Do nitrous bottles need hydrostatic testing?
Drifting
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 1,278
Likes: 0
From: Amelia ohio
Re: Do nitrous bottles need hydrostatic testing? (stormy652)
and if so, at what intervals? Say its a 10lb bottle.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 1,278
Likes: 0
From: Amelia ohio
Re: Do nitrous bottles need hydrostatic testing? (AP)
I don't know everything they do when they test the bottles, but When I take in my CO2 bottles, I have watched them do some bottles. They first take out the Valve and look inside with a special light to check for corosion, rust, etc. If that looks good then they pressure test the bottle in a special liquid filled cylinder in the floor. I don't know what pressure they use or if the bottles were empty or full of water. It's a safety thing. I sure don't want to be around when one of those tanks come apart. I know they have a pressure relief, but if the tank is weak it will come apart before the pressure relief blows. I can find out more on what they do, I just wasn't paying that much attenion on what was going on. A refilling station could get in some real trouble for filling outdated bottles.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 1,278
Likes: 0
From: Amelia ohio
Re: Do nitrous bottles need hydrostatic testing? (bill mcdonald)
I guess next would be, where do you get them checked?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 2,413
Likes: 0
Cruise-In II Veteran
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Re: Do nitrous bottles need hydrostatic testing? (Tom Hall)
Yeah well funny thing today:
I drove to my local paintball supply store (which does hydrostatic testing of compressed air and C02 tanks) and I asked them if they would test nitrous tanks. They said yes, so I went back out to the Vette and pulled out the 10lb tank, drawing openmouthed stares from a ricer who had just parked his Acura next to me. Went into the store with it and they told me, "Oh Nitrous tanks, we don't do those. You should try a fire station."
My next stop was a Corvette performance/body shop where I talked to the owner who races an 8 second '59. He told me he's never even heard of having tanks hydrotested, and he went on for some time about how he has polished tanks which have no stamping, the local dragstrip never checks the date, etc...
So I came away from that experience a little confused, and I had become somewhat discouraged so I went home; nitrous bottle rolling around the interior because I havent decided where I want to mount it yet. Sigh....
Tomorrow I'll check out the fire station and see if they can reccommend a place to me.
I drove to my local paintball supply store (which does hydrostatic testing of compressed air and C02 tanks) and I asked them if they would test nitrous tanks. They said yes, so I went back out to the Vette and pulled out the 10lb tank, drawing openmouthed stares from a ricer who had just parked his Acura next to me. Went into the store with it and they told me, "Oh Nitrous tanks, we don't do those. You should try a fire station."
My next stop was a Corvette performance/body shop where I talked to the owner who races an 8 second '59. He told me he's never even heard of having tanks hydrotested, and he went on for some time about how he has polished tanks which have no stamping, the local dragstrip never checks the date, etc...
So I came away from that experience a little confused, and I had become somewhat discouraged so I went home; nitrous bottle rolling around the interior because I havent decided where I want to mount it yet. Sigh....
Tomorrow I'll check out the fire station and see if they can reccommend a place to me.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 239
Likes: 0
From: henderson ky
Re: Do nitrous bottles need hydrostatic testing? (stormy652)
welding supply places send them to be checked,others who fill bottles at perf shops usually dont,the only time I"ve seen one fail is when a propane torch was used excessively,besides checking the cylinder , the valve seals are also replaced,a worn/leaking/sticking valve are also things that are part of the inspection,welders supply is who checked mine last{5 yrs ago} unless the bottle looks battle worn{ torched} I"d run it ,just my 2cents with this ,thanks steve :seeya
