Hydrotesting

buy a new 9oz.

tripwire98c wrote: Where can you generally get your Co2 tanks hydrotested. My 9oz just hit its hydrotest date, and i need to find out where to get the procedure done, and how much it costs. I dont need exact ocations, just any kinds of shops where you can get this done. Thnx.

The cost of having a hydrostatic test done ranges from $16 to $30 any any facility I have contacted. I have found various stores, including WalMart, that have 9 oz cylinders for as low as $12.

Locally a scuba diving store can probably get the test done for you. There are dozens of places advertising on the web that have rock bottom prices, but when you add in the to and from shipping costs, you could buy 2 new cylinders.

Make a wind chime out of the old tank and buy a new one.

Edited by Bruce A. Frank - 04 July 2006 at 1:44pm

The DOT has what is known as the 2 inch and 2 foot rule.
If the CO2 tank you have is made of a aluminum or steel and is less that 2 inches in diameter and less than 2 feet long it is exempt from hydrostatic testing.
Most 9 oz cylinders in paintball fall into this category.
The only tanks that do not meet this exemption are the chrome-moly tanks. Chrome-moly tanks ALL require hydro testing every 5 years.
So...unless you have a 9oz moly tank...you do not need to get it hydro tested. It is good forever.

Here I will cut & paste all the info regarding the 2005 DOT guidelines regarding HPA and CO2 tank testing.
Official 2005 DOT Regulations

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HPA tanks
There are blanket rules, and exceptions for the the blanket rules. First, the blanket rules.
1 - All fiber-wrapped tanks are to be hydrotested every 3 years, unless the manufacturer specifically indicates ON THE BOTTLE that hydrotesting is due at 5 years. All fiber-wrapped tanks have a maximum lifespan of 15 years, no exceptions.
2 - All steel and aluminum HPA tanks are to be tested every 5 years, with an unlimited lifespan. The only exception to this rule is for steel tanks stamped 3HT, which must be tested every 3 years and have a 24 year lifespan.

CO2 tanks

Again, first the blanket rule.
1 - All CO2 tanks (including those manufactured from chrome-moly alloy) must be hydrotested every 5 years, with unlimited lifespan. The only exception is for tanks under 2 inches in diameter and less than 2 feet in length, these are exempt from testing. NOTE - Chrome-Moly tanks are NOT exempt from testing!! There is a wide belief in the paintball industry that they are exempt, they are not, unless they fall under the 2 inch diameter rule. The 2 inch/2 foot rule will apply mostly to 9-ounce tanks.

Exceptions

There are some "E" codes stamped on some fiber-wrapped HPA bottles. Many people believe that if their bottle is stamped with an "E" code it means they are exempt from testing, this is not true. It means that bottle falls under an exemption from the blanket rule in some specification, but that exemption may or may not address the hydrotest date. Here are the only listed "E" codes for fiber-wrapped tanks on the DOT site, and how they will affect your bottle.

E-07277 - manufacterer SCI, to be tested every 3 years, 15 year service life. This exemption deals with the manufacturing process, not the hydrotest schedule.

E-09634 - manufacturer Luxfer, to be tested every 3 years, 15 year service life. This exemption deals with the manufacturing process, not the hydrotest schedule.

E-10915 - manufacturer Luxfer, may be changed to 5-year schedule, this will be explained below.

E-10945, manufacturer SCI, may be changed to 5-year schedulue, as explained below

E-11005, manufacturer Careton Tech, to be tested every 3 years, 15 year service life. This exemption deals with the manufacturing process, not the hydrotest schedule.

E-11194, manufacturer Careton Tech, may be changed to 5 year schedule, as explained below

E-12479, manufacturer Luxfer, to be tested every 3 years, 15 year service life. This exemption deals with the manufacturing process, not the hydrotest schedule.

5-year test schedule exemption explained - All these bottles still have a maximum service life of 15 years from original manufacture. These bottles were originally manufactured under a 3-year retest schedule, but the manufacturer was allowed by the DOT to move them to a 5-year retest schedule, provided they have been tested/manufactured after a certain date, as applied below.

For exemption code E-10915, if the last test date was before May 11, 2001 then your bottle is still on the 3-year cycle and must be tested every 3 years. If it shows a test date after May 11, 2001 then your bottle is now on a 5-year test schedule.

For exemption codes E-10945 and E-11194, your bottle is on a 3-year test schedule if the last test occurred before July 1, 2001. If your bottle has been tested after that date, you are now on a 5-year test schedule.

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yeah Ken nailed it on the head. Theres not much to add to this topic.

Thanks guys
No my tank is a Tippmann tank that came with my gun, so im gonna buy a new one.
Thanks again

Ok, thnx

he he he