Kayaking, Diving, Skiing, & Surfing Forum. - Still PO'ed at Luxfor tank defects

I still just can't get over the Luxfor guarantee garbage. I will NEVER buy anything from them EVER again. Thought I was making a good choice buying their lifetime warranty tanks, when I just wasted my money on cr@p. I can't believe they can get away with this. While I'm at it, the entire scuba industry is getting out of hand with total craziness. I think it's time for me to take the plunge and buy a compressor before the dive shops milk me dry. I already have a hookah for shallow diving, but I still need tanks filled for deeper diving. I can't take a tank in for a fill without some additional charge getting tacked on anymore. Am I the only one that feels this way or what?

OK,

I'll bite. What are you talking about?

t_bare

Luxfer tanks have always been sold as being "lifetime warranty" and since they cost a little more, that has always been the justification of the extra cost. Now with the new testing methods that use the eddy current to find stress cracks they are finding that the tanks are unusable. Luxfer basically claims it is not a manufacture defect, but a metal phenomenon! So, they basically aren't covering this. They offered a discount coupon that ended up being equal to about $15 off a new tank! I will never buy Luxfer ever again. Here's a link: http://www.luxfercylinders.com/support/faq/sustainedloadcracking.shtml

Every reply I make crashes with an error...

OK looks like I am back in action,

Are your tanks the the pre 1988 alloy, 6351 or 6061?

If your tanks are twenty years old; some might consider that beyond it's useful life. If they are the modern 6061 alloy refer to Luxfer's FAQ:

From Luxfer's Site FAQ,
"10. If Luxfer 6061-alloy cylinders are not susceptible to SLC, why has Luxfer exchanged 6061 cylinders that have been reported to have cracks?

After the introduction of eddy-current technology, Luxfer received reports of cracking in 6061-alloy cylinders. We accepted returns on about 1,200 of these cylinders to conduct extensive tests. Not a single cylinder was found to be cracked.

On Luxfer 6061-alloy cylinders, eddy-current devices sometimes show harmless "indications" that lead to "false-positive" readings for SLC."

Good Luck,
t_bare

I'm going to check into this more. They are not pre 1988, but I'm not sure what they are. I saved them, but the dive shop told me they are no good anymore. Could be they were just trying to get some tank business out of me. I just wish there was such a thing as an honest dive shop! Every one around here are crooks. Some friends and I have been talking about going in on a compressor so we can just fill our own. It's a big investment, but it eliminates the hassles from the dive shop!

Might try taking them to another shop. Could be the one youre using has bad equipment or a poorly trained inspection tech.

That said, steel cylinders have better buoyancy characteristics and no cracking history, though they are more expensive and you've got to take care of them to prevent rusting (which boils down to keeping pressure in them, for the most part.)



jky

I do love my 100 steel 3500 psi tanks.
Fill my own- No thanks possible risks not worth it

If the tank was made after 1988, it is likely the tank is OK and the VIP plus test is giving a false-positive. I agree that dive shops have become difficult to deal with on this tank issue. It is coming to a point where each shop will require their own inspection (you pay for it) before filling a tank. I have also considered buying a compressor, but I just don't do enough diving to make it feasible.

This link will tell you more.


http://www.scubadiving.com/forum/m.aspx?m=50778

There is an over abundance of ignorance, fear and greed in the scuba industry reguarding cylinders in general and aluminum ones in particular. I would take the tanks to an independant hydro test facility such as a fire and safety equiptment company that deals with firefighters SCBA's. DOT issued new rules requarding cylinder made from the old 6351 alloy. Generally any aluminum cylinders with an original hydro date of 1988 or later should be made of 6061 alloy and are not subject to sustained load cracks. The only eddy current test that is approved by Luxfer for 6061 alloy tanks is Visual +3. Visual +1 and +2 may show false positives and the expertise of the operator is also a factor in all tests.
I got tired of the scuba industry BS long ago and bought my own compressor.

http://www.luxfercylinders.com/news/releases/20041012.shtml

http://www.visualplus.net/

What I'm getting from this is that you took your tank(s) into your local dive shop for a fill and they told you the VIP and or Hydro were due. When they did that, they told you the tank "failed".

One of the problems has been the implementation of the "VIP Plus" inspection that creates potential false failure readings if the shop techician is inexperienced. Also some shops are refusing to fill tanks that don't have a "VIP +" sticker from a shop they know -- it's not unheard of that folks "make up" their own stickers. :nono: Of course there are some shops that will fail an older tank in the hopes of generating sales (though friends who own dive shops tell me they make little $$ on tank sales).

Since you're in Hudson, take your tanks down to Bill Jackson's in St. Pete. They're on US 19 in Pinellas Park. The shop is staffed with knowledgeable folks who'll take care of things and explain what's going on.

If you don't know when your tank was made -- the year of manufacture is stamped on the tank, as is the date of the Hydro Inspections.

Hope it worked out.

PB