Behind The Scenes Of A Hydro-Static Test
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- Опубліковано 29 сер 2024
- Behind The Scenes Of A Hydro-Static Test
Have you ever wondered how a hydro-static test is performed on a scuba cylinder? Well Lake Hickory Scuba got a private invite into the test facility at Burgess Fire and Protection. We want to thank both Mike and Bobby from Burgess Fire and Protection for inviting us and for showing us the procedure.
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Lake Hickory Scuba Center & Marina
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420 Taylorsville Beach Ct. Taylorsville, NC 28681
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I use to work at a SCUBA shop back in the 70's, the process is basically the same, but now a lot of high tech tools. Very ncely done.
Thank You.
Been diving since 94 always wondered how this was done. thanks
You are welcome.
Thank you Brian and Bobby for showing the process of a Hydro-Static Test on a tank. Appreciate the thought process and the execution of getting it done. There will always be people that find problems in everything that you do. I am not in the Scuba World, but have a 20lb CO2 tank that I need to get tested as my imprinted date is 4@15. Been doing research in my area to find a place to have the test done, and wanted to understand what the process entailed from an learning perspective. This video did the trick for sure. Question - How much does the test cost roughly? Thank you again for your efforts and the parted knowledge.
Hello Walter Bellini, I can only speak on the retail side of the Scuba Industry. Currently, we are charging $40 per cylinder to do a hydro. This may very based off you geographical location.
Good information, I've always wondered about the process. Every time I send a tank I say a silent little prayer it'll pass although I've never had a failure from hydro yet. Did have one tank I bought used and dove with it a year or two that subsequently failed vip due to pitting.
Hello Bill Hazel, in my career I have seen several tanks that have failed. Its never a good day when you have to explain to the customer why we had to condemn their cylinder.
@@LakeHickoryScuba It should be a good day - You may have saved a life!
Very true
Interesting that the hydro testing facility has PVC air lines on the walls that are not OSHA approved.
I once had the job of replacing all of the plastic air lines in a cabinet shop because the OSHA inspector turned them down and threatened to fine the owners if the plastic air lines were not removed within 15 days.
Hello David Tyndall, I can't speak for the company, only ours.
Interesting question, I wonder if the DOT rated fiberglass reinforced nylon tubing that I ran to the tire inflator is a OSHA violation?
Wouldn't it be better to first properly paint the stamp so the bare metal is sealed, then perhaps use the marker on top of that paint? The marker is probably not the best anti-rust protection.
Very educational
Ivory Johnson We have been wanting to make this video for a while now, and we hoped people you find it interesting.
The rules are that the tank boots should be removed and the tank exterior bottoms should be inspected before hydro-testing.
Hello Mike MACLENNAN, we appreciate the comment.
Lol he has to check the o-rings all the time because of all the paint chips and metal fragments from the stamping process.
But seriously, cool video. I wish more was explained but beggars can’t be choosers :)
Hello truthsmiles, we we agree, this is a cool video.
Very nice, thanks.
You’re welcome
Am I right in thinking they are not testing if the tank can hold the pressure but how much the tank stretches out showing it still has some elasticity? Trying to remember a comment from Alec’s channel
Hello W B, hydro testing sole purpose is to test the structural integrity of the cylinder under pressure.
Very interesting... I was surprised the test pressure was 5000 psi for a 3000 psi tank. Makes me feel a little better when I hear about “cave fills” going 10-20% over fill.
Hydro Test are always conducted at 5/3's the working pressure. So on a 3000 psi cylinder, the hydro test will be conducted at 5000 psi.
Just curious, wouldn't it be a good idea to put a valve on the tank, or cap over the opening of the tank prior to stamping it? Seems like with it open, pieces of paint or other debris could get down inside the tank. I also didn't see the technician doing a visual inspection of the inside tank walls, only the threads. Is their VIP not really considered a part of the hydro test? I'm not being critical, I honestly don't know what their responsibility is as far as visually inspecting the whole tank. Interesting video, thanks for posting.
The visual inspection they perform isn't quite as thorough as the visual inspection a dive shop does, this has always been a misconception. And in regards to the capping off the valve, it's not really necessary. Its pretty easy to keep debris out while handling the cylinder, just as it is keeping water out of the first stage after removing it from the cylinder.
I was about to say this is nonsense...then I got to the part of the video where he used the wire brush after stamping. This guy needs to cap the tanks first. Lol.
Hello. that good video.
What is the name of the coupling you used on the neumatic wrench?
That is a great question Jorge Paez Hernandez, and one that I am going to have to refer you to the Hydro Company.
2nd video I watched on hydro testing and I still don't understand the process. I see you fill the tank up with water and then I see you submerse the tank in another tank of water... I saw the computer screen but there was no explanation of what is really taking place. Where is the pressure applied and how? It's really not explained here. I see all your equipment but I don't hear an in depth explanation as to how it all works. Is pressure applied to the tank that the portable tank is submerged in? Is water pressure applied to the fixed tank? How is the pressure measured?
Hello @earthstewardude, maybe this explanation will help you out. Hydrostatic testing is the primary method used to test for leaks and assess the structural integrity of meter skids, compressed gas cylinders, boilers, tubing, pipelines and other pressurized vessels. It’s performed by filling the system with water, pressurizing it up to a level greater than Maximum Allowable Working Pressure (MAWP), and monitoring for visible and/or measurable leaks during a specified amount of time.
Question, an i correct in saying these tanks are good for use as long as they pass the hydro test? Or are people recommend to discard these tanks after some years have passed?
Hello Anthony Wilson. In North America, cylinders must pass both a Hydrostatic Test and a Visual Inspection Test. If either test is failed, then cylinders must be condemned for use.
Isn't it suppose to remove the cylinder plastic boot before putting into the water jacket?
Hello Enrique Paul, I would need to refer you to the Hydro company on that question.
I'm more concerned about all the pesticides and outdoor service equipment getting in my tank from this place. Under the table of tools is Killsall, then right where the air intake for the dryer fan is are a chemical sprayer and other toxins that could be put into a tank I might have there. Perhaps it is just me but at 100' down I don't want to be breathing weed killer and gas fumes that were dried into my tank. And like another person posted but shouldn't the stamping be done while the cylinder is plugged so scraps of metal are not getting inside my tank? The wire brush process to clean up the newly stamped area can easily throw fragments into my tank. I ran over and watched the next step of this that being the visual inspection back at the dive shop. There was no cleaning of the inside of the tank there so the chemicals that got in the tank at the hydro facility are not removed before filling a tank.
Thank You for watching our videos and commenting. Happy diving
on the vis...shouldn't you also be doing a UV light to check for oils and other contaminants? we do that as a matter of course.
We do that during the Visual Inspection.
I would think that gas nozzle used for filling the tank with water might damage the threads??
If you are not careful, it could possible damage them.
Hi, does anyone knows whats the % of PSI you need to use for testing the cylinders? For example, that blue cylinder was testes 30 secs at 5000 PSI, but whats the regular working PSI pressure of the cylinder, 2216 PSI, 4500 PSI ??? ????
The working pressure of the cylinder in the video is 3000 psi (206 bar).
@@LakeHickoryScuba Thanks for the info!
You’re welcome. Thanks for watching
Dot goes times 5 divide by 3 that's your test pressure 5/3
The four people who disliked this probably failed their hydro static tests
Possibly.
Has a tank ever failed? Just asking!
Hello Lance, great question. Yes, tanks do fail from time to time.
Been diving for many years and this video is a great explanation of Hydro testing but he needs rubber on his dryer, if I sent tanks back that have circle scratches on the crown of the tank they would beat me with a regulator ! Lolol
Glad you liked the video. I don't believe we have ever got a cylinder back that was scratched after a Hydro
Hydro with the boot on?? 8:47
That is correct @uruapan07
What is the liquid the guy puts in the cylinder. is it distilled water or something else.
Water straight out of the tap.
I would have thought 93 octane
That sure is a creative way to use a petrol pump nozzle!
lol fill'er up!
LakeHickoryScuba
you'd think it would have to be at least filtered water or like mentioned, distilled water to avoid introducing contaminants to the inside of the tank
Hydro test machine is still running Windows XP. I hope he has an upgrade plan.
I was thinking the exact same thing.
Actually there is no need to upgrade as long as said system works and is not connected to a network / the internet. You wouldn't believe how many legacy systems are still being used in companies all around the world and the lengths they go through just to keep said systems running.
Windows XP is plenty fine for offline special use cases like this. In fact you can even see in the task tray that no network connection is established.
Good to know. Thanks.
LakeHickoryScuba Thanks for the video by the way. Very interesting/informative.
You’re welcome
Nice video but not informative ! Lot of questions left unanswered since the answers were mumbled by the technician. No explanation given of each procedure (why do this and what am I looking for ) except for the host trying to explain it without an intelligible answer.... I just saw the whole procedure for the first time been done in a cluttered shop with hoses and wires all over the floor which had to be stepped over for each procedure.
Hello joserafa03, thank you for watching our video and commenting, it supports us in so many ways. Sorry to hear that you did not enjoy the video.
I enjoyed the video, but it does not SHOW like a high volume operation with dirt, rust, wires and hoses all over. Been diving 27 years and never seen the process. Good to see the computer determines pass/fail instead of a human. That hydraulic tank holder is kewl. The other comment was right about the muffled tech, he should have been mic'd (or mic'd better). Or he could have narrated the video after the fact. Informative it was IMHO. Thx.
I don't know if it's a UA-cam thing or some kind of automatic texting, but my god it's bad!!!
Hello Anna Nygren, sorry to hear that you did not like our video.
@@LakeHickoryScuba I liked the video a lot, don't get me wrong :) It's just the texting that is way off from what you are actually saying...
OSHA has nothing to do with hydro testing it’s state and federal DOT
Hello @timothymortell4457. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.
how was this done prior to computers?
Here is the easiest way I can explain it. Water Displacement. Here is an exert that may help---------
Small pressure vessels are normally tested using a water jacket test. The vessel is visually examined for defects and then placed in a container filled with water, and in which the change in volume of the vessel can be measured, usually by monitoring the water level in a calibrated tube. The vessel is then pressurised for a specified period, usually 30 or more seconds, and if specified, the expansion will be measured by reading off the amount of liquid that has been forced into the measuring tube by the volume increase of the pressurised vessel. The vessel is then depressurised, and the permanent volume increase due to plastic deformation while under pressure is measured by comparing the final volume in the measuring tube with the volume before pressurisation. A leak will give a similar result to permanent set, but will be detectable by holding the volume in the pressurised vessel by closing the inlet valve for a period before depressurising, as the pressure will drop steadily during this period if there is a leak. In most cases a permanent set that exceeds the specified maximum will indicate failure. A leak may also be a failure criterion, but it may be that the leak is due to poor sealing of the test equipment. If the vessel fails, it will normally go through a condemning process marking the cylinder as unsafe.The information needed to specify the test is stamped onto the cylinder. This includes the design standard, serial number, manufacturer, and manufacture date. After testing, the vessel or its nameplate will usually be stamp marked with the date of the successful test, and the test facility's identification mark.A simpler test, that is also considered a hydrostatic test but can be performed by anyone who has a garden hose, is to pressurise the vessel by filling it with water and to physically examine the outside for leaks. This type of test is suitable for containers such as boat fuel tanks, which are not pressure vessels but must work under the hydrostatic pressure of the contents. A hydrostatic test head is usually specified as a height above the tank top. The tank is pressurised by filling water to the specified height through a temporary standpipe if necessary. It may be necessary to seal vents and other outlets during the test.
@@LakeHickoryScuba It's amazing how people devised methods to accomplish things without computers. And now we are so reliant on the computers, in a lot of industries people preforming tasks aren't even aware of what is happening or what the computer or microprocessor is actually doing.
@@rlwieneke-cf3xq That's a part of life in this day and age. Technology makes things easier for us and more productive, but at the same time we become reliant on it to the point we are stuck if the the technology ever breaks down.
@@LakeHickoryScuba the Puerto Rico months long electricity outage would be a perfect example.
That would definitely cause some issues
This guy should be out of business and fined I was a hydrostatic tester for 23 years and this guy’s operation is a joke he didn’t take the boot off he didn’t give a second visual and I’m curious to find out to find out if he has low stress stamps there’s high stress stamps and low stress stamps. The new hydro stamp must be stamped next to the mfg’s original stamp or the most recent hydrostatic stamp
Hello @timothymortell4457, sorry to hear that you did not like the video. Nevertheless, we appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us.
A facility that does hydro testing of pressurized gas cylinders uses PVC pipe for their compressed air supply? They better hope OSHA doesn’t pay them a personal visit.
I guess it could be worse. Could you imagine if they would have used pool noodles instead.
@@LakeHickoryScuba If they don't comply with OSHA rules, what makes you think they comply with anything else? is their rig calibrated?
How many you damage by testing?
Hello we weep LOWE, we have never had one returned from Hydro with damage.
Zzz not sure why I kept watching. Yep, that's how we do it, yep we do the same... god they can't put two sentences together. Diver down!
Hello ds18425 ds18425, sorry you didn't like the video, but nevertheless, thank you for watching and commenting.
this method of testing is not applicable to th uk
Messy ,adjustable spanners, and pipe all over the floor
Thank You for watching our video and commenting. It means a lot to us.
Virtually unintelligible with very low volume and a hardly informative operator.
Thank You for letting us know about the audio quality. We will try to improve it in the future.
Mics clipped to the shirt go a long way towards improving audibility. And whenever possible, laying down a rug near the speaking subjects helps dampen unwanted sound reverb.
Thank you for the advise. We have started using mics since this video was uploaded. I will try out the rug trick in the future.
Is a Sharpie Marker environmental friendly?
I would suggest reading the side of your Sharpie Marker to see if it says non-toxic. I know some are and some are not. With this being said, most dive operators still use lead weights, which are not very environmentally friendly. It’s the nature of the beast sometimes.