How many of you test your tanks?

[Joekrooz]

How many of you get your tanks tested that you fill yourself with your own compressor?  Would you fill your own tank or someone else's that is beyond 5 year certification?   I totally understand why a tank gets tested when a store or shop fills them, but what about when you fill yourself?  My tank is new and I will baby it considering what it costs and I am waiting for a shoebox that will be here soon.  I'm thinking I would have my tank tested for peace of mind, not worth the risk. 

[Bullit]

Sound decision Joe.  Safety first with those tanks.  We wanna see you here for a while

[Pellgunfun]

Having a tank tested is pretty cheap.
The annual inspection is about 16 bucks depending on where you live, and the 5 year hydro/pressure testing runs about 55 to 65 bucks or so.  Not a bad price for piece of mind.

[Sfttailrdr46]

  Mine is only 6 months old but I give it a visual inspection before every fill and will have tested at recommended intervals for safety and piece of mind

[Joekrooz]

Sounds good, better safe than sorry right. The more I think of it, it would be foolish not to test every five years. This is all pretty new to me.

[ShakySarge]

When you weigh the dangers of a faulty tank in one hand and the low cost of an up to date safe tank in the other, the decision becomes quite clear IMHO. I have seen a carbon fiber tank blow all of it's pressure out and believe me, I wouldn't want to be near it! More of a whoosh than a boom but still, what is in the way of that whoosh?!

Matt

[dyotat100]

Yeah I have 8 tanks and fill them myself. I still hydro when they are up. Not worth the risk. I think I pay $14 for hydro but I go straight to the hydro place. No middle man making money.

I have one the expires on 1-2016 and have desided we will use it as a target.

[Pellgunfun]

I think I pay $14 for hydro but I go straight to the hydro place. No middle man making money.

Lol. Tis very true:)

Usually I just drop my High Pressure Steel 80cf tanks off at the dive shop.  After about a week and a half I get them back with a full fill.

[Yarp]

Yeah I have 8 tanks and fill them myself. I still hydro when they are up. Not worth the risk. I think I pay $14 for hydro but I go straight to the hydro place. No middle man making money.

I have one the expires on 1-2016 and have desided we will use it as a target.

Same deal here. The dive shop (a middleman) wants seventy dollars, but the testing lab will run a hydro for twenty-five.
Your best bet is to find out where your local fire station takes their tanks, and walk yours in to the same spot when the time is right.

[sr1sws]

Test your tank:

http://tbo.com/news/st-pete-veteran-killed-by-exploding-scuba-tank-256967

Steve

[jeff76]

just get the test.  I tested mine when bought used even though it still had 3 years before I had to.  better safe than sorry

[mooseslayer]

New to this and got  a scuba tank that needed a hydro and lucked into a cheap used shoebox. Filled it myself a couple of times decided to have  the scuba tank and another ninja 68/4500 tank I bought  for $30 hydroed. It cost me $110 combined which was reasonable and I have 5 years of piece of mind. The dive shop guy who hydroed it said that particular scuba tank has had problems with cracks in the neck area and should have a yearly visual check. Good to know and since I rarely move it around it wont get much abuse.

[avator]

I get my 100cf Al. tank filled at a dive shop so it's tested as regulated. Ole Mr. George is a great guy. It costs me $4.95 for a fill. $12 for the anual vis. including fill and $25 for the 5 year hydro, anual vis and a fill. All tolled, it makes the 40 minute trip worth it.
Forgot to mention... last time I had it hydro'd, Mr. George gave me a 100cf loner filled for $4.95 while it was out being tested. I picked mine back up when the loner ran out.

[Geoff]

I have mine tested as the cycle dictates

I would be very hesitant to fill someone's tank that was out of certification or past the 15yr CF tank life.   I am sure people fill them all the time when past 15 years.  I wouldn't want it filled in my home by me

[RHytonen]

Mine will live in a double-width hole in the ground, heavily dry-vented from the bottom by a ring of 2" PVC stacks (so it's not a cannon.)
I'm wary of even having the gun's 3K 23ci bottle stored in the house when filled.
(Maybe I'll dig IT a little hole too...)

Testing (and paying $600 for a NEW tank) are both totally out of the question here.
There just are no facilities for filling them available either, within 100 miles.

[avator]

We were on a shopping trip in a town about 30 miles away and on the way back I noticed a sign that said, "RoseHill War Zone Paintball Park" or something to that effect. I got home and looked it up on the old interweb. I gave them a call and spoke to the owner (Greg). Turns out he lives right around the corner from the park and agreed to meet me whenever i call to fill my tank. $8 a fill and he only has 2 settings.... 3000 psi or 4500 psi. My tank is 3300 so he can only fill it to 3000. The advantage is... it's only 8 miles down the road and he is there whenever I call (even this past Father's Day). They are closed for the hot summer season right now but he still meets me. The disadvantage is... he is not certified for testing, I still have to make the 2hr round trip to the dive shop for that. I appreciate the fact that he won't fill if the certs are out of date, something I might overlook in my old age.

[Geoff]

I would not fill a tank past certification and I get my tank tested on schedule.

While the chance of an issue may be low, I am unwilling to take any chances

[Sfttailrdr46]

  Doing things that may be dangerous out of dire emergency is questionable but understandable but to skip a safety check to save a few dollars is foolish to say the least. My take on the tank hydro test is do it as needed and sleep better knowing that you are doing everything necessary to insure that the pressure vessel is safe to use

[William]

Mine is only 6 months old but I give it a visual inspection before every fill and will have tested at recommended intervals for safety and piece of mind

When you say "Visual Inspection" do you mean pulling the valve off and checking inside the tank as well as outside for possible faults?

I think my tanks are supposed to have a visual once per year. Hydro every 5 years.

William

[Joekrooz]

Doing things that may be dangerous out of dire emergency is questionable but understandable but to skip a safety check to save a few dollars is foolish to say the least. My take on the tank hydro test is do it as needed and sleep better knowing that you are doing everything necessary to insure that the pressure vessel is safe to use

No doubt, will have mine tested as necessary.  I've been told that these tanks are built beyond their psi ratings and there is nothing to worry about.    Like I said earlier, this is pretty new to me and it still makes me nervous when filling and transporting.  You gotta have respect for that kind pressure!