Hydro / Visual Testing

[Eric The Troll]

Hydro / Visual Testing - Not a Question - New Regulations

I have just put my ally dive bottle in for testing and the law has changed.

To bring us into line with Europe:

From now on all type c and Steel bottles will get 5 year hydros on a retest, the visual will be every 2.5 years.

Type a and b ally cylinders need to be tested with Visual Plus every 2.5 years. Part of Visual Plus testing is a hydro test, in other words you have to have these type of ally bottles hydro tested every 2.5 years.

Gun Bottles - They is no legal requirement for a DRY ONLY bottle to be tested, the definition of DRY ONLY is a bottle as far as I can find, is where the valve has a pressure guage mounted directly to it, and the bottle is manufactured in aluminium.

Bottles under .5ltr do not require testing.

Your current test is valid to the expiration date as normal, you can not just extend your test to the above limits.

This info has come from the dive shop I use, and what I have been able to find on the internet. It is supplied as is and is without prejudice. Any errors should be noted and an Admin of the board asked to correct this post.

As a personal note:
Just because there is no legal requirement to test gun bottles, do you want to walk around with a hand grenade next to your face !

 

[Eric The Troll]

Update - After Test

Just to confuse things further.

My tanks have just come back.

The 2 nitroduck / catalina bottles I sent for testing were manufactured 06/99 these have come back as test not required.

As they were made outside of the UK and not had a previous UK test they fall under the 5 year test cycle.

We used to fall under the 'Pressure Systems and Transportable Gas Containers Regulations 1989' act this has now been split into seperate acts.

From what I have been able to find out we are now covered under the following:

Transportable Gas Containers Regulations

and either

Pressure Equipment Directive (PED)
or
Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (PSSR)



Transportable speaks for itself, there are new regulations in force now, but no one at HMSO can give me an act number or date to lookup.

PED is mainly for manufautures, however there is no telling what the hoses, regulators and so on fall under. If you change the design from what the manufacturer shipped it with, new bottom line, new reg etc. you become a manufacturer !

PSSR appears to covers everything in one all encompassing act.

There are no dates or item number because I can not find which ones are the current versions.

Another thing to consider, if you have a dive tank and give another person a fill, with or without charging you then become a supplier and need to conform to all acts covering the supply or compressed gases.

We need a proper government 'investigation' into paintball (and pre charged air rifles). There are too many regulations for any one person to filter and find out what applies to us.

PGI, Hotpoint - HELP !

my brain is bleeding