Life raft gas cylinders?

[nigelmercier]

Are the cylinders on life rafts refillable? I ask because I've decided to buy a new one to replace my existing two (no service agents on Tenerife). Problem is getting them home, so I figured I could remove all the expired parts and empty the cylinder.

In case it matters, they are Zodiac Charter, 6 person. About 12 years old, must be worth something?

 

[prv]

I believe the cylinders are refillable, because I've heard reference to having them pressure tested. But I couldn't swear to it.

Pete

 

[makingplansfor]

Having recent experience of an inadvertent discharge (subject of a recent thread) I can tell you it is not as simple as going to BOC where they can do it while you wait. Mine is currently away at a cost of £110 and 3 week turn around......

 

[nigelmercier]

But presumably they check the pressure at a service, and refill if low (or in this case, empty)?

 

[stav]

Last time I had my LR serviced I was told this would be the last time they could service it as the bottle was going to be 12 years old and would need more than just weighting it and this was going to be a problem (as in Jersey). So have a very good 12 year old LR in garage but a younger not such good model serviced on the boat......Not sure if that helps but maybe the picture will build up...

 

[Keith-i]

I'm pretty sure that if they find your cylinder underweight you end up buying a new one, not having it topped up.

 

[Solitaire]

Are the cylinders on life rafts refillable? I ask because I've decided to buy a new one to replace my existing two (no service agents on Tenerife). Problem is getting them home, so I figured I could remove all the expired parts and empty the cylinder.

In case it matters, they are Zodiac Charter, 6 person. About 12 years old, must be worth something?

Yes, how do you think sea schools run sea survival courses. We take them to Ocean Safety who recharge and rearm.

 

[Solitaire]

I'm pretty sure that if they find your cylinder underweight you end up buying a new one, not having it topped up.

With life jacket cylinders that's true. Life raft cylinders are different.

 

[contessaman]

I had a chat with ocean safety the other day about a service on my plastimo cruiser 4. I was after an idea of price and they said about 200 quid BUT if the cylinder was original (the raft is 10 yrs old) then it would require discharge and refilling then the price would be more like 300 quid.
So I guess that means it can be done but whether you need some sort of commerical liceince or business account with the gas company or joe public could just walk in to (for eg) BOC and get it done I dont know. Dont see why not. Its only CO2. the charged cyclinder would be no more of a lethal weapon than a CO2 fire extinguisher. H&S these days though, who knows!

 

[Strathglass]

I have recently being getting quotes to have a Plastimo cruiser LR serviced.

The cylinder can definitely be refilled as one of the verbal quotes I got had an add on of £80 if the cylinder needed sending away to be recharged.

I ended up servicing the LR myself as the quotes I was given were within 20% of the price of a new LR. The empty and full weights of the cylinder are written on each cylinder so it is quite easy to check if it has lost any of it's contents, my cylinder was up to weight after about 8 years.

 

[nigelmercier]

So bottom line is that emptying the cylinder will lose £100 from the value, unless I get it recharged from BOC or similar.

Perhaps I will try to find someone who is coming back by sea.