CO2 Tank Exchange Beware

About 6 months ago I bought an aluminum 20 lb CO2 tank on line for my kegging set-up. I went to get it filled at a local gas retail place. They could not fill it while I waited but told me they could take my tank and exchange it for a full tank for the same price. I had read that this was a common practice on this forum so I exchanged my tank. I went back and exchanged it twice sence then and everything was working great. However, Saturday I checked my tank and it was almost out of gas. The gas place I had been using was closed on Saturday so I call around and found one that was open until noon. I put the empty tank in my car and drove 30 miles to the other business to get my tank filled. I gave the man my tank to be filled. He examined the tank and told me he could not fill the tank because its test date had expired. The test date was back in 2001. I was very up set to say the least. I could hardly wait to go back to the original place (Roberts Oxygen) to find out why they had broken the law and filled a tank that was out of date. They informed me that the law gave then 10 years between inspections on their rental tanks. Does anyone know if this is true? I made them exchange my tank with one in date (within 5 years) for me be be allowed to have it filled at other business. It pissed me off because if I had moved or they had gone out of business I would have been stuck with an out of date tank. I wanted to share this experience with others. In so much as others will not be stuck in the sane situation.

Did you swap an alum. one for a steel one? I bought an alum one brand new and would never leave it there or swap it out for another. I have a place that will fill while you wait just kind of a long drive but I like knowing I use the tank I bought.

I bought an aluminum one that I will leave to be filled and have never had an issue. A friend gave me an old steel one that was out of date, this one I took in, paid the inspection fee, and exchanged it. So now I have one that I exchange every time and one I have them refill for me (the aluminum one).

No, the DOT requirement is 5 years, not ten.

The problem I've run into with the fill-it-while-you-wait gas providers vs exchange gas is the price for exchange is so much better there is no comparison.

20# exhange = $18

2.5# fill-it-while-you-wait = $15
5# fill-it-while-you-wait = $18

That being said there's no way I'm exchanging a new tank for an old one. Until they are ready for a new test .

It seems to be common practice for people fill out of date tanks from what I've seen. That's why I always inspect my exchanged tank before I take delivery. They inspect my tank before they take it from me I feel like it's a good idea for me to do the same.

No offence meant: but it was your fault for not inspecting the test date on your tank & or for not being aware of the testing procedure and how to read the tank. The lesson cost you a few $ gas money it could have been much more expensive.

abracadabra said:

.

No offence meant: but it was your fault for not inspecting the test date on your tank & or for not being aware of the testing procedure and how to read the tank. The lesson cost you a few $ gas money it could have been much more expensive.

Click to expand...

I disagree the "fault" is that of the company that filled the out of date tank. The Op is the victum. You saying it is his fault is like blaming a rape victum for being raped.
Now, will those that read this take a closer look at their tanks, probably, which is a good thing, but still, not the OPs "fault".

it took me a few days to find a place nearby (in houston) that would fill my 20 lb. tank rather than exchange it. yea, i wasn't going to part with my new tank (from beverage exchange for $104) that was certified in april of 2008.
it was $16.49 including tax to fill it while i waited - and explained the process of brewing to the enraptured employees.
what i couldn't believe was that these places that i checked into wanted around $145 for any random used tank for future exchange. it was so much cheaper to order a new one from san diego, and shipping was only $15 for both the tank and a regulator.

oops. that tank was from beveragefactory.com.

Not meaning to hijack, but...

Brew-boy said:

Did you swap an alum. one for a steel one? I bought an alum one brand new and would never leave it there or swap it out for another. I have a place that will fill while you wait just kind of a long drive but I like knowing I use the tank I bought.

Click to expand...

Not sure if this helps you, but its worth a shot...

Michigan Paintball is off Genessee in Lapeer, they fill while you wait
Bass Pro Shop off Baldwin and 75 fills while you wait
Otherwise, Joe's Army Navy in Pontiac is a "fill while you wait" shop.

Kebrown,

Where is Robert's oxygen and how much is it to swap out? I get mine filled by Arcet and it's just under $10 (5lb tank). It's a farther drive from Colonial Heights than it is from Chester, though.

JnJ said:

You saying it is his fault is like blaming a rape victum for being raped.
Now, will those that read this take a closer look at their tanks, probably, which is a good thing, but still, not the OPs "fault".

Click to expand...

This is a pretty intense example. Rape victims don't have the decision to get raped or not, like someone who can very easily reject a tank that isn't in date. I'm not saying it was the poster's fault but damn, comparing tank swap to rape...

It's just an example, brett, there's no harm meant by it.

Flyin' Lion said:

Kebrown,

Where is Robert's oxygen and how much is it to swap out? I get mine filled by Arcet and it's just under $10 (5lb tank). It's a farther drive from Colonial Heights than it is from Chester, though.

Click to expand...

FL-
I just swapped a 5# tank ($15) at Roberts O2 this afternoon. They are at 2117 North Hamilton (Take 195 North, get off at Broad and go west (over 195), at the light turn rt on Hamilton, they are all the way down on the right. Nice guys. 804-353-1355

Just exchanged a 20# tank at a Praxair shop for $22, took in a tank that hadn't been hydroed in about 14yrs that was given to me for a tank with a hydro stamp of 2/08. I'm certainly not going to argue. Be cheaper for the next fill, can get a 20# tank filled for $18 at airgas.

byersj said:

Just exchanged a 20# tank at a Praxair shop for $22, took in a tank that hadn't been hydroed in about 14yrs that was given to me for a tank with a hydro stamp of 2/08.

Click to expand...

I'm hoping this works for me at my local Praxair as my 20# tank also has not been tested in 10+ years.
Hope to get there next week sometime...

I called around before I took it in, they were the only company that doesn't charge for hydro testing on an out of date tank. Not the cheapest for a fill by any means, but definitely the best deal if your tank is out of date.

JnJ said:

I disagree the "fault" is that of the company that filled the out of date tank. The Op is the victum. You saying it is his fault is like blaming a rape victum for being raped.
Now, will those that read this take a closer look at their tanks, probably, which is a good thing, but still, not the OPs "fault".

Click to expand...

Compairing the victim of a violent crime to the OP's taking delivery of an expired tank because of his own ignorance is an absurd analogy.

Have you ever heard the expression "buyer beware" one of the meanings is to "be aware" of what you are purchasing.

Ignorance I might add that could have easily and freely been overcome by simply posting a question here asking, "what do all the numbers on my tank mean?"

More than likely the gas exchange co. simply has someone else fill the empty tanks he collects over the period of a month or 2 and is just a middleman. The middleman in question most likely doesn't check the tanks himself. And it's highly likely this middleman is probably just as much a "victim" as the OP as both of them should have known about and checked the tank's test dates.

I'm merely pointing out that the OP's anger at the tank exchanger is misplaced. And that he has a responsiblity in the purchases he makes. Would you buy a used car without a car facts sheet or having a mechanic look at it or buy a house without having it inspected. Then turn a round and try to blame the seller because you failed to do your homework?

Ignorance is much more expensive than an education as a general rule.

byersj said:

I called around before I took it in, they were the only company that doesn't charge for hydro testing on an out of date tank. Not the cheapest for a fill by any means, but definitely the best deal if your tank is out of date.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that info!

My LHBS fills at:

5# = $16.95

20 # = $22.95

I'm going to try and get to Praxair next week to do the exchange for a tank thats in date.

I am lucky here then a 2.5lb or 5lb or 10lb I get filled for $5 while you wait.
This is here at a local rent all store in Lapeer, Michigan.

You can also fill your tanks at places that do fire extinguishers. I just went through all of that with the hydro testing. The hydro and the fill was 40 dollars, and it's just around the corner from work.