[sehh101]

what does it mean for a tank to have hydro when it runs out can it be filled what does tht mean

[TheAznInvazn]

After how ever long the manufacturer says, the tank must be checked to make sure it's still safe, it's called hydro testing.

Thats about as far as my knowledge goes >.<

[Trbo323]

what they do is fill the tank with water and then pressurize it way up, beyond what it normally holds, and then you hope and pray that it doesnt go boom, saying it is up for hydro means it needs to be tested ($30 usually, and about a week) if they say it is in good hydro, it means it doesnt need to be tested for a while.

so saying the hydro has run out means it needs to be tested again

hope this helps

[Soul_Fly]

I think they fill the bottle with a gas then submerge it in water to test it for leaks.

It would be impossible to fill the bottle with water and leave no trapped air inside as there is no "high point" to vent from. Any trapped air will result in a loss of pressure thus the test would fail. Well, at least this applies to hyrdo testing pipe lines.

CO2 tanks that are smaller than 2" in diameter and less than 2' in length never need to by hyrdo tested. Known as the 2x2 rule. Something to consider.

[Trbo323]

Originally Posted by Soul_Fly

It would be impossible to fill the bottle with water and leave no trapped air inside

put it rite side up without a reg under water....

its to test for defects in the material, if theres a leak in a 4500 psi tank youll know about it, not to mention the NPSC doesnt care if your tank is leaking, they want to make sure its not gunna blow up and kill you, thats why they are called the national product SAFETY comission

[2.0]

Hydro testing = hydrostatic testing. Mandatory every once in a while for high pressure cylinders, be it paintball air, scuba air, firefighters air, etc. It's the same type of test for all tanks. The tank's filled with water and submitted to pressure to check how much it expands while under extreme pressure and so on. Here's the link Hydrostatic
If it were to fail it wouldn't go kaboom since it's filled with water and not gas, and if it does, it'd do it inside a very thick chamber, where it doesn't really do much other than start leaking.

If the tank doesn't expand much and doesn't rupture, it passes the test, but all tanks fail eventually. I've had 2 scuba tanks die on me during hydro, so i just rent anywhere i go. Screw buying tanks.

[Trbo323]

iv never heard of a paintball tank failing, anyone had theirs fail hydro? theres a lot more that holds a wrapped paintball tank together over a scuba or a steel tank

[2.0]

The problem with diving tanks is that they're submitted to way more extreme circumstances than your garden variety paintball tank. They are pressured usually at around 3000 to 3300 psi, plus any pressure exerted on the tank the deeper they go. I usually got 30 to 60m deep (100 to 200ft) where pressure is between 70 to 80 psi higher. But that's not the problem, the problem is that the pressure fluctuates between depths... so that-s irrelevant to paintball sorry for OT.