What can I do with old paintball HPA tanks?

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.

Do HPA tanks expire?

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.

Do paintball compressed air tanks expire?

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.

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.

Top 5 Questions About Paintball Air Tanks | Lone Wolf Paintball Michigan

How long are air tanks good for?

Your average compressor for home use can last for 10 to 15 years easily, with the proper storage and care.

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 much pressure is in a paintball tank?

This pressure is what fires the paintball. Compressed air tanks are pressurized up to the tank's rating of 3000 PSI or 4500 PSI (Pounds per Square Inch). The pressure is then regulated through the tank's regulator down to a lower PSI (450-850) to fire the paintball.

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.

How long does a paintball CO2 tank last?

of co2 equal to 270,000 bubbles. Granted there are a lot of variables here, bubble size, my counting of bubbles, was the tank filled with exactly 80 oz, etc. I had my 24oz tank running at 1-2bps in a 20G tank for an average of 7-8 months before, continuously."

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.

How do you get rid of paintball tanks?

How do you tell if a CO2 tank has a siphon tube?

How can I tell a CO2 cylinder with a syphon tube valve / dip tube? Gas bottle with a syphon tube are usually marked with an additional label stating the type of valve. Partly symbolizes a vertical color line in addition the so-called “dip tube”.

What can I use CO2 tank for?

CO2 tanks can be used for a variety of things. Most popular uses include carbonated beverages, beer making, paintball guns, medical-grade usage, metal fabrication applications, catering, and fire extinguishing.

Can a portable air tank explode?

It is possible for an air receiver tank holding compressed air to explode—but it's extremely rare and tends to occur when operators don't look after their air receiver tank. The leading cause of air compressor tank explosions is corrosion.

Should you bleed an air compressor?

Yes, definitely drain it after each use. Need to avoid letting water pool in the tank, possibly corroding and weakening it. Release the air and open the drain valve for a while to let out any condensation.

What is hydro testing a tank?

Hydrostatic testing, as the name implies, is essentially testing a piece of equipment by filling it with water. API-650, the standard to which many new oilfield storage tanks are constructed and API-653, the standard for tank repair have different requirements for hydrostatic testing.

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.

How often do CO2 tanks need to be hydro tested?

All DOT-3AL marked CO₂ cylinders are to be inspected and hydrostatically re-tested every five years as required in CFR Title 49 Part 180.205(c). Cylinders still with charge at the time the 5 year re-test is due, do not have to be re-tested until the charge is used, but prior to the re-filling of the cylinders.

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.

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.

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.