How to Tell the Difference Between a Reconditioned Cylinder & a New Cylinder
Commercial and industrial compressed gas cylinders are periodically checked for structural integrity. The cylinders are filled to high pressures with various gases, and a damaged cylinder could fail catastrophically and explode during use. Therefore the compressed gas industry is governed by strict regulations; damaged tanks are remanufactured and returned to the field after recertification. Telltale markings will inform you of whether you have a new or reconditioned tank.
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Instructions
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Examine a steel tank. The tank will have an original manufacture date stamped into the steel along with the date at which the certification expires. These dates are near the tank valve and regulator assembly. The stamp also includes the required date for the next certification. If the original date of certification expiration hasn't passed, and if there is only one date, you have a new tank.
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Examine a fiberglass tank. New tanks have only one ink stamp on the surface of the tank near the valve and regulator assembly. If the tank has only one set of markings, you have a new tank.
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Examine all tanks for more than one tank marking. Each time the tank is recertified, it is remanufactured. The regulator and valve are removed, and the tank is pressure tested. When the regulators are reinstalled, the tank is marked a second, third or fourth time with a new certification date. Steel tanks are re-stamped with the dates imprinted into the metal. Fiberglass tanks have a label applied to the tank. The label is covered with a clear new coat of fiberglass to make sure it remains on the tank.
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