Oxygen tank hydro and regulator check cost?

[johncuyle]

I need to service my oxygen tank for the first time since purchasing my plane and both the time it has taken and the quote that I've gotten seem excessive.  For people who have had this done, how much does it typically cost and how long is average turnaround?

[Jerry 5TJ]

Depends:

I had a portable type 3AA steel O2 tank hydro certification test done this year for $30. 

The fiberglass tank in the Ovation has a 15 year life limit.  Replacement was several AMU three years ago.    

 

[kortopates]

Unless you have an issue with your regulator, I recommend leaving it alone till the bottle needs replacing. The regulators, actually a 2 stage altitude compensating Scott regulator are expensive and should last the life of the bottle.  What Jerry says above, at $30, to hydro your bottle, seems to be the universal price for the facilities that specialize in this, but that does not include delivery to and from your plane. Expect your maintenance provider to charge something like 0.5 hr to remove the bottle and about an hour to re-install and re-rig it. There is an inexpensive o-ring required to re-attach to the high pressure line and there is the possibility of requiring to replace the the o-ring for the bottle which is over a hundred $.

[johncuyle]

Ok, that all sounds reasonable. I had the bottle and regulator pulled (functioning fine, 300psi in the bottle) and the quote I have for hydro and checking the regulator function is a completely outrageous $1600. Not including shipping or labor to remove install the bottle. It was also supposed to be two weeks and done locally and its been four already, I just got the quote today, and my oxygen tank is inexplicably 1000 miles away. A new composite bottle is cheaper. Maybe someone screwed up and added an extra zero to the end.

 

 

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[kortopates]

19 minutes ago, johncuyle said:

Ok, that all sounds reasonable. I had the bottle and regulator pulled (functioning fine, 300psi in the bottle) and the quote I have for hydro and checking the regulator function is a completely outrageous $1600. Not including shipping or labor to remove install the bottle. It was also supposed to be two weeks and done locally and its been four already, I just got the quote today, and my oxygen tank is inexplicably 1000 miles away. A new composite bottle is cheaper. Maybe someone screwed up and added an extra zero to the end.

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depends what "checking the regulator" includes - at that much it sounds like it could be IRAN or OH of the regulator since those are expensive but I forget how expensive. If that wasn't a quote for the regulator it time to get the breakdown.

[johncuyle]

depends what "checking the regulator" includes - at that much it sounds like it could be IRAN or OH of the regulator since those are expensive but I forget how expensive. If that wasn't a quote for the regulator it time to get the breakdown.

I'm trying to get a breakdown now. Everything was working fine when the bottle was pulled, this is supposed to just be the standard three year hydro test per the maintenance manual, which references the DOT regulations. Nobody has said anything about a replacement bottle so I have no idea how the quote could be anywhere near $1600.


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[kortopates]

Good luck, most bottles are on a 5 yr re-test cycle. Older composites and some seamless steel do require every 3 yrs.

[Guest]

Even more insane than a $1500 composite cylinder is the $250 metal crush gasket required to install the regulator.

Clarence