Cylinder testing
Gas cylinder test periods have been defined by the gas traffic or type of gas in a cylinder. The cylinder manufacturer has produced a gas cylinder to an approved design. The design stipulates the parameters that the gas cylinder can be used within. These limitations include such things as the pressure a cylinder can be filled to and the pressure it must be tested to, also the test intervals and any periodic tests it may be required to pass.
The legal requirements in New Zealand for filling and testing a cylinder are prescribed in the “Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act” and the set of regulatory controls below it. The compressed gases regulations list all the requirements for a gas cylinder within New Zealand.
Test Periods required by the act
| Gas Type | Period for re-test |
| LPG – any application | 10 years |
| Oxygen – up to 40 years of old (also see below) | 10 years |
| CO2 – cylinders | 5 years |
| CO2 – Fire Extinguisher (except below) | 5 years |
| Dry Powder – Fire Extinguisher | 5 years |
| Wet Chemical – Fire Extinguisher | 5 years |
| Foam – fire Extinguisher | 5 years |
| Water – Fire Extinguisher | 5 year |
| Oxygen – over 40 years of age | 5 years |
| Nitrogen – any application | 5 years |
| Argon – any application | 5 years |
| Air – (except below) | 5 years |
| SCBA – Aluminium cylinders FRP | 3 years |
| CO2 – Fire Extinguisher with shrunk foot rings | 2 years |
| SCUBA – Hydrostatic test | 2 years |
| SCUBA – Visual test | 1 year |