Getting Frustrated with Co2.

I’m getting frustrated there is only one place where I live that refills Co2. My last three fills have only carbed and pushed about six gallons. So I finally get a scale and weigh it after getting it filled no weight gain. I talk to the guy and tell him the problem and he says it’s because they just fill off a tank but if I leave it there they will pump fill it. I leave it there pick it back up latter weigh it and no weight gain. I don’t expect to get much Co2 out of this tank ether. So my question is what are my options? The only thing I can think of is by a 20# tank with siphon and have it filled in San Antonio which is 2.5 hours away. Thanks

is it the airgas? they're who i use here in the dallas/fort worth area. there's 1 in laredo is why i ask

Beer_Eugenics said:

I’m getting frustrated there is only one place where I live that refills Co2. My last three fills have only carbed and pushed about six gallons. So I finally get a scale and weigh it after getting it filled no weight gain. I talk to the guy and tell him the problem and he says it’s because they just fill off a tank but if I leave it there they will pump fill it. I leave it there pick it back up latter weigh it and no weight gain. I don’t expect to get much Co2 out of this tank ether. So my question is what are my options? The only thing I can think of is by a 20# tank with siphon and have it filled in San Antonio which is 2.5 hours away. Thanks

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I take mine "cold" to a local fire extinguisher place for them to charge. 1200 psi everytime.

There's an Airgas fill depot at 401 Boomtown Street in Laredo...

Cheers!

This is why I gave up refilling and settled for an exchange. Its so much easier and you get the right amount. Plenty of us have already donated our shiny aluminium tanks to some exchange or another. Sometimes you get stuck with an ugly or steel tank but who cares. You'll just exchange it in a few months anyway. Also if you ask for a specific kind they will accommodate usually.

There's also at least a few fire extinguisher recharging shops in Laredo, TX... I'd call them and see if they can fill your CO2 tank and how much. There's one near me (Quincy, MA) that charges $10 for a 5# tank, $12 for a 10# tank, and all of $17 for a 20# tank. They fill up the tanks you bring in while you wait. It's only a few minutes from where I'm working too (under 10 minutes each way) so it's really convenient to get my CO2 tanks filled there.

you can also check home depot. if they have co2 exchanges there, and many do, it'll work. a little pricey, but you get a decently-filled exchange

I believe Airgas here sends their tanks out. I know I have gone through the phonebook twice and check online called every place I could find and AOC was the only one here that filled on location. But I will double check tommorrow also I could not find Exchanges. I will also check Fire places.

I'm in NY state but...check for a beverage place that does growlers. If they do, they have co2, and might also do refills. My local place does co2 refills by the #. They weigh my tank before and after so I know just how much co2 I am getting. ($2.50 per #)

What about
Airgas
401 Boomtown Street
Laredo, TX 78043

My local airgas swaps tanks. They check the weight before they hand me a new tank.

Sounds like a scam, I say: ask your LHBS.

On an off chance, I asked my LHBS and they gave me an address of a welding gas / refill station here in Vegas that “doesn’t exist” in the phone book or online (gaagle doesn’t even know they exits)... but they DO!

$15 for a 5lb co2 refill and $17 for 80cf of nitrogen, after taxes, hazmat charge, etc. Usually it’s not the size of the tank (5lb or 20lb, maybe a couple of dollars more). They fill onsite, though I’ve never gotten 1200 psi; more like 800-900 psi. The fill usually takes about 2 minutes and the tank comes back heavier and freezing cold.

In Vegas, Airgas will only exchange for like $25 and local fire extinguisher place charges $35 for a 5lb fill.

I can push about 6-8 5gal kegs plus use some for cleaning lines on a 5lb before a refill.

Try Penas Fire Extinguisher C. Laredo, TX. Give them a call and see if they'll hook you up. You're getting robbed at the other place! There are some others in Laredo as well as seen On Google Maps.

Penas Fire Extinguisher Co.
4202 E Saunders St
Laredo, TX 78041
(956) 791-1513

The local airgas guy was being kind of sketchy when I bought my tank. He told me that airgas shops will charge you whatever price they want based on the customer base they assign to you. One guy might give it to you for one price while his coworker another price. Also, here in L.A., there are at least two airgas plants that will fill tanks while you wait.

I'd call for the price and get the guy's name.

Don't you have paintball stores there? Every paintball store I've seen will fill CO2 tanks.

Cpt_Kirks said:

Don't you have paintball stores there? Every paintball store I've seen will fill CO2 tanks.

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Only ones with compressors/pumps will do anything larger than the bottles they sell. There's a sporting goods store near me, with said hardware, but you have to go there while the people who know how to run it are working. Otherwise you can only get up to a 20oz bottle filled. Even then, the price per pound is much higher than what the fire extinguisher place charges.

Thanks Airgas will exchange tanks so I guess I will have to trade in my shiny ones.
As for asking my LHBS that would be San Antonio. I think in a city of 250,000 legal residents there is probable less than 10 that homebrew.