Reasons to have your Halon Recovered, Recycled and Reclaimed

1. Hydro test Date Expired on Cylinder
2. Periodic Inspection of Cylinder
3. Indication of System Leakage
4. Partial Discharge
5. Mechanical Damage to System Bottle
6. Indication of Pressure Corrosion

1 Hydro test Date Expired on Cylinder
Pressure vessels, once charged, can remain in service for many years if the vessel was properly charged and serviced the First Time. The regulations are different in different countries. There are also different regulations for each class of cylinders. However, after a system bottle has been DISCHARGED, it is usually recommended that the CHARGE in the bottle be removed periodically so that the bottle can be hydro tested and inspected. This practice is usually followed Even if no sign of leakage is indicated.
2 Periodic Inspection of Cylinders
High pressure cylinders require periodic testing to verify that the cylinders remain safe as pressure vessels. Each class of cylinder, for the application, as recommended by the cylinder manufacturer, should be removed from service and pressure tested according to the manufacturers requirement. This inspection usually requires recovery of the cylinder charge. The agent removed from the cylinder should be reclaimed to insure that the agent is of high quality before the cylinder is recharged.
3 Indication of System Leakage
If a LEAK is found in a charged Halon system during a leak examination the LEAK should be repaired. Most of the time this requires the Halon charge to be removed from the system. When the Halon is removed it should be removed with equipment to minimize the Loss of the Halon to the atmosphere and more importantly to be sure that the system performance will be expected in case of fire.
Remember that a leak on the gas side of the cylinder effects system performance (Rate of Discharge) more than loss of agent in most cases.
4 Partial Discharge
As this term describes, if any accident or system malfunction causes part of the Halon and Nitrogen charge to be lost the REMAINDER of the charge should be reclaimed to help conserve our Halon resources.
5 Mechanical Damage to System Bottles
Any time there is evidence of mechanical damage to any pressure part connected to a Halon system bottle the Halon charge should be recovered and reclaimed. Mechanical damage includes impact damage to gauges, pressure sensors and the bottle itself.
6 Indication of Pressure Corrosion
Pressure corrosion is sometimes indicated when rust or a pitted surface is noticed on threads at a pressure port fitting when the other external exposed threads appear to be clean. Pressure corrosion can also be seen at relief valve seats. This corrosion can be caused from acids which develop in the container due to excess moisture in the container before it was charged or from wet Halon.