How often do you rotate your SCBA cylinder air?
Chris P.
appreciated.
Regulations in British Columbia, Canada require that compressed air
cylinders, for SCBA use, be drained and refilled every three months. This
regulation was written in 1985 and was designed to address "steel" SCBA
cylinders. It made sense when steel cylinders were the norm but I would
think, with composites, the need to prevent oxidation within the cylinder
has been substantially reduced.
I read something in a US publication which described a more reasonable air
rotation schedule which was based on Health and Safety Standards in your
country. As usual I am unable to remember what publication I read the info
so I would appreciate any help in tracking down regulations and or standards
on this topic.
I'm specifically looking for definitive references to standards,
requirements and or regulations from OSHA, NIOSH or NPFA which govern the
need to rotate compressed breathing air, in composite SCBA cylinders.
Thank you in advance
Platoon Captain Chris Prestley
Nanaimo Fire Rescue Service
Nanaimo, B.C., Canada
Michael Painter
"Chris P." <cpr...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:_xWya.42409$3C2.1...@news3.calgary.shaw.ca...
> Well brothers and sisters, a little help from south of the border would be
> appreciated.
>
> Regulations in British Columbia, Canada require that compressed air
> cylinders, for SCBA use, be drained and refilled every three months. This
> regulation was written in 1985 and was designed to address "steel" SCBA
> cylinders. It made sense when steel cylinders were the norm but I would
> think, with composites, the need to prevent oxidation within the cylinder
> has been substantially reduced.
*If* there is moisture in a steel tank then over a long period of time
without use the oxygen could be used as the cylinder rusts.
*VERY* *VERY* rare in the SCUBA industry where the tanks are exposed to a
lot more water.
Most reports come from old tanks left in a corner for many years and never
hydro'ed.
On the other hand if they do sit for months without use perhaps more
training with them might be in order.
David
"Chris P." <cpr...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:_xWya.42409$3C2.1...@news3.calgary.shaw.ca...
Mike Painter
"David" <-> wrote in message news:vcq1ktb...@corp.supernews.com...
> We rotate ours when we change the water in our hot water heater...
Ummm, ah, do you guys , ah, take showers or wash dishes?
nos...@nospam.com
wrote:
>
>"David" <-> wrote in message news:vcq1ktb...@corp.supernews.com...
>> We rotate ours when we change the water in our hot water heater...
>
>Ummm, ah, do you guys , ah, take showers or wash dishes?
>
Reminds me of the old farmer I knew who used to change the air in his
tractor tires because he thought it went bad after a while...
Here's another SCBA related question: What are the standards (US law)
for visual inspection certification on SCBA bottles? Anyone know?
Tony Richno
> "David" <-> wrote in message news:vcq1ktb...@corp.supernews.com...
> > We rotate ours when we change the water in our hot water heater...
>
> Ummm, ah, do you guys , ah, take showers or wash dishes?
I am a captain on small, rural volunteer department, that only has
about 30 bottles on hand. Between the few structure and vehicle fires
we get and monthly mandatory BA training for everyone, I would be
suprised if we had a cylinder in the inventory with air more than 6
months old.
At the risk of sounding ignorant, do other departments have so many
bottles that they never rotate through them all, or are their BA's
just rarely/never used or trained with?
DollarBill
We're a combination career/volunteer department. As part of the career
staff's daily duties, they are required to rotate bottles every shift. I
think the rotation goes Officer's Seat to #1, #1 to #2, #2 to #3, #3 to #4,
#4 to #5, #5 to Spare #1, etc., with Spare #4 going to the Officer's Seat.
They bitch about it all the time.
You should see them rotating the gasoline from the chain saws to the rotary
saws to the hydraulic power head, etc.!!
;>)
Sorry, had to do that!!
jacques séguin
and we change air twice a year becaus it may happen some of them don't
rotate and can have some humidity inside at long time.
<nos...@nospam.com> a écrit dans le message de
news:asotcvs04fsfd3m40...@4ax.com...
Mike Painter
"jacques séguin" <jsds...@videotron.ca> wrote in message
news:9JVAa.33734$Fq4.4...@weber.videotron.net...
> I am in a regular F.F.departement and we have between 100 and 125 bottles
> and we change air twice a year becaus it may happen some of them don't
> rotate and can have some humidity inside at long time.
That would be possible but it also means there is a problem with the
compressor.
jacques séguin
"Mike Painter" <mpainteratattdotnet> a écrit dans le message de
news:a52316075425f521c77f2fc3cd9e7d2a@TeraNews...
Caleb Hess
you do about the cascade tanks? Seems to me this would be an even bigger
problem, due to the larger volume of air going through them and leaving
condensation behind, as well as being steel instead of composite.
--
Caleb Hess he...@cs.indiana.edu
Mike Painter
"Caleb Hess" <he...@cs.indiana.edu> wrote in message
news:bb52pk$3q9$1...@hood.uits.indiana.edu...
> For you guys who are worried about humidity in your SCBA tanks, what do
> you do about the cascade tanks? Seems to me this would be an even bigger
> problem, due to the larger volume of air going through them and leaving
> condensation behind, as well as being steel instead of composite.
The tanks should be stored standing up, fastened to a wall and hydro'ed
every five (or ten years with a star on them)
The bottoms of the tanks are thicker for just this reason.
A visual inspection should be done at this time, if not more often.
Ryan, KC8PMX
Between training and actually using them in a IDLH atmospheres, the air in
the tanks is never older than 3-4 weeks old. We don't have a cascade system
yet, (looking for one!) but our station air compressor for tools and airing
up tires etc., gets the air released on a regular basis through a drain with
a petcock thingy near the bottom of the tank.
--
Ryan, KC8PMX
FF/MFR
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.. --. .... - . .-. ...
"Caleb Hess" <he...@cs.indiana.edu> wrote in message
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Louis N. Molino Sr. CET
<kc8...@diamondcs.net> writes:
> We don't have a cascade system
>yet, (looking for one!) but our station air compressor for tools and airing
>up tires etc., gets the air released on a regular basis through a drain with
>a petcock thingy near the bottom of the tank.
Please tell me you're not seriously using a garage air compressor for SCBA
AIR????????????????????
have you EVER had that air tested for HYDROCARBONS? If not i SUGGEST you do so
and if you're seriously looking for that cascade system I HOPE you don't plan
on filling it from the garage compressor?
if the above is true you are putting your guys lives at risk.
Louis N. Molino, Sr., CET
FF/NREMT-B/FSI/EMSI
LNMo...@aol.com
979-690-3607 (Home Office)
979-458-0795 (Fire Field Office)
"A Texan with a Jersey Attitude"
The comments contained in this E-mail are the opinions of the author and the
author alone. I in no way ever intend to speak for any person or organization
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Further this E-mail is intended only for it's stated recipient(s) and may
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Louis N. Molino, Sr., CET
FF/EMT-B/FSI/EMSI
LNMo...@aol.com
The opinions expressed here are my own, and therefore do not reflect the
opinions of any organization(s) that I may be affiliated with in any way.
Michael Painter
"Louis N. Molino Sr. CET" <lnmo...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030601002934...@mb-m12.aol.com...
> In article <bb8rou$71uru$3...@ID-189073.news.dfncis.de>, "Ryan, KC8PMX"
> <kc8...@diamondcs.net> writes:
>
> > We don't have a cascade system
> >yet, (looking for one!) but our station air compressor for tools and
airing
> >up tires etc., gets the air released on a regular basis through a drain
with
> >a petcock thingy near the bottom of the tank.
>
> Please tell me you're not seriously using a garage air compressor for SCBA
> AIR????????????????????
>
> have you EVER had that air tested for HYDROCARBONS? If not i SUGGEST you
do so
> and if you're seriously looking for that cascade system I HOPE you don't
plan
> on filling it from the garage compressor?
>
> if the above is true you are putting your guys lives at risk.
While it's not as big a problem as using the air in a SCUBA situation, if
true, this is a serious risk.
I am a little suspect as most garage compressors will not pump to even the
2400 pounds used by older US bottles. (I say US because 4500 psia was common
in Europe more than 25 years ago.)
Ryan, KC8PMX
It was in relation to the moisture issue and how we treat that specific
tank. It clearly says in the quote below "our station air compressor for
tools and airing
up tires etc.," it says specifically what we use that compressor for....
--
Ryan, KC8PMX
FF/MFR
--. --- -.. ... .- -. --. . .-.. ... .- .-. . ..-. .. .-. . ..-.
.. --. .... - . .-. ...
"Louis N. Molino Sr. CET" <lnmo...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20030601002934...@mb-m12.aol.com...