Is it this simple?

I'm trying to move to kegging, my friend gave me an old scuba tank. From what i understand the CO2 tank is the most expensive part of the system and i have been able to find regulators and kegs for 40$ each. So my question... Would i be able to get setup by just buying, a regulator, a keg, some hoses, and a picnic tap? Or is there something i dont know about pressurized gas tanks that would prevent me from doing this? It would be awesome if i could start kegging for less than half the price of a whole system.

There's no reason on God's green earth why a scuba tank wouldn't work perfectly fine for CO2. In fact, it's probably safer since they're designed to hold much higher pressures.

But good luck finding a place that will fill it for you.

subliminalurge said:

But good luck finding a place that will fill it for you.

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That may be the problem... I'm not positive what the laws are, but I bet a all to your local gas shop could clear that up.

Make some phone calls. A guy at work used an old fire extinguisher at a place that exchanges tanks.

Hah! Didnt even realize fitting it might be a hurdle i will definitely ask around.

Thanks for the advice!

Even if you have an actual CO2 tank, if it's just a bit too old you have to have the hydro and everything done on it in order to get anyone to fill it.

So we know you're going to have to do that at a bare minimum. And then the valve on a scuba tank is going to be wrong for connecting to a CO2 regulator (or at least I would assume that to be true, I don't actually know for sure). So you're going to have to buy a new valve and have someone replace it for you. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that's not something you can really do properly in your garage with a big-ass pair of pliers.

It's a cryin' shame, but I'd bet money that by the time you get done converting a scuba tank to be "legal" for CO2, you'll spend at least double what it would cost to just buy a shiny, new aluminum CO2 tank.

Just one more example of the **** government sticking their nose in everybody's business and trying to extract that last penny out of us whenever we choose to exercise the freedom that they have oh so "generously" granted us.

OFF TOPIC RANT: All those extra fees, surcharges, and regulations on a CO2 fill are imposed by the DOT. Why can't I get an exemption from those if I walk to the shop with my tank to get it filled?

HAHAHAHA.

yeah i will definitely research it a bit and if it is more expensive well shoot maybe i can sell the tank for 50$ or something and it will have helped me cover some of the cost heh....

I picked up my tank at my local gas supply shop. It was a used 20 lb tank, $20 for the tank, and $20 for the fill. So I walked out only paying $40. They do exchanges for only the price of the gas as well, so when it's empty, I just trade it in and pay $20 for another tank and I never have to worry about getting them hydro tested. The tanks sometimes aren't pretty, but that doesn't bother me.

Here's a better idea for your scuba tank. Fill it with scuba air (regular air??) and hook a tube up to it. Set up that tube in a glass so it's aligned with your nostrils, fill the glass, and then you never have to come back up for air while you're chugging away!