- After all of this discussion, I simply HAVE to get these re-tested but I have not yet found a test facility that will confirm that they will do the test with the 90% System Check before the full pressure test. (I wish I lived next door to Time2Dive... I'd get the right hydro test and also live in Hawaii! )
- Captain... Yes, I watched the video and thanks for finding it for me. That certainly explains it. As for filling the tank before sending it in, that may have played a role. These tanks may have sat empty for years. I took the valves off before sending them for service so, they hadn't had any pressure for a long time before the test.
- Luis... Thanks for the references and explanations. I'm coming at this from the viewpoint of not knowing anything about hydro testing but learning fast. Its frustrating and discouraging to have the professionals who should know their business reply as they have. For example, my little USD Twin 38s are in much better condition inside and out than these Sportways 42s. They were full at 1800 psi when I bought them and I've been diving and refilling them all Summer without getting a fresh hydro. After hearing that guys comment about wrecking the threads, I'm very concerned about subjecting my beautiful 38s to an ignorant hydrotester.
- These Sportsways 42s were supposedly hydro tested to 5/3rds of the marked pressure (1880 psi)... That's 3,133 psi. That's WAY beyond what I'd ever fill them to. They didn't blow up. They simply gave a stretch characteristic that didn't meet a test spec. For a hydro tester to make out like these tanks are some great big danger after surviving such an over-pressure test... Its absurd.