Does anybody here fill their tanks using dive shop safety protocol?

[CarsonRatSniper]

By submersing the tank in a big tub of water with just the valve above water - God forbid there's a tank failure?

[Geoff]

if I had a compressor, doubt I would do it even though it is probably a good idea

[CarsonRatSniper]

That's what I figured...my dive shop in Reno had somebody's aluminum tank fail while filling it and if it had not been submerged in the water tank he'd be missing a leg or worse...

I'm going to do it and wear hearing protection & safety glasses when filling with my Bauer.

Overkill? Maybe but I happen to like my body!

Just wondering what 'the masses' out there are doing...

[Dockey 454]

   After living and diving in Fla for 10 years. I found out that the water tank is only to keep the tank cool. After the tank reaches ambient temperature, the one filled in a water bath will retain higher pressure. At least that's the way it was explained to me.
         Tom

[CarsonRatSniper]

Thanks Tom...I thought it was to help absorb some of the energy and displace it in case of a failure.

[gg51]

I'm new to PCP, never did scuba .. so grain of salt.  The scuba shop here explained the fill was higher with a cooler tank and it was a safety measure as well. 

[Dockey 454]

    I imagine it would adsorb some energy. I think it has to do with being able to fill the bottles a little faster. Most of the dive shops I've been to in So Fla, and the Keys are very busy places.
         Tom

[CarsonRatSniper]

The specs on my Bauer Junior II E-1 show a fill rate of 3.9 SCFM...maybe I'll use a tub anyway just to keep the tank cool if nothing else...that seems to me to be a pretty fast fill rate.
I'm also using one of Joe B's tanks with his Slo fill valve - the restriction will certainly heat the fill more...

[Dockey 454]

     I don't have a compressor. What I use is a 300 cu ft, 6000 psi nitrogen tank. I fill my smaller bottles from it. I never fill my gun from it directly until it's pressure is down to 4500. One little slip could be trouble. After I fill the small bottles I leave them sit for a couple of hours, then top them off.
       Tom

[Sfttailrdr46]

  I don't have a Bauer pump just the Freedom 8 and my tanks do no seem to warm up at all bot I do feed the Freedom 8 with 120 psi from my oilless Porter Cable . I guess the 20 minutes takes it takes to go from 2500 to 4500 psi allows things to cool back to ambient. As far as shrapnel risks are concerned you probably are in greater danger from a ricochet than a tank failure

[45Bravo]

   After living and diving in Fla for 10 years. I found out that the water tank is only to keep the tank cool. After the tank reaches ambient temperature, the one filled in a water bath will retain higher pressure. At least that's the way it was explained to me.
         Tom

What he said...

The fire departments use a enclosure to fill in , just INCASE of a failure.
http://www.poseidonair.com/fillstations/

But the water bath is for cooling.

[Dockey 454]

   Correction guys, my nitrogen tank is 300 cu ft.
     Tom

[Habanero69er]

   After living and diving in Fla for 10 years. I found out that the water tank is only to keep the tank cool. After the tank reaches ambient temperature, the one filled in a water bath will retain higher pressure. At least that's the way it was explained to me.
         Tom

Exactly. The tank isn't usually fully submersed in the water because it's so buoyant.

[CarsonRatSniper]

Its my first time having a tank other than a 72 ci I filled to 3000 psi with my hand pump...I asked because all I had to go on is what I saw them doing at the dive shoo before I got my hand pump.

Thanks for the responses guys!

I should have my tank in a couple of days

[45Bravo]

I took my 17cubic ft 4500psi tank to a local scuba shop Saturday, one that I had not been to before.
(My friend at the local fire dept is off until the first of the month.)

They can only fill to 3000, he had quoted me $10 to fill over the phone.

When I showed up with the little tank, he had never seen a 4500 that small, since he couldn't top it off to its max pressure, and he didn't have to fire up their pump, he didn't charge me any money.

I bought a little divers silicone, (I didn't need any really, but I couldn't just walk out with free air...)

We talked about what I use the tank for, he asked about the air guns, their cost, their power, the ammo cost and such, I showed him some photos of the guns I have and have built.

He is a recreational shooter too, and seemed genuinely interested, hopefully one Saturday I can get a PCP into his hands and get him hooked..

[CarsonRatSniper]

Man, that would be AWESOME if you can get another air gun junkie convert! 

The only way we will ever get what we all want - inexpensive high quality guns and fill compressors - is to turn as many people as we can on to modern air guns and increase the sales so the big companies (or even small start ups) can increase their volume and *hopefully* lower consumer purchase prices.

Bring him a good one!

[rsterne]

The water bath is for cooling.... although I would think the extra mass might provide some safety in the event of a rupture....

Bob

[PakProtector]

the 4500 psi scba tanks are not rated for submersion. There are some CF scuba, but I believe they are only 4350 psi and clearly labeled as scuba. If you are dunking them, you might want to consider speaking to the manufacturer's tech department first.
cheers,
Douglas

[Sfttailrdr46]

I beleive that most tank failures that occur are not explosive in nature just a loud whistle and maybe a huge crack

[PakProtector]

I beleive that most tank failures that occur are not explosive in nature just a loud whistle and maybe a huge crack

In the cases where the binder( the glue ) has been damaged by solvents, the failures have been of detonation style. 13 ci at 3k psi is 51,000 FPE of energy storage IIRC...there is nothing removing the pressure once enough of the carbon filaments fail....the crack will propagate much faster than pressure will drop through a developing crack.
cheers,
Douglas