Air tank safety

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BarryW

BarryW

Member
Aug 31, 2018
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North Carolina, United States
Do any of the members here that fill their own HP tanks use an explosion containment system when filling tanks? I was an emergency responder where I worked. When we filled our bottles they were always put in a containment apparatus for safety. I think it is a good thing to do and intend to buy or make one myself. Looking to buy right now, anyone know of source to purchase. Thanks, Barry 


 
It's a good idea but I think the general answer will be no. I have the compressor somewhat/partially isolated but my tanks sit on the bench when I fill. I don't think anything short of a good concrete enclosure would contain a valve failure, and moreso... a steel tub (with water) to contain a true tank failure. So yea, that one aspect I take my chances on. But, never have seen (doesn't mean it hasn't occurred) any failure of home use equipment of this sort that wasn't CLEARLY the users fault. Safety first, moreso for my family if they are around. 

It won't protect property, but I walk out of the room and close the steel door behind me while the tanks are filling. One tank I check during the process as I only fill to 250 bar, the new one I wait till I hear he blow off valve at 4500psi. Not bragging or suggesting its okay for everyone, but it's within my risk level. 
 
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@JCD A light (relatively speaking) hose whipping around is probably safer than a lead weight and that weight will fatigue the connection and may cause the failure. A safer and better alternative is to use a short leash (same idea as race car drivers with arm leashes to keep arms in the car on rollover) with the leash the hose will only whip around the distance of the leash. 
 
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I fill my own tank cause I own my own compressor. I don't even own a dot tank. My tank is CE, got it $250 on ebay for 6.8l CF tank. It's a 74cf tank in America language. When I fill my tank I just set it on the floor and fill it. Walk away and come back an hour later. My compressor have a auto shut off. These tanks have a safety features built in. It will leak air out before it even go boom. Really really rare for these tanks to go boom unless you drop it from 10 stories building.
 
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Thanks, I know that tank failure is very rare. It is easy to get a little complacent with the hp air we use for our hobby. I don't want to be overly cautious if there isn't any need in it
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Very rare is an understatement. There have been ZERO reported tank failures that have resulted in explosive decompression in the past 20 years. The reason dive shops put them in a water tub is to cool them down, and has nothing to do with protection from failure. If it makes you feel better to put them in a steel cage when filling by all means do so. There is just no technical rationale in doing so. CFFC tanks are a thousand times safer than the gas tank in your car. Do you wear safety glasses and a flak jacket when you fill your car with explosive gasoline? ;)
 
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Thanks, I know that tank failure is very rare. It is easy to get a little complacent with the hp air we use for our hobby. I don't want to be overly cautious if there isn't any need in it
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Very rare is an understatement. There have been ZERO reported tank failures that have resulted in explosive decompression in the past 20 years. The reason dive shops put them in a water tub is to cool them down, and has nothing to do with protection from failure. If it makes you feel better to put them in a steel cage when filling by all means do so. There is just no technical rationale in doing so.
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Right. When's the last time you hear on the news someone's cf tank blow up and killed him. These tanks are built like a tank and have safety features in case to release pressure. Even if one try to overfill it, it's safety features will not allow you to go pass a certain point. YouTube have videos of what can happen if you shoot it with a gun or knock the valve off. But for it to happen on normal use is .0001%.
 
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For safety reasons and because I believe it puts less stress on the high pressure side of my AV compressor I only fill my 74' CF tank to 4,250 psi (293 BAR). My tank does not run down quickly and when it does, I just fill it back up.

I also fill my 250 BAR gun to only 240 BAR which ends up at 230 BAR after it cools for few minutes.

My reasons for doing this is because I respect the potential energy of HPA. I also believe it puts less stress on my equipment. More is not always better.






 
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Hold em up guys I have a scuba shop I use to fill my tanks here and for about two months not even a year ago they had to stop filling tanks because of a ruptured tank and the repairs and inspection needed in the fill room. The owner has two employees who flat out refuses to refill 4500 CF Tanks because of this. I was told that it was due to a faulty regulator but I don't know.

Now I'm not saying that one has to walk around like they are carrying an armed bomb but proper care and respect for these tanks are 100% warranted. Be it CF, Steel or Aluminum 3000psi or 4500psi 

If you search this forum you will see posts along the lines of "I got my own compressor because my tank is old and no one around here will refill it" or " got a buddy that fills mine because the scuba shop will not recert my tank" I have seen these post and it takes a lot of restraint not to rail on them. 

Everyone thinks that because fire fighters use tanks like these then Hey we ain't got nothing to worry about..... Those guys are trained to inspect and recognize potential failure hazards with their gear. They also have or have someone with actual testing devices that checks those tanks on a regular schedule. And if a tank is flagged they don't use it.

Yes these tanks can stand up to a lot of wear and tear and even neglected abuse but if or when they do fail it is 100% a life threatening event. 

With the proper care, maintenance and respect for these tanks they are safe what does this CMR intel 

Protect the shell from bumps with a cover

Protect the tank from UV radiation, sunlight extreme heat 

If a tank is dropped or some other major event take it in and pay the $10 to have it inspected and checked out, 

Have your gauges, hoses , and fittings checked on a regular basis have your gauges calibrated 




 
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