How to Avoid Welding a Closed Vessel

Experts agree that you should never attempt to weld a closed vessel. Closed vessels do not allow the contents to evaporate naturally, nor are they easily cleaned or inspected. Liquid hydrocarbon fuels are flammable and welding a closed vessel that has residue from any such liquid is dangerous.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Avoid welding closed cylinders, pressure vessels and any container that was used to contain fuel. Regardless of the origination of the vessel or how long it's been empty, welding on these containers can be dangerous.
2. Abstain from using a welder to put holes into any closed cylinder or pressure vessel. Welding can release flammable molecules held in the interior surface of the container, when they could then be ignited by the heat of the weld.
3. Stay away from laying a bead of weld on any pressure vessels or closed containers. There is a common misconception that laying a bead of weld is not as dangerous as welding a seam or putting a hole in a such a container, but this is simply not true.
4. Inspect the immediate area of any place where you weld to ensure there are no pressure vessels close to you, as even residual heat can be very dangerous.
5. Contact an expert to have the container filled with an inert gas to eliminate the dangers of welding on such containers. Only once this process is completed by a knowledgeable professional can you safely weld on a closed or pressurized container.

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