For those that like Co2

[WILDHOBO]

I’m not starting this thread to argue co2 against compressors. This is for those that love co2, like myself, and are independent people that want more convenience.

I’ve been using co2 for a while now. I started with tiny portable compressors, moved to a bigger one, then added the four hose system. Most of us are familiar with all of this. When I tested my four hose system the first time, I was at home and used my 15 gallon compressor, because it was there. I couldn’t get past the speed of filling with 150psi. So down the co2 rabbit hole I went. Fast forwarding to now, the one local shop that does fills is unreliable. Driving 60 miles to fill for 3 times the cost was also not an option. But I wasn’t willing to go back. So I did some reading. Initially, it was discouraging, since I didn’t want to pay for a co2 fill pump. It’s not reasonable for a hobbyist. After some more reading, I came up with a reasonable plan. And as of today, it’s been tested as successful, and I couldn’t be happier.

This is a hat you need to do it at home with zero difficulty. 50lb co2 bottle with a siphon tube. I paid $350 for the ownership of a bottle, and $40 for the first 50lb fill. Since I don’t care about portability, it’s steel, so 110lbs empty and 160lbs full. It’s now $40 to exchange it for a full one. For $175 I bought a CO2 Tank Power Filler III from power tank. It’s a passive fill hose with a vent valve to vent the pressure before disconnecting.

The process was very easy. First, I already knew my empty weight of my 10lb tank. I weighed it, which showed that I had approximately 1lb in the tank. In order to fill my tank from the larger tank, my tank needed to be at a lower pressure. To accomplish that, I chilled the tank in the freezer. A snow bank would have been just as easy. But the freezer works year round. With the 50lb tank at around 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the 10lb at 5-10 degrees, I hooked up the hose between the two. I opened the valve on the large tank, then the small one. I let it fill until the sound of transfer greatly reduced. Then I closed the valves and weighed it. It was spot on. If I had overfilled it, I’d have just released a little until it was at 10lbs plus the weight of the tank. The whole process took about 2 minutes, not including the 30 minutes it was in the freezer.

I could not be happier about being able to fill my own. By my estimation, one 50lb tank should last me a year or more for personal use. But I’ll report back after a full season of wheeling. I made the estimation because I can air up 6-8 times on one 10lb tank. I’ll get 4 fills of the 10lb from the 50lb. It’s not five because when the large tank gets lower on pressure, it won’t be able to push as much.

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[Escape.idiocracy]

This is awesome!
Though I have to poke! There isn’t a single welding supply place closer than 60 miles from you!?! :| suppose I was pretty fortunate when I lived in the eastern sierras there was always a resource for welding stuff…. (Most remote place I have lived in the US…)

 

[WILDHOBO]

This is awesome!
Though I have to poke! There isn’t a single welding supply place closer than 60 miles from you!?! :| suppose I was pretty fortunate when I lived in the eastern sierras there was always a resource for welding stuff…. (Most remote place I have lived in the US…)

There is. 5 miles away. The joke is that they don’t do a great job filling co2 on site. But they provide exchanges from a third party that are always full. I don’t want to exchange my aluminum 10lb. It silly, but I like knowing it’s the same tank. So I’m using the local welding shop to change the 50lb tank at a whopping $40. . I get that I’m spending the initial $300+ for the tank, but I love the convenience.

 

[Wolf Island Diver]

Robert’s Oxygen is the only place in Hampton Roads that will fill them. The smaller welding shops near me, and there a at least 4, look at you like you’ve murdered one of their children walking in with a PowerTank. It costs me $35 to fill my 15lb tank at Robert’s and it lasts a while. I’m still sold on the PT.

But I’ve also been looking at doing a pump for utility air. Right now I use a Dewalt to repressurize my WaterPort. I’d like something more built in. In all honesty, it’s not an easy or cheap solution either. Viair states you should discard their steel tank every 2-5 years from its date stamp unless they’re rusting which in case, immediately. Those cheap steel Chinese air tanks are nothing like Worthington steel scuba tanks which can be turned and rehydroed. Those last many decades. The PowerTanks, much like scuba tanks, are higher quality tanks that can be hydroed. With a cheap steel air tank you end up with a bomb under your truck. You can go with a higher quality and much more expensive aluminum air tank. That’s an improvement, but like aluminum scuba tanks, you’re always going to have this issue of putting air in them through a pump and getting corrosion. I’m always chasing corrosion in my Catalina aluminum pony bottles. Unless you go with fiberglass, air in tank = corrosion. Aluminum corrosion is only partially self-controlling because it tends to flake and turn to powder that gets in your regulators.

I’ve started noticing the effects of Outer Banks salt air on my truck, in the cab ac/ventilation system, under the hood and under the truck. I see myself replacing the cabin blower motor within a few years. I’ve had to do it with every truck I’ve owned because they rust out. With an air compressor id be pushing all of that humid salty air into a tank. I have a water separator on my large air compressor at home (not OBX) and it fills up constantly. I’m about ready to throw that tank away. The humid salt air is also terrible on the pump. Obviously if you live in Arizona it’s a far less drastic but there’s still humidity in the air that accumulates in the tank, that you have to drain, but still slowly damages it.

The point is, an air compressor system has reoccurring maintenance costs and major issues as well if you don’t ignore safety and actually care about what’s in the air you’re pumping into your tools and tires. I think people look at PT and the cost to refill and are turned off but that’s mostly because you can’t hide the refill requirement from this solution. The air compressor folks have done a good job marketing, falsely IMHO, that their route is bolt on and forget about it and that’s just not true.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Robert’s Oxygen is the only place in Hampton Roads that will fill them. The smaller welding shops near me, and there a at least 4, look at you like you’ve murdered one of their children walking in with a PowerTank. It costs me $35 to fill my 15lb tank at Robert’s and it lasts a while. I’m still sold on the PT.

But I’ve also been looking at doing a pump for utility air. Right now I use a Dewalt to repressurize my WaterPort. I’d like something more built in. In all honesty, it’s not an easy or cheap solution either. Viair states you should discard their steel tank every 2-5 years from its date stamp unless they’re rusting which in case, immediately. Those cheap steel Chinese air tanks are nothing like Worthington steel scuba tanks which can be turned and rehydroed. Those last many decades. The PowerTanks, much like scuba tanks, are higher quality tanks that can be hydroed. With a cheap steel air tank you end up with a bomb under your truck. You can go with a higher quality and much more expensive aluminum air tank. That’s an improvement, but like aluminum scuba tanks, you’re always going to have this issue of putting air in them through a pump and getting corrosion. I’m always chasing corrosion in my Catalina aluminum pony bottles. Unless you go with fiberglass, air in tank = corrosion. Aluminum corrosion is only partially self-controlling because it tends to flake and turn to powder that gets in your regulators.

I’ve started noticing the effects of Outer Banks salt air on my truck, in the cab ac/ventilation system, under the hood and under the truck. I see myself replacing the cabin blower motor within a few years. I’ve had to do it with every truck I’ve owned because they rust out. With an air compressor id be pushing all of that humid salty air into a tank. I have a water separator on my large air compressor at home (not OBX) and it fills up constantly. I’m about ready to throw that tank away. The humid salt air is also terrible on the pump. Obviously if you live in Arizona it’s a far less drastic but there’s still humidity in the air that accumulates in the tank, that you have to drain, but still slowly damages it.

The point is, an air compressor system has reoccurring maintenance costs and major issues as well if you don’t ignore safety and actually care about what’s in the air you’re pumping into your tools and tires. I think people look at PT and the cost to refill and are turned off but that’s mostly because you can’t hide the refill requirement from this solution. The air compressor folks have done a good job marketing, falsely IMHO, that their route is bolt on and forget about it and that’s just not true.

I couldn’t agree more. I was turned off by pricing, but then found Preece Products. You can get a 10lb tank, 250psi dual gauge regulator, handle, and mount for $300. And their stuff is top quality. Just no brand name price. And now I can fill it four times for $40, at home!

 

[Wolf Island Diver]

I couldn’t agree more. I was turned off by pricing, but then found Preece Products. You can get a 10lb tank, 250psi dual gauge regulator, handle, and mount for $300. And their stuff is top quality. Just no brand name price. And now I can fill it four times for $40, at home!

Only my laziness keeps me from doing this, for now. I have a second justification in that I’m building an aquarium that will unfortunately need a CO2 bubbler. My only other concern is keeping it away from my house and finding room in my workshop. I have a basement and I don’t want a tank of asphyxiant that’s 1.5x heavier than air anywhere near that. Not as bad as argon but still not great.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Only my laziness keeps me from doing this, for now. I have a second justification in that I’m building an aquarium that will unfortunately need a CO2 bubbler. My only other concern is keeping it away from my house and finding room in my workshop. I have a basement and I don’t want a tank of asphyxiant that’s 1.5x heavier than air anywhere near that. Not as bad as argon but still not great.

Yep. I wouldn’t put it in the house. It’s in the garage.

 

[WILDHOBO]

This shows the tank with the transfer hose connected. It was simple and perfect. And the vent valve made it very safe.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Only my laziness keeps me from doing this, for now. I have a second justification in that I’m building an aquarium that will unfortunately need a CO2 bubbler. My only other concern is keeping it away from my house and finding room in my workshop. I have a basement and I don’t want a tank of asphyxiant that’s 1.5x heavier than air anywhere near that. Not as bad as argon but still not great.

Now my wife wants me to use it to provide carbonated water on tap.

 

[Wolf Island Diver]

Now my wife wants me to use it to provide carbonated water on tap.

Just make sure you’re following whatever requirements there are for food/beverage grade use including the source of CO2. I don’t claim to know anything with that. I keep my growler beer carbonated with CO2 cartridges.

 

[WILDHOBO]

Just make sure you’re following whatever requirements there are for food/beverage grade use including the source of CO2. I don’t claim to know anything with that. I keep my growler beer carbonated with CO2 cartridges.

Interesting. I hadn’t thought about the co2 source. Good call. I bet the welding supply tank is definitely not. I’m good with taking that project off the list. I’ve got plenty more in the queue.

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