Check your lifejackets now

[TernVI]

This year I bought 8 new ones to replace the 10 year old ones. Having the 10 year old ones serviced would currently be a pain as my local service centre has over 6 weeks waiting time.

I would not have them checked every year at a service centre, maybe every 3 years.

Do they service them at 10 years old?
Or just charge you to get rid of time expired junk?
I just buy a new one every couple of years and use an older one in the RIB and tender where it tends to get a bit grubby.
Every year we check them all over, when we hand them out to crew we show them how to check the cylinder is screwed in or check it.

It's an annual write-down cost like the flares etc.

Lot to be said for a dinghy sailing buoyancy aid, you can rely on things which don't have moving parts....

 

[TernVI]

Thats' why I made mention in my post ... "some twit who doesn't read the rules to refuse you." and "wonder if Airport Security know ?? "

Years ago - I was presented with a thank-you item for assisting Chevron IT guy program the ships cargo computers ... MT Samuel H Armacost .... a tiny keyring Swiss Army Knife engraved etc.
That stayed with me and literally forgotten about till years later going through Luton for an Easyjet flight to Geneva on business.
Security asked me to open the carry on .... and he went through toilet bag etc. He found the Swiss Army Knife and went to throw it in the bin ... I stopped him and asked why - as it was well under the limits of the time ...

Its my job.

OK - if you wont let it through - let me go back and put in Left Luggage or post it home ... it has extreme sentimental value . Look at it .. engraved with my name etc. Its also a lot under the limit in size.

Its my job.

As I watched it sail into the bin.

The whole knife saga is absurd as there are plenty airlines who serve you food with METAL KNIFE AND FORK.

Or you can get a meal airside in the airport!

 

[Refueler]

Problem is and I was talking to Head of Security in Tampa Airport ......

As he said - regardless of the threats and rules - its such big business now with major international companies invested and cashing in - it will never stop. And the instructions to Security Staff is that if they don't agree / like / deem necessary - say NO ...
The number of employed - not only in the airports - but in the factorys ... the service and installation companies .... its HUGE !

We - the passenger are now a distant memory in the game.

 

[Refueler]

Risking flak ...

I check over my LJ's ....

In fact I did mine yesterday - left them inflated overnight.
Today - no loss of pressure.
Checkweighed cylinders ... all over 140gr - good. No corrosion.
Checked firing mech's - all clean and good except one. I have 3 LJ's ... 2 are manual and 1 is also auto. The 2 manuals are all clean and good. But the Auto - the UML 5 has RED showing - so its lost its auto firing capability - but the manual part is good.
All stitching, webbing, velcro, materials are in excellent condition.
The 2 manuals are 2001 ... the Auto is 2003.

They are all in better condition than I've seen many others far newer than mine ... I have no intention to replace until I suspect they may be a risk.

 

[graham]

I find the bladder material starts to wear at the corner of the folds after about 4 or 5 seasons. Normally annually weigh the bottle and do a visual inspection then blow up with a dinghy pump leave overnight then repack.

At about 5 years I manually set them off then cut up with a knife before binning.

 

[Refueler]

I have to admit that I rarely wear one ... so mine hang handy ...

Not to be recc'd I know ...

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Do they service them at 10 years old? ...

I don’t know because I got to 6 weeks before we can look at them and then decided new was better than that.

A quick Google suggests that our colonies say they don’t expire and the British say they do at 10 years. I am with the colonies who have a more realistic attitude to stuff.

 

[Refueler]

I have to admit having gone through the 'rank' of LSA maintenance Officer on ships ... I don't feel the need to have a dealer service a lifejacket ...

Life Raft - yes ... jacket ? No.

Give me the stuff and I'll do the Extinguishers as well !! Even to Pressure test (using water of course). But that's another matter.

 

[Topcat47]

I used to inflate my lifejackets every one to two years, checking the bottles and triggers visually. They were all manual. Then one year, when I was swapping old bottles for new, I pulled a trigger. The jacket partially inflated then collapsed. Three out of four did exactly the same. Need I say more?

 

[Refueler]

I used to inflate my lifejackets every one to two years, checking the bottles and triggers visually. They were all manual. Then one year, when I was swapping old bottles for new, I pulled a trigger. The jacket partially inflated then collapsed. Three out of four did exactly the same. Need I say more?

Fair enough ...

When I inflate to test .. I don't just inflate .. I make sure they are fully hard inflated to see if any failure. Plus I also press down on the jacket to increase the pressure to check.

 

[Mistroma]

Fair enough ...

When I inflate to test .. I don't just inflate .. I make sure they are fully hard inflated to see if any failure. Plus I also press down on the jacket to increase the pressure to check.

I do the same annually pre-launch and leave them inflated for 2-3 days. Inflated by pump and checked at same time of day so that ambient temp. is similar. Nothing very complicated in check weighing, visual inspection and re-folding correctly. I would rather do it myself than trust an unknown person. Having said that, I didn't always pack my own parachute. However, I probably knew the person who did.