i couldn't agree more with gunner. i am certified as an inspector with our fire dept. we deal with s.c.b.a. bottles that run at 2216 p.s.i. these can be constructed from fibreglass, steel, or aluminum. we also keep a few "older" bottles for inflating air lift bags, or running pneumatic tools. as gunner said, they get inspected every five years, with the exception of fibre, which is every three. in addition to this, we take the bottles apart every year, and do a visual inspection for corrosion, cracks(especially the neck and where it attaches to the bottle), as well as all seals, and o rings. the important thing to remember is to get them tested by a professional, and except nothing less. the company who administered my test gave me a cylinder to do a visual on. i saw nothing wrong, and visually things looked fine. their testing equipment showed a hairline crack on the threads that if compressed, would likely have failed, causing injury to any bystanders......the crack was almost impossible to detect with the human eye. food for thought, stay safe!!
mike
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