How long are CO2 paintball tanks good for?

Paintball cylinders need to be retested for its serviceability every three to five years. They also only have a lifespan of 15 years. HYDROSTATIC TEST or HYDROTEST – The tank is visually inspected for cracks then is pressurized with water to look for a drop in pressure or to see if there are any leaks.

Can you use old paintball tanks?

If it can withstand the pressure without failing, it passes and is valid for another three to five years. If, however, your tank fails the pressure test. You will probably have to purchase a new tank.

What happens when a paintball tank expires?

Paintball high pressure air tanks will need to be hydro tested every 3 or 5 years depending on the bottle manufacturer. The date of manufacture will be marked on the tank, and it is your responsibility to have it re-hydrotested when your tank expires.

How long are carbon fiber paintball tanks good for?

Carbon fiber air tanks, or fiber wrapped tanks are required to be rehydro tested every 5 years and have a 15-year life span. Aluminum tank hydrotesting needs to be done every 5 years however these tanks can continue to be retested until they fail.

How many times can you Rehydro a paintball tank?

Paintball cylinders need to be retested for its serviceability every three to five years. They also only have a lifespan of 15 years. HYDROSTATIC TEST or HYDROTEST – The tank is visually inspected for cracks then is pressurized with water to look for a drop in pressure or to see if there are any leaks.

Tippmann CO2 Paintball Tanks - Explained

How much does it cost to Hydrotest a paintball tank?

It can cost about $25 to $40 to hydrotest a paintball tank. You might have to include shipping costs, which could be $10 to $30 if you're using an online service. If you opt to change your regulator, you could pay up to $70 to $90.

Do CO2 tanks expire?

While the gas in the CO2 cylinder does not expire, our cylinders need to be checked for quality assurance purposes by a certain date, which can be found at the bottom of cylinder. For best use, we recommend storing your cylinder at room temperature.

How long are aluminum CO2 tanks good for?

Aluminum CO2 cylinders require testing every 5 years. At the time of testing, a date stamp will be imprinted into the cylinder near the top of the tank. Here is an example of a Hydrostatic Test Stamp Date.

How do you empty an old CO2 tank?

Do air tanks expire?

Air carrying tanks do have “discard by” or “destroy by” dates, usually on one of the legs. These air tanks don't generally have drains and they are low-cost and often cheaply made, so using one past its expiration date is not the best idea.

How do you read a CO2 tank date?

Read the third row of information on the crown of the CO2 cylinder. The date of manufacture, commonly known as the "Born On" date, is expressed numerically in a mm/yy format. The tank must be hydrotested every five years after this date. The next number indicates the tank's total capacity of liquid CO2.

What do the numbers on a CO2 tank mean?

11A16: The “11” represents the month of manufacture, November, and the “16” represents the year of manufacture, 2016. The “A” in the middle is the mark of the independent inspector. The manufacturing and testing of DOT-3AL cylinders must be witnessed by an approved independent inspector.

Are all CO2 tanks the same?

CO2 Cylinders tend to come in different sizes, most of them ranging from 10-50 lbs. The materials used to manufacture them are different as well. The 2 most common material used are aluminum and steel. A few materials that could be considered uncommon for a CO2 cylinder include Kevlar and fiberglass.

How long do CO2 cartridges last?

​Once penetrated on the first trigger pull, the CO2 cartridge will last 24 hours or 21 shots.

Does a CO2 tank have to be upright?

CO2 Safety Rule #2 - Keep your CO2 tank upright.

This can cause your low side pressure to spike and the excess CO2 to vent through the pressure relief valve on the regulator or keg coupler.

How do I know if my CO2 cartridge is empty?

Make sure the carbonating cylinder is tight enough and retighten it if necessary by twisting the cylinder to the right. If you're still not getting bubbles and if you don't hear a sputtering sound when you press the carbonating button*, you may be out of gas.

What's better CO2 or compressed air for paintball?

Compressed air's main advantage is consistency. The more consistent pressure results in much more consistent performance. Compressed air is marginally affected by temperature, unlike CO2, making it great for cold weather and electronic guns. Most paintball fields charge for all-day compressed air fills.

How long is hydro test good for?

The DOT does not specify a service life for steel and aluminum cylinders, but the CGA allows for their reuse indefinitely as long as they continue to pass their hydrostatic and visual inspections every five years.

Can you put compressed air in a CO2 tank?

You could fill your CO2 tank with compressed air and find out that your gun's fire rate has slowed or even stalled completely. This could completely derail your paintballing fun. To avoid shooting issues, it's important not to put compressed air in your CO2 tank.

How is hydrostatic testing done?

Hydrostatic tests are conducted by filling an object with water and pressurizing it to test for strength and leaks. The ability to detect leaks in an object is one of the most important reasons why this type of testing should be performed regularly.

Do compressed gas cylinders expire?

Non-reactive gas mixtures are normally filled in steel cylinders and typically have a shelf life of about 3 years. In some cases, a higher concentration of a reactive gas can have a longer shelf life than a lower concentration.

How do you test a CO2 cylinder?

How long can you use a air tank?

An Average Diver, at an Average Depth, With an Average Tank

Based on personal experience, an average open-water certified diver using a standard aluminum 80-cubic-foot tank on a 40-foot dive will be able to stay down for about 45 to 60 minutes before surfacing with a safe reserve of air still in the tank.