A paintball tank that has reached its expiration date can pose a hazard if used in a paintball gun. You can have a paintball tank that has reached its expiration date tested to ensure whether it can still be used or must be discarded. You will not be able to do this yourself, but will have to go to a professional licensed source that hydro-tests the paintball tank. The licensed personnel will be able to determine whether the paintball tank is safe to pressurize and use with equipment that is not available to the general public.
Instructions
1. Make a note of the number listed on the side of the paintball tank underneath the "REE (rejection elastic expansion) text.
2. Watch as the licensed personnel places the paintball tank into a tank holder with the cylinder pipe facing up. The licensed personnel will press a switch to engage the gripping strap to hold the paintball tank in place
3. Observe the licensed personnel unscrew the cylinder pipe from the paintball tank and inspects it visually for damage. The paintball tank is then released from the tank holder and inspected for visual damage.
4. The bottom of an adapter plate is screwed onto the top of the paintball tank.
5. The top of the adapter plate is now screwed into one of the nozzles on the bottom of the lid of the tank testing chamber. The lid is lowered into the tank testing chamber, which is filled with water. The clamps of the lid are now fastened onto the tank testing chamber to secure the two together.
6. The locking lever of the scale tube used specifically for paintball tanks that is on the side of the tank testing chamber is now released so the scale reads zero. Five minutes are given to ensure the scale reads zero.
7. The tank testing chamber is now pressurized by turning a knob on the control panel for the tank testing chamber.
8. Wait for the pressure scale to reach the limits of pressurization. Note the number on the scale tube.
9. Compare the number on the scale tube with that of the number listed on the side of the paintball tank underneath the "REE (rejection elastic expansion) text. If the number on the scale tube is slightly less or even with the "REE" number, the paintball tank’s ability to expand with pressurized gas in it is not impaired.
10. Inspect the number of the scale tube for a minute to ensure there is no change in the pressure. Release the lever after a minute has passed to release the pressure. Inspect the number of the scale tube to see if the paintball tank returns to zero.
11. Discard the paintball tank after removing it from the tank testing chamber if the scale did not return to zero and there is no "REE" number on the paintball tank.
12. Screw the cylinder pipe back onto the paintball tank, pressurize it and continue to use it otherwise.
Tags: paintball tank, tank testing, tank testing chamber, testing chamber, scale tube, number scale, number scale tube