HPA Dos and Donts

[isky]

Wow, now got HPA safety forum. Great stuff.. Lemme try and put some things I've learned and read.

DO check your tank regularly for cracks, surface bubbles or leaks.

DO ensure your regulator is properly installed by someone qualified to do so.

DO use the correct burst disks.

DO use a bottle cover. If you can't afford one, use an old & thick sock.

DO make a note of your bottle's expiry date.

DO start unscrewing the tank from its regulator when removing from ASA after play.

DON'T attempt to remove regulator while tank is still pressurized.

DON'T use the tank past its expiry date without hydro testing.

DON'T introduce any sort of oils or lubricants into the system.

DON'T overfill your tank under any circumstances.

DON'T start unscrewing the tank from behind it - you increase the risk of unscrewing the regulator.


That's about all I can think of right now. Come on guys, add on whatever I've missed in the interest of ongoing safety in our community.

[Kev-O]

Also make sure the Regulator and fill nipple is clean at all times. Debris clogged at fill nipple might cause a combustion when filling air. 

[badman]

NEVER to put oil at the filling nipple...

*temperature would rise when air is compressed (notice tank get warm when filling?), might reach oil's flash point & causes fire... eventually explode...
- happened in one of millinium series in spain last year...

[yanz]

Thanks guys, mind to explain more bout "DON'T start unscrewing the tank from behind it - you increase the risk of unscrewing the regulator."

[badman]

the regulator is the one thing that keeping the pressure within the tank. therefore make sure u r not screwing the tank out of the regulator while there are still gas inside.
let's put it this way... a full-blown balloon will fly off when u release it, pressure in the balloon is just slightly above atmospheric (abt 1 bar or 14.6psi). imagine how fast a tank would fly off if there are 3000psi (206.8bar..! ) in it.. with its hard shell, it would fly off like a cannon ball/torpedo.. u don't wanna be in its path or anywhere near it when this happen... even with only 100psi inside the tank..

*normal tyre pressure is only 30psi..... can start imagine now...

[isky]

Thanks guys, mind to explain more bout "DON'T start unscrewing the tank from behind it - you increase the risk of unscrewing the regulator."

This one applies to both CO2 and HPA tanks.. the rule of thumb is to keep your eyes on the valve/reg as you remove the tank from the ASA, to ensure that the whole thing is turning and not just the tank.

[Kev-O]

Thanks guys, mind to explain more bout "DON'T start unscrewing the tank from behind it - you increase the risk of unscrewing the regulator."

Unscrew by holding the air system (tank and regulator) at its regulator. That way you wont risk detaching the regulator from the tank when you are trying to detach the air system with air in it. The technique here is to dry fire and turn it simultaneously for ease of releasing the air system.

[zafry]

DON'T overfill your tank under any circumstances.

Any possibility this will happen?

[Gungho Paul]

Yup..if you are silly enough to have a 3000psi tank with a 4500psi regulator..

[badman]

DON'T overfill your tank under any circumstances.

Any possibility this will happen?

maybe he meant putting in 4500psi of pressure into a 3000 tank... which is a def. NO-NO...

there are 3000psi tank out there that are fitted with a 4500 reg... just be careful la...

[Gungho Paul]

When filling..make sure to hold on to the filling hose as an additional measure...in case you did not fit it in properly.You can get a nasty whip.

Do look at the gauge but do not face the gauge directly to your face...look at it indirectly..in case you got a defective gauge.Air can also leak out through the gauge ..breaking the glass...sending bits onto your eyes..

Do not throw away your marker when you hear the loud hissing sound of air coming out of your marker due to a bad o ring or something....if it was going to explode..it would have been too late for you anyway.Throwing it could only worsen the situation as you may break something and your bottle will then really take off like a rocket...probably hitting you.

Oh yeah...might want to face the bottle away from your own bodily parts while filling too... ;)Try to face it away from the other guys too ya..

Just my 2 cents..

[isky]

Yeah, aim at the bigggg hunk of machinery that people call a compressor instead!

I'm just kidding.. lol.