co2 tanks - how long do they usually last?

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jdlev

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My guage still reads around 550lbs, so I don't think I'm in any danger, and I've heard they usually last around a year...

Anyone have any ballpark figures on how long the average co2 tank lasts (its the little one with the green top)
 
My guage still reads around 550lbs, so I don't think I'm in any danger, and I've heard they usually last around a year...

Anyone have any ballpark figures on how long the average co2 tank lasts (its the little one with the green top)

Need more info. What size is your tank? A 5 lb tank will typically last 4-6 5 gallon kegs of beer if you don't get a leak or use the CO2 for other stuff like purging or filtering. Larger tanks will last longer but obviously the more you use it the shorter it will last so you cant really measure it in time but rather number of kegs which is still going to be variable from setup to setup.
 
A. If your c02 tank is in your fridge, that gauge will be useless. The colder the tank is, the lower the pressure will be inside the tank. At fridge temps, your gauge will read about 500psi from the time it's full until the time it's empty. You'll get like 4 pints worth of warning before it drops to zero. There's nothing wrong with that, just know it's completely normal.

B. I'm assuming you have a 5 lb C02 tank.

C. I'm assuming you don't have any leaks in your fittings, tubing or connections.

D. I'm assuming you are using C02 to force carb your kegs.

You can expect about 5-8 kegs per c02 tank before you have to re-fill it. That's a linear figure, so if you have a 10lb tank, you can expect 10-16 kegs or so. I pay $1/lb for C02 so that's a bunch of beer for me.
 
You can't really go by that gauge to judge how much you have left. CO2 is measured as a liquid weight not really pressure. That gauge could read upwards of 1k psi all the way down to 4-500 psi and you could have the same amount of CO2 in your tank. Just depends on how warm or cold your tank is. Digital scales can give you a quick view of how much CO2 you have left. Tanks usually have a TW or tare weight which is the weight of the tank empty that is stamped on the tank (ie, 20# tank may have "T.W. 22.4" stamped on it which would mean it should weigh around 42lbs full). Just weigh the tank and subtract the TW and that's how much CO2 is left in the tank.

Also: Most people slightly under fill CO2 tanks to help prevent a tank blowing a burst disc. For example I used to fill 20# tanks with 18-19lbs of CO2. 5-10% less is about average (at least here in the south where tanks can get warm and blow a burst disc if overfilled)
 
This is a useful table in estimating how long your co2 tank will last...


http://www.micromatic.com/beer-questions/how-many-beer-kegs-dispensed-out-co2-tank-aid-89.html



Thanks for that link. I'm hoping to have a keg setup soon as I gather the pieces I need. I plan on having no more than 5 taps, but wondered if I needed a bigger tank than 5lbs. I could just go with a 20lb tank, but wonder if it would be overkill for a lone drinker like myself, plus the money saved from a smaller tank purchase.


My apologies to the OP if this was off topic.
 

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