68-4500 HPA Tank Leaks 250psi every day

Bird-Dog wrote: Ok, I have a 68/4500 Crossfire carbon fiber tank that leaks anywhere from 200-300 psi everyday without use. When I use the tank on the field, it works great. But it worries me that it leaks that much in just one day. After 2 weeks the tank would be empty. What could be the problem? Maybe get a hydrotest? Thanks.

Do you know what a hydrostatic test is? They take the valve out of the neck of the bottle; fill it with water (thus the "hydro") then pressurize it to a prescribed level above the normal fill pressure. They measure the amount of expansion and if it does not exceed the specified amount the tank is marked as acceptable and returned to service.

They are not checking for leaks. A a pinhole leak in the body of the HPA bottle would be a warning of impending cataclysmic failure. Not likely that there is such a leak unless you've been throwing darts at it.

The regulator inside the bottle's valve is subject to the same failures of any external (secondary) regulator. It can be contaminated with grit and dirt particles. It can be cleaned just like external paintball regulators can. A few drops of synthetic lubricant in the fill nipple before filling will distribute lubricant into the valve regulator and may clear out any debris clogging it.

There is an ever so slight chance of a leak from the threaded area, but highly unlikely. A little bit of soapy water squirted on the pin of the bottle valve and the threaded area may show a leak with bubbles.

My bet is with the regulator leaking, and 250 psi per day MAY be too slow to show up with soapy water testing. If soapy water doesn't detect the leak, time to send it to a repair facility (I like Crossfire's service).

Guys,

Breathing air systems (SCUBA and the like) specify "NO OIL" specifically because you do not want any kind of lubricant aerosolized through the regulator and into your lungs. Lubricant misted into your lungs will kill you...stops air exchange in the alveoli. There is also a likelihood of toxicity from such finely misted lubricants and their increased reactivity.

Now, oxygen system are a different story. Pressurized pure oxygen reacts violently with flammable lubricants. A cylinder that contains any flammable such as lubricating oil, diesel fuel or even dried paint can explode violently when the high pressure is filled. I even know of a case where a worker wearing a Scott Air Pack (in this case an oxygen system) had the oil on his face catch fire because the mask wasn't fitting tightly enough and the blow by between his face and the mask began to "rapidly oxidize" the normal skin oils on his face.

Now, getting to HPA tanks. The regulators in HPA tank are no where near the quality of those found in SCUBA gear. Also there is a contamination factor with paintball field refills that does not present itself in SCUBA and oxygen filling stations. That is the fast fill nipple.

Do you play without the nipple cover in place sometimes (forgot to replace it after filling)? If yes, you likely have gotten dirt/grit in your nipple that gets pushed into the tank when you refill. That dirt has no way to get out of the tank except through the regulator. It takes only a microscopic piece of grit to prevent the internal parts of the regulator from seating properly...causing a leak or a failure to regulate properly.

Even if you always replace your tanks nipple cover, if the guy who filled his tank before had contamination on his tank's nipple there is a good chance the the quick connect fitting is then also contaminated. When you connect your tank that dirt goes in with the air.

If this happens to an external regulator the recommendation is to apply a few drops of oil into the ASA. This cleans and helps to flush out any dirt that was causing a malfunction.

There is some controversy about putting standard gun lubricating oils into  the the nipple of the HPA tank. That is the only way to get lubrication into the internal neck regulator, but there is "potential" for explosion similar that of a contaminated oxygen cylinder.

There are oils and greases that are non-flammable and specifically designed for oxygen systems. Most synthetic oils listed as non-flammable are suitable for non-breathing air and oxygen systems. There are several synthetic oils designed for paintball markers that fall into this category (though paintball marker lubricants are not held to the same standards as oxygen compatible oils).

And lastly, I read a lot of paintball industrial news and so far I have not read about a incident of an HPA tank explosion because standard lubricants were used. There has been an incident in Europe where someone intentionally put butane or propane in an HPA tank so that when it was pressurized it exploded. Several manufacturers thus issued press releases stating that nothing flammable of any kind should be used in or around paintball pressure tanks or markers.

I use a silicone based lubricant with my HPA tank. It is rated as non-flammable in oxygen systems. Got it at a welding supply store.

The reason is the same one that produces warning tags that read "Stove hot while operating. Do not touch! Burns may result!"

Rather than explain the reason and impart some knowledge, they say, "Take it to an authorized repair station."