Compressed-air tanks
require periodic testing.
Compressed-air tanks have the explosive potential of a hand grenade. Care should be taken during handling ,and they should be tested before every use. Also, industry standards require extensive, periodic testing.
Day to Day
A compressed-air tank should be checked before every use. A visual inspection of the body and valve should be done, and an assessment of the seals and O-rings should be conducted by looking and listening when the valve is turned on.
Visual Inspection
Under industry standards, air cylinders are required to be visually inspected once a year. This involves checking the tank for signs of corrosion and damage, inside and out, and assessing the threads and seals. Tanks are then marked with a sticker showing the date of the inspection.
Hydrostatic Testing
Tanks are required to be hydrostatically tested every five years or anytime they are involved in something that could weaken them, for example being dropped from a height. Hydrostatic testing involves using water to pressurize the tank to many times its working pressure and seeing how close it returns to its original size and volume. To pass, the volume must return to within 10 percent of the expansion. Those that pass have the hydrostatic date of testing stamped on the neck of the tank.
Tags: before every, Compressed-air tanks, industry standards, periodic testing
