Hydro testing of SCBA tanks
I just purchased a 44 SCBA tank from ebay. It needs to be hydro tested. I’ve searched around the internet but haven’t been able to find many places that do this – and none around my location (north of Boston).
I asked at a local paintball shop and they said they send ’em out, costs about $50, and takes 3 weeks. Seems like I could do better…
For those of you that have gotten 4500 PSI tanks hydro tested – any suggestions on places that can do it? I also plan to ask the local fire dept where they do it but haven’t gotten down there yet.
Thanks
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My local SCUBA shop charges $30 for the hydrotesting, visual inspection, and fill. It takes them about a week because they have to send the tanks to a third party.
A fill of a 100 cf tank is $5, but the owner said that he was going to make it $6.
As your getting quotes on the hydro, ask them what they charge to fill it and what the turnaround time for a fill is.
You have enough hydro locations around Boston that filling it should not be a problem, but you want to think about that as you are deciding on the place to hydro. This could be your fill location also.
In answer to your question “How are you going to fill it?”:
Probably at the local paintball shop. They said they can fill to 4500 PSI. I will also check with the local fire dept on that too. I’d assume they may have a compressor so they have control over their equipment. Maybe for a dozen donuts….. 😉
You better bring the bottle in. Many paintball shops will not fill a tank that large and will not fill anything for breathing air.
Wow – thanks for all the leads – especially two dogs!
In answer to your question “How are you going to fill it?”:
Probably at the local paintball shop. They said they can fill to 4500 PSI. I will also check with the local fire dept on that too. I’d assume they may have a compressor so they have control over their equipment. Maybe for a dozen donuts….. 😉
This is what I found in your area from the Authorized DOT list:
Fire Equipment, Inc.
88 Hicks Ave.
Medford, MA
(781) 391-8050
Keane Fire & Safety Equipment, Co.
1500 Main Street
Waltham, MA
(781) 899-6565
Cintas Fire Protection
10 Gill St., Suite G.
Woburn, MA
(781) 497-1900
This one is North East of Boston,
North Shore Fire Appliance Company, Inc.
98 Main St.
Wenham, MA
(978) 468-1600
I couldn’t find a phone number on the these two.
AC & M Fire Equipment 7/2008
7 Rex Lane
Acton, MA
Firetech & Safety of New England, Inc. 5/2010
27 Industrial Avenue, Unit G
Chelmsford, MA
I had 3 places in my area, the closest was 45 miles and they didn’t answer their phone. I had to go 60 miles one way. You have a bunch more on the South side of Boston.
All hydro testing has to be done by an Authorized DOT test facility. If you take it to anyone not on the list, they will just send it out to someone that is on the list, and you will pay the up-charge and it will take longer.
Check with a place that services fire extingishers, they normally will perform hi/lo pressure hydro testing, also check dive shops.
Authorized DOT Cylinder Retesters: Domestic
http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/portal/site/PHMSA/menuitem.ebdc7a8a7e39f2e55cf2031050248a0c/?vgnextoid=18dee6285188e110VgnVCM1000001ecb7898RCRD&vgnextchannel=90892f5484d87110VgnVCM1000009ed07898RCRD&vgnextfmt=print
Massachusetts Page:
http://www.phmsa.dot.gov/staticfiles/PHMSA/DownloadableFiles/Files/Cylinder_Retest/cyl_ma.pdf
Sort through looking for Hydrostatic, call for pricing and when you drop it off get it in writing. I got a quote of $25 on the phone and now they say it’s $41. I was told they filled it, will know more when I pick it up.
This may be too far away from you, but did you see this post?
http://talonairgun.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16292
E.Templeton, Ma.
How are you going to fill it?
$50 seems like the going rate, but usually 1 to 2 weeks. But then again that’s here by the Pacific ocean where there is lots of divers.
Check with your local fire department to see what they do with theirs.
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I’m charge $5-$6 depending on which way the wind blows for my 100cf 3500psi Steel tank. Still, I get a couple of months between fills on average, a little more with the summer heat because I’m staying inside and not shooting 🙂