The Great 02 Cleaning Debate

I guess it all comes down to opinion. I have removed stickers to many times to find pits and other areas of concern. My belief is there should be no stickers on the tank other than 1 VIP. And a mod sticker

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How do you feel about Diluent and Oxygen stickers on rebreather bottles? Are RB divers supposed to replace them every year?

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Originally Posted by kwinter

How do you feel about Diluent and Oxygen stickers on rebreather bottles? Are RB divers supposed to replace them every year?

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If they are VIP'ing to PSI standards...yes. A visual inspection includes the exterior of a cylinder as well as the interior. ALL stickers are to be removed, how else do you do a complete visual inspection of the exterior of the cylinder?

No matter the agency, if you leave a sticker on a tank, you can't rightly say that you've inspected 100% of that tank.

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Originally Posted by kwinter

I don't understand your confusion. If you tell a shop you want the tank O2 clean, they should clean it and put the appropriate VIP sticker on. If you don't want it O2 clean because you always use banked nitrox or do your own stick blending, then don't ask them to clean it. It shouldn't have anything to do with how the shop blends nitrox. But if you have them punch the sticker for 40% max and then expect them to partial pressure blend you a custom mix, you're a fool.

As for the stickers, your TDI (actually SDI) inspector cert also "requires" you to remove all stickers from the outside of a tank, just like PSI. How else can you check for surface pitting that could require a tank to be condemned? But in practice, I don't do it and I have never had a sticker removed by a shop, not even the old VIP stickers. Maybe they do things in a big way down in Texas, so I suggest you don't bring your tanks to jxh2297. As for restoring vintage tanks and applying reproduction stickers, I have never heard of anyone doing that for a tank that was actually going to be used. Why go through that restoration only to have the tank banged up and scratched? And if it is not going to be used, then it doesn't need a VIP.

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I never said I was confused but you seemed to be. If you read the OP's post he dropped off the tanks for a VIP and the shop wanted to O2 clean them. I am familiar with partial pressure blending and even did it a few times so I am aware of the risks involved.

I also never said I was a tank inspector, only that I have a regular Nitrox certification. As I mentioned the shop that used to VIP my tanks never removed the old VIP stickers. I have them going back to around 1998. So maybe I should send it to JXH2297 for sticker removal.

If someone brings in a tank that looks like it came off the Sea Hunt set, original or restored, it is common courtesy and good customer service to warn them that the stickers will be removed. After all if the stickers were never removed in decades why would they expect you to remove them now? So to deface the tank by removing the stickers and then laugh about when the client complains is terrible customer service.

People do restore tanks for actual diving, just go to vintage scuba forums or vintage scuba sites for a look. Why do they do it? because they want to dive good looking gear. Heck some people actually have their metal regs (both single and double hose) re-chromed only to dive them again.

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

Apparently you aren't aware of the indoctrination that goes on in a PSI class.

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I am now.

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Originally Posted by ktomlinson

No matter the agency, if you leave a sticker on a tank, you can't rightly say that you've inspected 100% of that tank.

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Paint too. Damn fabers... should all be stripped yearly! It's amazing how well paint and stickers cover rust and corrosion. Someone should have told FIAT.

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Originally Posted by Greenwood_60

Paint too. Damn fabers... should all be stripped yearly! It's amazing how well paint and stickers cover rust and corrosion. Someone should have told FIAT.

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:rollguy

Somebody did tell Fiat, paint is about all that is holding some of them together

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Originally Posted by Greenwood_60

Paint too. Damn fabers... should all be stripped yearly! It's amazing how well paint and stickers cover rust and corrosion. Someone should have told FIAT.

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I know you're sorta kidding around, but I'd think I could see an indention, or bubbling under the paint...a sticker I'm not so sure about (if it was placed after the damage occurred).

Do others here think that it is ok to put a VIP sticker on a tank that they left stickers on? What about bands? I don't mean does it comply with your training, I mean do you think it's ok based on your understanding of tanks/corrosion/etc?