Those that work M-F, how do you get your CO2?

I just started working 40 hours a week M-F, and everywhere I've check to get my CO2 tanks filled are open only while I'm working.

So is there some secret I don't know about to finding a place with longer hours to fill/exchange?

I am in your boat kinda....right now I can score on Mondays lol... Check to see if you have a welding shop ....My local "Oxygen" shop does exchanges till noon on Saturdays but I didnt want to buy in yet.....thinking about doing a 20oz Paintball back up..since I currently have no back-up plan and just jinx myself

Cheers

EXACTLY! airgas is open on the weekend but they are literally double the price for me,,, just may have to bite the bullet though cuz im almost out

I always did my running at lunch time.

I didn't want to have to give up my lunch hour, but I guess I might have to. My local airgases aren't open on Saturdays. I also wasn't too happy with the thought of a CO2 tank chilling in my car all afternoon.

The stupid thing is that I have an empty 20#, and hooked up my "backup" 10# and drained that (because of a leak) before I ever got around to filling the 20# again! Ugh.

I strictly use 20 oz tanks and get them filled at dicks. Works out well because there is a dicks right across the street from work and its actually cheaper than getting a 5 lb tank filled at the local gas place.

do the 20 oz tank use the same regulator as the the 5 lb ones?

kosmokramer said:

do the 20 oz tank use the same regulator as the the 5 lb ones?

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I think there is an adapter.

EdWort said:

I always did my running at lunch time.

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Plus one on this

I've got a Linweld right next to my place of work. Convenient but expensive.

My LHBS fills CO2 and open Sat, thank god. I'm in your boat. I can brew at night but Saturday is the only chance I have the buy ingredients.

You're pretty much looking at:
Making a daytime run at lunch
Going on your days off
Having a friend who doesn't work at those times buy it.
Having a friend work at a gas exchange/welding shop.
Finding an LHBS that does gas refills. <-Ideally, your search would have resulted in this, but as you've mentioned, you can't find one.

Personally.... If it wasn't for my LHBS that does refill, I'd probably find someone who can make the gas run in exchange for free beer.

Go on your lunch break. Or try finding a paintball store. They usually stay open later and are open on weekends

Maybe you can arrange a drop-off in the morning for a pick up at 5 as they're closing.

Luckily our local welding supply co. is open on Saturdays.

KevinM said:

You're pretty much looking at:
Making a daytime run at lunch
Going on your days off
Having a friend who doesn't work at those times buy it.
Having a friend work at a gas exchange/welding shop.
Finding an LHBS that does gas refills. <-Ideally, your search would have resulted in this, but as you've mentioned, you can't find one.

Personally.... If it wasn't for my LHBS that does refill, I'd probably find someone who can make the gas run in exchange for free beer.

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My days off are Saturday and Sunday, and no one in my area seems to be open on weekends. Although, I realize that if I bring in the 10# and 20# I'll only be giving up one lunch hour a year. I think I can deal with that

MBasile said:

My days off are Saturday and Sunday, and no one in my area seems to be open on weekends. Although, I realize that if I bring in the 10# and 20# I'll only be giving up one lunch hour a year. I think I can deal with that

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Very true. I just had our 20# tank refilled again and it made it almost 1 full year between fills.

In regards to days off, I had meant "sick" days or vacation days that you may or may not have which take place during a day where you would otherwise be working.

But yeah, I couldn't think of any other options besides those, and if you don't mind the occasional lunch hour for the sake of beer, game on.

I have a local welding supply shop that I pass on my way home from work. They do exchanges there. $14 for 5lber. Not sure if they're open on weekends. I'm lucky (or unlucky depending on how you look at it) that I start at 5:00 and get off at 1:30. So, most places are open until 5:00 and I can easily swap in and out.

If I had to though, I'd just take off early on a day for a "Dr Appt" or something from work and get it then.

+1 on a local welding supply place; my local opens officially at 7:30am but there is someone there by 7:15am all the time.

Yup, lunch time. I have a 20lb tank that a place about 20 min from work fills for $16. Worth giving up a lunch hour once or twice a year.

Most welding supply shops also offer a truck delivery that can go right to your home - this will work if you can arrange to work out a swap for tanks, or get the tanks from the shop (i.e. lease over the course of a year). There's a delivery fee that typically isn't too much, particularly if it can save you a few hours.

I haven't used this service for CO2 yet, but when i get O2 and Helium delivered for diving, the delivery fee is only about $5-10, independant of how many tanks get dropped off/picked up.

you may be able to have it filled at

Tractor Supply Company (unfortunately the closest I see is in the garlic capital)
Fire extinguisher service center
beer distributors (some in my are stock 5 and 10 lb.)
paint ball shop

I live 3 blocks away from a welding supply place. I just take my empty tanks over there and exchange them. Takes maybe 15 minutes.

They are also open Saturdays.

Both of the LHBS I use allow me to exchange. I bring in my 5 lb or 20 lb tanks, steel or aluminum empty and they will exchange them for full ones, for the same price as filling at airgas. They are open weekends usually. Might check at your LHBS.

The LHBS I use has tanks on hand (filled) most of the time. They offer an exchange program which you can opt into (if you wish). I didn't since there's a place maybe 10 minutes from where I work that fills up CO2 tanks while you wait. Very good pricing ($10 for a 5#, $17 for a 20#) and fast turn-around time. If I go into work early, I can even get to them before they close at the end of the day (they close at 4:30pm).

Hunt around your area and I'm sure you'll find places that are open when you can get to them. I'm also sure that if you ask members of a home brew club in your area, you'll find out about all those other places that you might not have thought to look for. Places that repair/refill/refurbish fire extinguishers can also be great places to fill your CO2 tank. They have the equipment to fill the tanks with compressors, so it's fast to fill your tank.

i will chime in on this one and be a total ******....my friend owns the welding shop...i get gas delivered....for free!!

+1 on over lunch

the other hand if you have a good relationship with the owner of the brew shop you can have him take yours to fill with his when he is going... thats what i do... maybe that means i am addicted to homebrew, o well it works.

Chia said:

i will chime in on this one and be a total ******....my friend owns the welding shop...i get gas delivered....for free!!

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That's convenient on a number of levels. Free gas, welded fittings, converted kegs, etc.

20lb tanks my man. 1 lasts me a year.

spintab said:

that's convenient on a number of levels. Free gas, welded fittings, converted kegs, etc.

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dude! It is awesome!!!!!!

ask them to deliver to your job... most companies deliver. I used to get them to deliver me tanks to my place of business.

Always a good reason for a day off work my friend. My airgas open on weekends

I like Airgas, it's 24$ for a 20lb swap. That tank last over a year. Total time in and out 5min. The guys there like beer (good to know). I always check the hydro dates, FYI.

I live a couple blocks away from a welding shop, and they open at 7am. I usually go before I start working Monday morning (typically I find I have run out of CO2 on Saturday evening), but they are close enough that it's not a big deal to take 20 minutes and go at any time they are open, since I work out of my house most of the time anyway.