CO2 gas canister question

Charlie Boy

Charlie Boy

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Having a clear out of 20 year old life jackets. They have been serviced in the past but now I think they have served their purpose and given that they are a one hit wonder I’d rather not trust life and limb to them.
However I digress, the gas canisters have dates of manufacture eg 10/08 but no discard date. So what is their lifespan? Is there any point in keeping them? Or just fire them into the jackets that I’m about to cut up?
 
Charlie Boy said:
Having a clear out of 20 year old life jackets. They have been serviced in the past but now I think they have served their purpose and given that they are a one hit wonder I’d rather not trust life and limb to them.
However I digress, the gas canisters have dates of manufacture eg 10/08 but no discard date. So what is their lifespan? Is there any point in keeping them? Or just fire them into the jackets that I’m about to cut up?
Click to expand...

IIRC, Test/inspect at 10 years. I'd fire them and bin them.
 
penberth3 said:
IIRC, Test/inspect at 10 years. I'd fire them and bin them.
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You won't find a cylinder with a slight leak and a bit down on weight; if one molecule of CO2 can get out, so will all the others. If it looks OK and weighs in OK, the age is irrelevant.

All LJs on my boat and any other I have a responsibility for get inspected every year and cylinders/cartridges replaced when needed, but there's only one failure mode for a cylinder and that's basically being empty, either because they've been used or they've rusted through. If they've bee used, it's obvious, there's a hole in the end, and any cylinder that has more than mild surface corrosion that will clean off gets used to do a full test of a jacket and binned. Having said that, I've only ever rejected one cylinder for corrosion, and I'm sure it would have been fine for a few more years. I just didn't want to have to explain to the late wearer's loved ones that I was wrong. I've just rejected two for having been fired, along with the cartridges, even though they were correctly packed and apparently ready to go. I'm not sure if I want to know the story behind that, nor am I sure I want to tell the previous owner who was using them in all innocence ?
 
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I believe it is useful for any LJ user to be aware of what happens when you do inflate it. I save all corroded cylinders for use at our club in demonstrations of LJ inflation. Perhaps even for yourself and crew it would be useful to experience an inflation and the subsequent loss of mobility that you experience in the water. ol'will
 
No problem getting cylinders, it's the auto release cartridges that have been the issue.

You may as well keep the cylinders as spares if they are in serviceable condition. Or someone may want them for demo purposes.

Whatever you do, don't put them in the recycling!
 
I keep a time-expired cartridge and a cylinder that was just too corroded to keep in service in case a jacket goes off. It allows me to have a working jacket again, rather than leaving me short until I can replace the bits. I've tested 7 year expired cartridges and they were fine, so I figure I'd rather have an OK, if not strictly kosher LJ than a non-functioning one.
 
CO2 cylinders are date stamped for issue only. There is no expiry .. Stemar is on the money.

LJ's also have no expiry - its down to condition and prudence on part of owner ...

My LJ's are all well over 10yrs : I inflate and CAREFULLY inspect each start of season .... leaving them inflated for more than 24hrs.

I have one auto inflate jacket that the activation cartridge has expired and now shows red - BUT the LJ is still manually capable. I will replace the auto cartridge - but it is still useable in manual mode.
 
penberth3 said:
Wrong. Manufacturers specify a service life. Some people are not "prudent" and ignore this.
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They do not specify .. they ADVISE .... That then gets misinterpreted by 'experts'.

The advise is based on the probability of condition decline of the materials used and conditions subjected to.

As to Non inflatable LJ's are even not advised on life .. except to check condition.

Just out of interest .. please show me on say CREWSAVER website for example where it says 10years .. I even give the link for you to scroll through :

https://crewsaver.com/
 
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