Dive bottle 5yr Test ???

[Scaley]

Chaps,
I have 2 bottles bought from Best Fittings with the MDE Jubilee gun valve system that carries a 5yr test both bottles manufactured in 2009.
My local dive centre won't accept that these carry a 5yr test and insists that they will need re testing in 2.5yrs or they wont fill them anymore.
Is there anything i can do about this to prove to him that this is wrong?
Any help would be very appreciated.
ATB
Leon.

[tiler mark]

if the gauge is fitted to the neck then its a 5 year test. if its a std din neck then its 2.5.

Even if its is specified land air only, without the gauge on the neck its 2.5

[Scaley]

Its the proper gun valve with the guage on the neck....but he still won't have it..:mad:

[Chezza]

A guy at a scuba place in Chichester who was the head poncho for bottle testing stated:

Testing

Testing for scuba cylinders is currently required at two and a half year intervals.# All cylinders are stamped with the manufacture date and the dates of previous tests.

Cylinders intended for surface use require testing at five year intervals, and must be clearly marked “Surface Use Only”.

(NB: This includes air cylinders purchased for other sports and activities such as air guns, paintballing, tyre inflation, breathing apparatus, etc.)

[Mark_T]

There are no laws covering bottles in the UK so they either use US standards or German (DIN) standards.
It may be that his insurance prevents him from being more co-operative. Either swallow the cost or try another dive shop. It sucks doesn't it?

[Scaley]

looks like i'll just have to swallow the cost, he says it's a grey matter and he will only fill it if tested every 2.5yrs. As for looking for a new dive shop!! This one is only 10 mins from home, charges £2.50 a fill and the next one is nearly an hour away not very cost effective. Ah well..
Leon.

[sureshot]

looks like i'll just have to swallow the cost, he says it's a grey matter and he will only fill it if tested every 2.5yrs. As for looking for a new dive shop!! This one is only 10 mins from home, charges £2.50 a fill and the next one is nearly an hour away not very cost effective. Ah well..
Leon.

How much is the test going to be as mine is up soon?

[Scaley]

Not sure mate i think anything between 25-50 best to ask your local dive shop.

[DedIdick]

Shouldn't be too much as the 2.5 year test is only a visual inspection.

[pintosal]

My dive shop says it's 5 years if you mark the bottle "Surface Use Only"

[L-S-R]

£35 for full test, it's 5 years for a surface bottle with gauge.

[ratsplatter]

The testing cycle is dependant on the type of cylinder, and the type of valve that is fitted to it.

For surface use cylinders, i.e ones that are fitted with a valve that cannot be used for diving purposes, and breathing apparatus cylinders, as used by the Fire Brigade etc the test cycle is 5 years from DOM (Date of Manufacture). The first one being a visual, and then a hydro every 5 years after that.

For scuba cylinders, if a regular scuba valve is fitted, then the test cycle reverts to a standard scuba test cycle, this being a visual after 2.5 years from DOM, then alternating between a hydro and a visual every 2.5 years from then on. The only exception to this is if the cylinder looks excessively well used or damaged externally, the testing station can require the cylinder to be hydro tested every 2.5 years.

If a "For Surface Use Only" sticker is applied to a regular scuba tank fitted with a regular scuba valve, it has absolutely no bearing on the test cycle, and does not under any circumstances extend the testing cycle to 5 years. If it did, then every diver not wanting to have the statutory test would just stick a sticker on their cylinder.

Incidentally, if a cylinder is used for non breathing air requirements, and is not a standard scuba cylinder, i.e. a commercial gas cylinder, the test cycle can be extended as far as 10 years.

[some bloke]

The testing cycle is dependant on the type of cylinder, and the type of valve that is fitted to it.

For surface use cylinders, i.e ones that are fitted with a valve that cannot be used for diving purposes, and breathing apparatus cylinders, as used by the Fire Brigade etc the test cycle is 5 years from DOM (Date of Manufacture). The first one being a visual, and then a hydro every 5 years after that.

For scuba cylinders, if a regular scuba valve is fitted, then the test cycle reverts to a standard scuba test cycle, this being a visual after 2.5 years from DOM, then alternating between a hydro and a visual every 2.5 years from then on. The only exception to this is if the cylinder looks excessively well used or damaged externally, the testing station can require the cylinder to be hydro tested every 2.5 years.

If a "For Surface Use Only" sticker is applied to a regular scuba tank fitted with a regular scuba valve, it has absolutely no bearing on the test cycle, and does not under any circumstances extend the testing cycle to 5 years. If it did, then every diver not wanting to have the statutory test would just stick a sticker on their cylinder.

Incidentally, if a cylinder is used for non breathing air requirements, and is not a standard scuba cylinder, i.e. a commercial gas cylinder, the test cycle can be extended as far as 10 years.

Could you find any corroboration of this please? I ask as Midland Diving refused to fill my bottle a week after its 5 year birthday.

Worse - it was a webley bottle which they were not prepared to test anyway because it came via another importer or some silly excuse (MDE has a near monopoly on initial supply of bottles apparently)

For anyone near Leicester who has a webley bottle, MDE will not test it - but Stoney Cove is gearing up with the correct adaptors to do their rare neck thread type and should be so equipped in a couple of weeks or so.

[ratsplatter]

The Webley branded cylinders are a flat bottom commercial gas cylinder, and are fitted with a modified 1" taper valve complete with gauge, bleed etc.

If the 5 year cylce has passed, then MDE are correct in not filling the cylinder, although they are an IDEST test centre, they do not necesarily carry certification to test other commercial pressure containing vessels, including the visual testing element. This is a very valid reason for them not performing the test, as they are not obliged to test every type of cylinder commercially available.

Your cylinder could be referred back to another supplier of cylinders, like BOC for example, who are more likely to have resource to test the Webley type cylinders.

MDE are certified to test the following types according to details freely available on their own website:

"Our Idest-approved test station (1X) offers capability to test steel and BS5045/3/C aluminium cylinders, and carry thread gauges for M25, ¾BSP, M18, 19.8 Taper, .715 Taper plus others."

As for a near monopoly on cylinders, not so, as Beaver import a large number into the UK and are suppliers of many retail outlets, including us.

I would however consider that the MDE Jubilee gun charging valve is the best available specifically for our sport, and as such we fit these to Beaver cylinders when the complete MDE systems are not available.

We have in house calibrated thread gauges for testing both the Cylinder neck threads and the valve stems, and all units are assembled according to current HSE guidelines by suitably competant persons. (Just for the record)

Regards

Splatty

[snipperuk]

[COLOR="blue"]Could you find any corroboration of this please? I ask as Midland Diving refused to fill my bottle a week after its 5 year birthday.



you left it too long and the test ran out ....... you may have to have a hydrostacic test now where as if it was still in test it would only need a visual ......

just took mine for its first visual ... as far as i know you dont need a surface only sticker .... it depends on what tank it is