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Joined on
3/3/2009
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I was just wondering how much air I should leave in my scuba tank when I put it up for storage this winter. I'm not sure if I should fill it up or empty it. I'm planning on leaving it in my garage for the winter. I live in Indiana, so it gets pretty cold in the middle of winter. Could the low temperatures have some sort of effect on my tank?
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Joined on
1/18/2010
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store it filled, always leave some pressure in it.
the cylinder should be fine in the garage. there isn't much to teh cylinder that can break in it, all i can think of is if you mess with an O ring hat is frozen. as long as it isn't allowed to thaw before you do anything to it, there shouldn't be a problem.
or get a dry suit, and keep diving through the winter. i keep hearing that we get the best viz under the ice.
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Joined on
3/31/2006
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You should always store a tank with at least some positive pressure to insure that no contaminants enter. When storing a tank in a cold environment some water will condense on the inside. The higher the pressure in the tank the more likely condensation will occur, so you may want to store your cylinders with only a few hundred psi if you are keeping them in an unheated garage over the winter. The negative effect of condensation in scuba tanks is possible corrosion to the insides. However, corrosion is a chemical process and, like nearly all chemical processes, is slowed by lowered temperature. Because of the slowed chemical reaction there will likely be little damage to your cylinders if you store them full.
Personally, I store most of my tanks in a cabinet outside on my patio behind the garage where I have my air filling station. I have never noticed any problems with either steel or aluminum tanks stored nearly empty or full in the cold.
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