Fire System Services / National Hydro
Cylinder Testing Services

Home : Introduction : FAQ's : Contact Us : Terms & Conditions : Disclaimer
Automatic Fire Suppression Systems : Bush Fire Fighting Equipment : Cylinder Testing : Exit & Emergency Lighting
Fire Extinguishers : Fire Extinguisher Training : Fire Hose Reels : Fire Regulations : Fire Safety : Fire & Smoke Detection
Rechargeable Batteries : Smoke Emitters : WaterJel Fire Blankets

Cylinder Testing Services

Fire System Services incorporating National Hydro Cylinder Testing Services manages and runs an S.A.A Approved Licenced Cylinder Test Station, Number 720.
We have invested in specialised equipment necessary for testing and refilling fire extinguishers and as a result can perform hydrostatic pressure tests for a number of pressurised cylinders.

Optical Plus
Using an Optical Plus device we are able to magnify cylinder neck threads by up to 4 times which provides a clear view of any stress or cracks along the cylinder neck or wall during inspection.

Fiber Optic Illuminators
This illuminator casts an extremely bright light into a cylinder, enabling us to view the interior wall for surface corrosion or other defects.
Fiber Optic Illuminators are ideal for internally inspections of Intrinsically Safe environments such as LPG Cylinders

Video Borescopes
A video Borescopes will allow us to view aspects of cylinders which cannot normally be viewed by the naked eye or by using inspection mirrors.

CUSTOM TESTING SERVICES

Apart from cylinders, the station is called upon to hydrostatically test & certify various items such as:

• Hydraulic lines for the aviation industry ie Helicopter Hydraulic Lines
• Prototype devices designed & manufactured by the DSTO
• Devices in use by Dept of Defence
• Various high pressure hoses for fire fighting applications
• SCUBA & Hooker air lines
• NDT such as Dye Penetrine Testing.

WHAT TYPES OF CYLINDERS DO WE TEST?

We are able to Hydrostatically test various cylinders from 1mpa up to 33mpa and specialised cylinders up to as high as 80mpa.

AIR RECEIVING CYLINDERS

AIR CRAFT CYLINDERS
CASA Pressurised Cylinder Requirements

CARBON DIOXIDE CYLINDERS
Paint Ball Cylinders

Luxfer Cylinder Care for Paintballers

Home Brewing Cylinders

We stock Food Grade Co2, for clients wanting their privately owned home brewing cylinders refilled.

If you are wanting to purchase an Air-Up cylinder please go to the Air-Up Website.
www.air-up.com

For home brewing supplies please visit the Keg King
www.kegking.com.au

FIBRE - WRAP CNG CYLINDERS

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

REFRIGERANT GAS CYLINDERS (Duel Valve)

SCBA BREATHING APARATUS

Fire System Services delivers services in the field of providing Clean Breathable air fills for both SCUBA and Breahting Apparatus Cylinders.
We have trained and accredited technicians who are able to test and service all the major manufactures brands Breathing Aparatus like Drager, Fenzy, MSA, Sabre, Gorman, Surivair.

Escape Sets can be serviced and re-certified to AS1715 and AS1716.
This includes cylinder hydrotesting, valve refurbishing, flow adjusting, leak testing, and breathing air re-fills in conformance with the quality requirements of AS1715 and AS2299

We are able to provide all your service requirements from yearly full face mask servicing to three yearly and five yearly cylinder hydrostatic pressure testing.

SCUBA

SCUBA cylinders require hydrostatic testing and re-certification every 12 months to conform to Australian Standards.
We have a Registered Test Station and all cylinder testing includes an air fill with Breathing Air certified to AS1715 and AS2299.

Sustained Load Cracking (SLC)
Click on the above link to view the information published by Luxfer, it might just save your Life!
All 6351-Alloy Cylinders are required to be Ultrasonically Tested (Eddy Current Test) every TWO years.

Luxfer Cylinder Care for Scuba Divers

LPG BBQ CYLINDERS

LPG HOT AIR BALLOON CYLINDERS

LPG VECHICLE CYLINDERS


LIFE RAFT CYLINDERS

We are able to test and fill various life raft cylinders,
as pictured above the MRM Mirada valves used by the Royal Australian Air Force.

NITROUS OXIDE RACING CYLINDERS

CYLINDER TESTING
It's time for the Hydro Test...

Some Cylinders are high pressure vessels and as such should be handled carefully.

In particular Scuba Cylinders should be washed after use and the valves serviced every twelve months the same as your other valuable gear. In Australia all scuba cylinders are required to be hydrostatically tested every twelve months. Other cylinders are as per chart below.

Cylinder Hydrostatic pressure testing is carried out in accordance with Australian Standard 2030.1 & 2337.1 by a Certified Test Station.
The cylinder is then stamped around the neck area indicating the month and year it was tested along with the test station number.

Aluminum cylinders manufactured from 6351 aluminum are required to have an ultrasonic or eddy current neck test every two years to inspect for neck cracks that may have developed over time relating to that grade of aluminum. This is indicated with E stamped as part of the test stamp. It is sometimes called a "Visual Plus" test after the instrument used to conduct the test.

If the cylinder does not have a current test stamp, it will not, and should not, be filled. The cylinder is in test for twelve months from the date of the test stamp.

What Actually Happens?
When your cylinder undergoes a visual inspection and hydrostatic test the following will happen. It is picked up and taken to a cylinder test station.

Details of the cylinder are entered on a test certificate: i.e. the cylinder number, the standard to which it was manufactured, working pressure, test pressure and the owner's details.

Visual Inspection
External Inspections
All visual & testing is carried out to Australian Standard 2337.1

An external inspection is carried out looking for damage or alterations that may include bulges, dents, digs, cuts, pits & line corrosions.
Special attention is paid to repainted cylinders as they may have been heat treated or had dents and gouges filled. To carry out this inspection thoroughly the cylinder boot and mesh are removed. Dents, gouges, corrosion or heat treating can all effect the integrity of this high pressure vessel and they can fail test as a result.

The cylinder is then drained and the valve removed,. If in the opinion of the operator the valve requires to be serviced it will usually be serviced at an additional cost. The neck thread and internal space is checked for corrosion, wear, pitting or rust.

Internal Inspections
An internal inspection is then carried out looking for rust, scale, corrosion or oil or any other surface contaminated.

Older aluminum cylinders often fail in this area as the neck thread may have corroded or worn beyond the allowed tolerance, this is an automatic failure under the standard. Aluminum cylinders can also be badly corroded internally especially if salt water has entered the cylinder.

Steel cylinders as we all know can be subject to rust, some brands more than others due to the amount of carbon used in the steel when manufactured.

In particular to scuba cylinders, It needs to be pointed out that rust in steel cylinders is usually a result of carelessness by its user or your fill station. If your cylinder has been filled with moist air from a station that has not been maintaining its filters or compressor adequately rust will occur, oil may also be found if this is the case.

Cylinders found to be rusty or corroded internally and are not beyond repair are brushed using various forms of wire brush attached to a long shaft driven by an electric drill. The residue is cleaned out and rumbling chips inserted into the cylinder, it is then placed on a rumbler that rotates the cylinder at about 90 to 100 rpm for up to eight hours depending on the severity of the corrosion. The cylinder is then filled with water and inverted to assist in removing the chips. It is then cleaned, dried and internally inspected.

This time consuming process removes remaining corrosion and polishes the internal cylinder wall and is an additional cost.

Hydrostatic Testing
If the cylinder passes all the previous inspections it is ready to be hydrostatically tested, when it is filled with water and connected to the test panel. The cylinder is pressurised to fill pressure twice to check accuracy of the panel and remove air bubbles from the system.

The cylinder is then pressurised to its test pressure (normally 22mpa to 36mpa) and held there for up to one minute. The pressure is slowly released and the expansion measured on a manometer tube. The maximum allowed expansion is the water capacity of the cylinder in kilograms divided by five thousand (1/5000).

The cylinder is disconnected from the test panel and inverted to drain after which it is dried using warm air. After a final internal inspection to ensure proper drying the neck "o"ring is replaced and the valve installed.

The cylinder is then stamped, filled, leak tested at the neck and the test certificate completed. Failed cylinders are destroyed in accordance with the standard.

Mass Test
If the operator was not sure of the expansion he will carry out a tare mass test, or a water capacity mass test.

Tare Mass Test
This is when the cylinder is weighed and the weight compared to the original weight stamped on the neck of the cylinder.

Water Capacity Test
This is when the cylinder is filled with water and weighed and the weight compared to the original water capacity weight stamped on the neck of the cylinder. This is when we can see if the cylinder has received any expansion.

Other Cylinder Test Dates

This is the periodic inspecting testing dates as per Australian Standards 2030.1

NOTES:

1. Any or all of these tests may be warranted if defects are suspected. The mass test is always to be applied, regardless of gas or use if general corrosion is being assessed.
2. This Standard (2030.1) applies to cylinders for fire fighting equipment where specific requirements are not given in another relevant Australian Standard.
3. No periodic inspection interval is specified for anhydrous ammonia cylinders of less than 5.5kg water capacity. These are subject to external examination prior to each fill in accordance with Clause 6.1(i).

WHY CYLINDERS SHOULD BE TESTED

Occasionally we get asked why dose my cylinder have to be tested?
It looks OK, it doesn't get used much, why should I spend my money?

The below incidents tells it all, All pressurised cylinders are dangerous!

LIFE BOAT EXPLOSION

During an inspection of a Company's vessels, the Surveyor showed the attached pictures which were taken after an incident took place on another Company's vessel (he didn't disclose name of the Company or the vessel's name).
As you can see, it occurred due to a gas bottle exploding in a lifeboat during the process of charging it up from the Breathing Apparatus Air Compressor.
The Master of the vessel was in proximity of the lifeboat and he was very seriously wounded. The vessel was 8 years old. The bottle was quite old with different numbers/dates.

LPG TANK RUPTURE

OUT OF DATE LPG TANKS CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
LPG tanks require to undergo a periodic re-certification & pressure relief valves "PRV" replaced every 10 years.

E Size O2 CYLINDER EXPLOSION
The following You Tube clip shows you the dangers of pressurised cylinders.
E size O2 Cylinder Explosion
You Tube
O2 Cylinder Explosion

CYLINDER SAFETY ALERTS

follow this link to Luxfer web site for safety alerts.

click on to email us