and that he didnt have that tool and advised me to just dispose of the tank after making it unusable like filling it with cement. Ok I said and went on to dive with other tanks I have. well I was in yet another diveshop yesterday and that owner said that he was aware of this problem and had the tool to check it and if it checked out he would fill it no prob and added that this electronic crack inspection should be done every 3 years. he said 13 tanks out of millions made is not something you should be alarmed at if you do the proper inspecting of it and most of the 13 faulty tanks where special firefighter tanks anyway.

I would really like to hear from YOU SD.comer's.
If you knew about this and what would you do with this tank???

B2B

Hey B2B,
If it was my tank. I would get it eddy current tested and vis'd. If it passes, I would fill it and dive it. 13 tanks out of millions? I think you'd have better odds of getting bit by a shark and getting hit by lighting in the same day. But that's me. I have a pretty high comfort level. If you have the vis and eddy current testing done every year, you'll be fine. If the tanks were "that dangerous" they would have all been recalled and we wouldn't be having this discussion.

[bluedolphin]

You could always just keep it around as a spare to use when you clean your gear, that is all my tank is good for.