Dive Bottle Test - Short & Curly's?

[dan00001]

I had 3 bottles tested last year, 1 was very old and rough, 1 was old in good condition and 1 was fairly new in good condition, The two older ones had been out of test for a very long time but they all passed without any problems whatsoever. I would be demanding they show me the faulty part before I hand over payment.

[Spray1Mark]

Asked my local today whilst getting 4 fills, they said about 2 a year fail that particular test, so considering that they fill dozens of bottles a day 5 days a week, you are either extremelly unlucky or being scammed to make up the bottom line!

[rabbitslayer]

Asked my local today whilst getting 4 fills, they said about 2 a year fail that particular test, so considering that they fill dozens of bottles a day 5 days a week, you are either extremelly unlucky or being scammed to make up the bottom line!

That's my gut feel but I can assure you I bet I'm not the last.

[JerryD]

Personally, I'd wait for Parwins every time around Peterborough. The only people taking the valve out are the testers, and as said, it's very rare for a thread failure.......

I know Paul is in for a bypass, just hope he gets through that and is back in the shop soon...







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[JerryD]

£61 my @rse.......they'd be making 20+% even if they bought at retail!





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[rabbitslayer]

£61 my @rse.......they'd be making 20+% even if they bought at retail!.

Yes Jerry and there's very little I can do about it and that was why I posted. Now they've got my bottle I have to pay or they scrap it - short & curly's.

And... even if I was to somehow get them back I'd still have to pay for the test and I wouldn't be surprised if they purposely damage the threads (if not already) so that any second opinions / tests would have the same outcome.

I've learnt my lesson and I'll just have to pay out this time. Will go elsewhere next time. But I don't know of any other local testers other than Parwins.

[rancidtom]

Yes Jerry and there's very little I can do about it and that was why I posted. Now they've got my bottle I have to pay or they scrap it - short & curly's.

And... even if I was to somehow get them back I'd still have to pay for the test and I wouldn't be surprised if they purposely damage the threads (if not already) so that any second opinions / tests would have the same outcome.

I've learnt my lesson and I'll just have to pay out this time. Will go elsewhere next time. But I don't know of any other local testers other than Parwins.

Follow the appeal procedure.

[RobF]

£61 my @rse.......they'd be making 20+% even if they bought at retail!





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By the time you add postage and the work then it’s not far off. What do you want to save the £10 of vat and the trade discount?

The thing holds 4500 pounds per every square inch. Threads fail. I’ve had one go on a bottle that was only on its 2nd test. Same deal. Unless you think you’ve been caught in a wholesale scam for what seems to be about £20 profit and only affects two people who ever come in here then the likelihood is the thread has failed and the simple fix is to get those qualified to fix it to fix it.

Sod it, have a tantrum, save £11 and put the thing in with a set of grips. It’s only 300 bar. In fact why bother buying new? See if you can get one of the 1/2 dicky out almost out of test bottles on social media and save yourself more.

£60 on something that can let go and cover a football field in under a second when it does...

[Aimstraight]

..... Threads fail. I’ve had one go on a bottle that was only on its 2nd test. Same deal.....

Out of interest was that the DIN outlet?

Think it would do us all a favour if the OP asks the test centre to confirm where in the BS/EN procedures it requires this test. I looked on the SITA website and the various downloads are scant in detail (deliberately so as to have to buy the BS/EN to find out), it just refers to 'valve threads' and cylinder threads. So for an airgun valve do they also test the thread for the gauge? All this would be useful to know, as we are paying for the service, it should be transparent. Good to know if all centres do check all threads (I doubt it somehow, the guage threads can differ on valves).

Would it be possible for the DIN outlet threads to be comprised by silicone grease (from an o-ring seal)? Not suggesting that here, but just wondering. Probably many other potential causes including dirty threads, excess force, marginal production tolerance, poor thread on mating parts, test centre handling.

Presumably when a cylinder is filled to 300 bar, the connection is tight enough (but not excessive) to compress the interface o-ring, and then the 300 bar pressure on the face of the connectors is transferred through the threads. Similarly when filling an airgun from the cylinder. Hence all mating threads need to be in very good condition/very well matched.

[JerryD]

By the time you add postage and the work then it’s not far off. What do you want to save the £10 of vat and the trade discount?

The thing holds 4500 pounds per every square inch. Threads fail. I’ve had one go on a bottle that was only on its 2nd test. Same deal. Unless you think you’ve been caught in a wholesale scam for what seems to be about £20 profit and only affects two people who ever come in here then the likelihood is the thread has failed and the simple fix is to get those qualified to fix it to fix it.

Sod it, have a tantrum, save £11 and put the thing in with a set of grips. It’s only 300 bar. In fact why bother buying new? See if you can get one of the 1/2 dicky out almost out of test bottles on social media and save yourself more.

£60 on something that can let go and cover a football field in under a second when it does...

Rob, I'm not belittling the dangers: HPA is nasty stuff if it goes wrong.

The point is that a test centre has to remove the valve anyway to inspect the bottle - no call for muckling it at home with pliers, they have the right kit and training. They get the valves wholesale price, and removing and refitting the valve is part of the test process. Why does this test centre in question have to charge over the odds for something that cost them a lot less than we would pay and would have to do anyway? It's the valve that's mullered, not the bottle so why are they not even returning the bottle sans valve?

There are 2 test centres around Peterborough: one is a pain and Parwin's are good... Paul will show you what's wrong, no withholding, just a fair test process with fully transparent information.



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