CO2-Proof Tubing

In my search for a CO2 tank I came across a site that sells CO2-Proof Tubing. It claimed that normal airline tubing can lose up to 20% of CO2 through its membrane. Does anyone know if that's true/is it worth buying?

The site: http://www.co2-canisters.com/index1.html

You could figure out cost wise if it's worth it. I'm sure it's more expensive then a typical beer gas line so you could figure what 20% in gas savings would be for the extra cost of the tubing. However, I'm sure it's only a partial truth that 20% is lost through the tubing.

Yeah 20% sounded pretty high to me too. It's $0.89 a foot, but really it's not so much the cost saving but saving the hassle of refilling the tank.

I'd be surprised if CO2 can escape in any appreciable volume through the significant thickness of beverage tubing.

Click here: http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/hoses-pid-549NE1200.html.

Yuri,

What is the link for? I see that the hose wall thickness is ~1/16 inch. Was this your point? I just don't want to be the guy that misses the point.

I linked to standard gas tubing for draft systems. The wall thickness is 1/8". The stuff's actually pretty stout if you've ever seen it or used it.

Additionally, the tubing I linked is polyethylene, not silicone. The OP's site only states that silicone is poor for CO2 use.

The stuff you linked to is 1/6" wall. 5/16" ID, 7/16" OD. That's 2/16" for the walls, 1/16" each. Am I missing something too?

Edit: As to the OP's question, no clue about the CO2 permeability of normal gas line, but the stuff you linked to is 4mm ID, which is between 1/6" and 1/7", with only 1mm thick walls. I don't know what kind of fittings you'd use with that, or if it would stand up to much pressure.

Sorry, you're right. 1/16" wall.

I've had CO2 lines sitting pressurized for weeks without the tank valve being open. I think the loss is as close to zero as one could measure. So, I'm calling BS.

jaobrien6 said:

Edit: As to the OP's question, no clue about the CO2 permeability of normal gas line, but the stuff you linked to is 4mm ID, which is between 1/6" and 1/7", with only 1mm thick walls. I don't know what kind of fittings you'd use with that, or if it would stand up to much pressure.

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That's a good point, they don't seem to have any other thicknesses either so this maybe pointless. I'll dig around and see if I can find anything else.

There is no way the restaurant/bar industry would tolerate a 20% loss of CO2 within the distribution system. If that were a reality, then bar and restaurant systems would be hard plumbed to guarantee NO loss.

I call BS on the claim as a general statement.

Looks like a solution that needed a problem. So their marketing invented a problem.

GilaMinumBeer said:

There is no way the restaurant/bar industry would tolerate a 20% loss of CO2 within the distribution system. If that were a reality, then bar and restaurant systems would be hard plumbed to guarantee NO loss.

I call BS on the claim as a general statement.

Click to expand...

Does the restaurant/bar industry use the same tubing we do? Since david_42 pointed out the diameter I'm thinking the "Normal airline tubing" is cheap aquarium tubing. I'd also imagine the 20% is the inline volume per day/week/year.

I call TOTAL BS. This has "marketing ploy" written all over it, (with bad grammar to boot!)

Normal airline tubing can lose up to 20% of CO2 through its membrane. Silicone tubing reacts w/ CO2 and render it less efficient (thus the silicone hardening over time under CO2 usage). Our special CO2 Resistant Tubing loses less than 1% of CO2.

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What does that even MEAN? "Can lose up to 20% of CO2"? 20% of what? Of the gas passing through it? So for every liter of gas I pump through the line, 0.2 liters escapes? I think I'd notice that. 20% of the gas in the tank? 5 lbs CO2 has a volume of 305 gallons at STP...so does this mean that as soon as I connect the hose to my tank, I lose 0.2*305 or 61 gallons of CO2? I think I'd notice that too. No timescale is listed here....and since the rate of diffusion through the line would not depend on the size of the tank, what are they claiming the leakage is 20% of?

I would not buy into this crap. Buy your hosing at menards for 25 cents a foot and call it a day.

this is total BS and if you really think about it you can test it your self

Who use's silicone tubing for gas? Mine is the red vinyl stuff

Complete BS.

silcone tubing can hold methanol so im sure co2 permability is .00000001%/day

Ok, coming from the offroad world. I can tell you for sure that co2 will leak out. It can leak out of smaller spaces than air can. Tire walls even. If you fill a tire with co2 (common practice in offroading) in a month the tire will be back down to the preasure you started at (5 psi or similar). This is the rusult of it leaking out of the tire walls. I have filled my tires with co2 to drive my rig home, but then drained them and refilled them with air from my compressor to keep my preasure.

everything permeates rubber except nitrogen, so they say. but who wants to spend $5/tire?

Bottom line: the tubing sold at draft supply houses works. My tanks last for years.

whoa. look out. we gots us a straight shooter

-TPM- said:

Does the restaurant/bar industry use the same tubing we do? Since david_42 pointed out the diameter I'm thinking the "Normal airline tubing" is cheap aquarium tubing. I'd also imagine the 20% is the inline volume per day/week/year.

Click to expand...

I use industry standard lines.