Powertank.... Purge when home?

[Abc123]

For those running powertanks, or some comparable CO2 rapid re-inflate system. Do you have to purge the tires and refill with air when you get home? I'm wondering if CO2 can have corrosive effects being inside the tire/wheel for a long time. Technically, it shouldn't react if there is no moisture....but there is certainly moisture from the compressed air that was put in there prior to the co2.

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[TheRealStreetcommander]

I've never experimented with CO2 in tires, but I don't know that there would be a sufficient amount of moisture in the air to create much acid. I personally may flush it out the next time I did regular maintenance, but I would not worry about it before then. Even for many months. FWIW

 

[Wolf Island Diver]

I end up purging them passively. Let me explain. CO2 is a larger molecule than N2. In theory it should bleed out of the tire less readily. However CO2 is more reactive and actually soluble in butyl rubber. Tires have inner liners to reduce their permeability. Despite that, CO2 will still bleed out fairly quickly. In practice I find that my tires loose pressure considerably faster after a CO2 fill up than with air. I have to replace the lost CO2 with air a number of times in the weeks after using it and so in essence, I purge them over that time. I wouldn’t use the CO2 to fill my tires at home because compressors are readily available, and CO2 is expensive

Yes, CO2 creates carbonic acid in the presence of water, but there’s not much water in your rim, carbonic acid is an weak acid, and most folks rims are coated aluminum of some kind. Steel rims would be more of a concern. In my experience there’s a far greater corrosive effect from the salty humid air down at the beach than from dry industrial CO2 I use to inflate my tires after the beach trip. I’ve noticed quite a bit of corrosion on various items from that highly reactive salt air and anything that actually comes in contact with the water.

The more important thing than worrying about the CO2 is to wash your truck especially the engine compartment, undercarriage and brakes after beach trips and going through mud and water crossings and obviously, never drive your truck through sea water.

All of this begs the question, why use CO2 for inflation at all if it bleeds out? A number of reasons. The rate at which it does that is very low. You won’t lose pressure on the drive home. I can inflate all four tires simultaneously from 12 psi to 28 psi in about a minute. The CO2 system is sealed. I’m not drawing in corrosive air into a compressor system at the beach. Storage tanks for compressors will corrode relatively quickly depending on the quality of air they’re filled with. I have to have my steel Scuba tanks turned every few years and that’s highly filtered, low moisture air or Nitrox. Aluminum tanks, will begin to corrode terribly around their necks. I don’t even mess with them. The point is, compressor systems are a bigger problem at the beach than any corrosive effect of CO2. If I frequently used a compressor system with a tank down at the beach, I would recommend getting the air tank purged regularly.

 

[dajudge]

I never did when I had mine, never had any issues.

 

[Bandy]

It's a good practice to regularly inspect your wheels for any signs of corrosion or damage. This applies regardless of the type of inflation method used.

 

[Josh00333]

Never, and I don’t notice any psi drop off at all save the 100 deg summer vs 20 deg winter thermal drop off that happens w all tires.

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