Word of warning : Don't Leave Full CO2 Tanks in Hot Car!

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wizardofza

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Yep, went and exchanged my C02 tank yesterday during my lunch break and left it in the backseat of my truck.

I came out after work and I knew something was strange when all the papers that were originally in my back seat were all in my front seat! That, and the tank had condensation on it, not to mention it was empty.

I took the thing back to where I had it filled thinking something was wrong with the valve. I explained the situation and they guy tells me because of the heat (it was near 80 yesterday - prolly close to 100 in the truck) the safety valve gave emptying the tank. He tells me I'm lucky I wasn't in the truck when it happened.

Anyhow, just thought I'd pass that info along...:)
 
When it is hot outside, the place I go to asks if the tank is going to left in the car for any length of time, and warn you of the dangers of doing so.
 
Don't keep it in the passenger compartment of my vehicle, eh?

Hrmmm... well, I have a station wagon and a motorcycle. So I take it the motorcycle is the better option for transport then?


:cross:
 
also make sure that you don't carry your tank inside the passenger compartment of your vehicle

I disagree. I think that it's reasonably safe to transport a cylinder inside a car, so long as the cylinder is secured to prevent it rolling around.
 
I disagree. I think that it's reasonably safe to transport a cylinder inside a car, so long as the cylinder is secured to prevent it rolling around.
It's probably reasonably safe if it is secured and don't have a trunk, but if you have a trunk you should probably put it in there just as an extra safety precaution.
 
It's probably reasonably safe if it is secured and don't have a trunk, but if you have a trunk you should probably put it in there just as an extra safety precaution.

I would think that it's safer strapped in the passenger compartment. If you put it in the trunk and it's rolling around, there's a chance the valve can get damaged. And if it does, that thing will be a missile.
 
Wow you are lucky that didn't go off while you were in the car. If you in the car and didn't get out immediately I don't what to think what would have happened to you...

I do think that you could take it in the car with you, securely fashioned and with the ac on... But I'd remove it as soon as you get out of the car so it doesn’t have a chance to heat up...

Good to hear you only lost a refill worth of CO2...
 
Yeah, it was kinda crazy. Most of the paper I have in my truck is stuck in the pocket behind the drivers seat.

It was put away pretty good. I can't imagine how much force it took to get it out of the seat pocket!

Lesson learned. Definitely.
 
heh, well I am about to go and refill my propane tank...and it will travel inside my car both ways. But, I am not too scared just as long as I don't see Roy Scheider standing in the middle of the road with his revolver :tank:
 
Do propane tanks hold the same danger? Mine is under my deck at the moment and gets full sun in the afternoon. I also got my first CO2 tank a few months back and it rode in my back floor board so it couldn't roll around. Actually I was somewhat nervous the entire time like I was transporting a WMD. :ban:
 
yea scares the **** out of you when that disk blows. Happened all the time while playing paintball, especially out here in AZ. And these were only 20oz tanks. Couldnt imagine what a 5lb tank would do
 
Do propane tanks hold the same danger? Mine is under my deck at the moment and gets full sun in the afternoon. I also got my first CO2 tank a few months back and it rode in my back floor board so it couldn't roll around. Actually I was somewhat nervous the entire time like I was transporting a WMD. :ban:

Propane tank don't carry the same kind of pressure a CO2 tank does. But there no way on earth I'd leave one inside a hot car on a summer day.

Shouldn't this be under Bottling / Kegging. No offence to the OP but anyone that would leave a full CO2 tank inside a vehicle in the summer. Probably won't notice this sticky under Equipment.
 
Easy solution, guys:

I have a 15lb nitrous tank in my trunk 24/7. It's been in there for 8 years. In the middle of summer in South Carolina in months of 100 degree days, I kept a beach towel and a small container of water in the trunk. A soaked towel draped over the top is all that is needed to keep the bottle at normal temps, but if you're really scared (or in my case, need to cool the bottle fast), a little ice water is a quick trick.

When a car is parked outside in the hot sun all day long on a 100+ degree day... I have no idea how hot it must get in the car, but my bottle stayed in usable temps, so it was no where near blowing the safety valve.
 
Easy solution, guys:

I have a 15lb nitrous tank in my trunk 24/7. It's been in there for 8 years. In the middle of summer in South Carolina in months of 100 degree days, I kept a beach towel and a small container of water in the trunk. A soaked towel draped over the top is all that is needed to keep the bottle at normal temps, but if you're really scared (or in my case, need to cool the bottle fast), a little ice water is a quick trick.

When a car is parked outside in the hot sun all day long on a 100+ degree day... I have no idea how hot it must get in the car, but my bottle stayed in usable temps, so it was no where near blowing the safety valve.

Just curious. what the hell is a Nitrous tank doing in your car 24/7? Are you doing whip-its while driving down the road?
 
I actually believe that the biggest danger is that a closed window car is a small enclosed space. Especially when we are talking about propane.

Gas cylinders are routinely transported here in PHX in the back of flat bed trucks. Many are stored outdoors. I venture to guess that the surface temperature on a tank in the sun exceeds 150F for hours each day, after all, it is possible to fry an egg using the sun alone here.
 
Some shops won't even provide service if they know you're going to transport a tank in the passenger compartment. If you get into an accident, the valve could be damaged, releasing the contents, and you could suffocate.
 
I venture to guess that the surface temperature on a tank in the sun exceeds 150F for hours each day, after all, it is possible to fry an egg using the sun alone here.

There are only a few months out of the year we have to worry about CO2 venting in a hot car. Up here we get cold enough to freeze a mastodon so we have different challenges. Ever get your lip stuck to a beer glass? You have to drink the entire glass to thaw it. (She asked how the glass could get cold enough to cause your lip to stick without the beer freezing, but I redirected like a pro and drained the glass.) You'd be surprised how often that happens. Even indoors! In the summer! :rockin:
 
Back in 72 one of the five full scuba tanks vented while they were in the back of the pickup. It was the only black tank with others out of clear aluminum or light orange paint. Made a heck of a noise, one you know what it is but can do nothing about. I recall propane under cold conditions will only produce 90 psi in the heat can reach 175 psi, this on pickup running on propane with a across the bed mounted tank. You could feel the power difference between hot or cold tank not alone running almost empty.
I recall the newer style valves put on these newer 5 gallon tanks only fill to 4 to 4.2 gallons. Add this volume to your propane bill and your refill price isn't cheap anymore. Ah heck i'm still set on an all electric heated system when it ever gets built.
 
Figured I could shed some light on the scenario seeing I deliver these tanks for a living. First propane does not expand at an exorbitant rate like most gases when going from a liquid to a gas state. Yet propane still offers an explosion risk, our plant in PA had a 100lb. tank let go on them and set off a chain reaction of cylinder explosions due to fire which let to tanks being found up to a 3/4 mile away. The real risk is leaks which increased outside temperatures can create on a tank that normal at room temperature.

CO2 expands at an unbelievable rate, and due to the fact that it is packaged as a liquid in the cylinder it has plenty of fuel for expansion on an extremely hot day. Yet, my guess would be the tank and subsequent safety was nearing test date or out of date because a temperature of 100 degrees rarely (but obviously will) create a rupture disc to fail. Our tanks are stored in storage container's in the middle of the yard and never fail, granted the northeast is not known for its balmy temps but still.

Transportation is always recommended for a non-passenger compartment of the vehicle. Even I won't travel with it in the cab of my personal truck and I consider CO2 mundane after dealing with the assorted, more dangerous gas I deal with all day. This far into this I feel like I have wasted too much time yammering on about a mundane topic to begin with, sorry.

Side note on Nitrous. Those tanks are made to handle the temperature extremes of being in a vehicle. You can check the maximum temperature of any tank you own, excluding propane, acetylene, etc.. Look for a DOT number, and in that vicinity there should be a four digit number, normally around 2500 - 2750, that is the maximum pressure the tank is rated for when built.
 
Side note on Nitrous. Those tanks are made to handle the temperature extremes of being in a vehicle.
Indeed, and maybe the CO2 tanks we have are not. I just want to reiterate that all tanks can be very easily kept well within reasonable limits with a simple wet towel. Worry-free. :) If you're afraid you might have to leave your tank in your car on a hot day, just bring a towel and some water and you're good to go.
 
:off:

Speaking of certifications, I got a condemed oxy cylinder for a project and it was stamped with dates from 1941 -> 1992. They were also marked US Navy. Do they REALLY keep tanks in service for 50+ years?

Anyway, I thought it was cool to have a tank that was probably used to help defeat the axis in WWII..
 
We have tanks that have test date stamps back to the 1880's. If it continually passes hydro testing it will continue to be put into use. The US Navy tanks are among the oldest tanks out there, the typical "birthdate" of most of the tanks out there now range from 1940 - 1960, with the exception of most of the aluminum CO2 cyl's most of you have.

I have an interesting fact to your WWII reference. The company that owned my location prior was Linde Gas, which was the number one worldwide supplier for a long time till recently. Their production facility for the tanks themselves was in Germany during Hitlers' rein which required Linde to stamp every tank with the Swastika. To this day, as my buddy found one just two weeks ago, you can still locate some tanks that have not been edited to delete the Swastika. If you ever get a tank that has a box with four little boxes next to some of the older stamp dates, that tank was stamped with a Swastika which means it made its way Hilter controlled areas during that time.

I am such a gas nerd.
 
Original stamp date of Feb. 1919, oldest I could find in the past week or so.
0804080806.jpg
 
Thanks FREE EAGLE for your replies, straight from someone who knows about cylinders. I have some old ones from an old time iron worker, one with the boxed Swastika added and it passes hydro with ease as well my 1952 scuba tank. Scuba tank I keep stored at app 2-300 psi, was told the steel is like a rubber band and is relaxed and the steel will stay more elastic. True I haven't a clue but told from a long time bottle delivery driver. On the Co2 if it released in the car even when secured in the back seat the Co2 buildup would make your body stop breathing just like someone knocked the wind out of you. The trigger system in you throat would cause this, I know as we used to have Co2 bottle fights. Yes stupid when young around aircraft in the early 70's. Best part was the Navy always had emptied Co2 bottles once a month, we would release a few into cardboard boxes to quick chill a couple 6-packs. This during Nam as a civilian A&P helping the Navy. They never could figure why the bottles ended up empty once a month.

Just after the last holiday I met a Blue Rino propane delivery driver, he said his yards in the California central valley and has filled tanks sitting for weeks in the sun without any problems and we're talking 108*F last week alone.

Made me laugh on the reply about transporting a Co2 bottle on the motorcycle, JATO comes to mind?

I have seen 260/280 cu/ft sized bottles that had their tops cut off before the neck taper then inverted and made into deep sounding gongs in those fancy big buck nature stores. With 2" square tube, short chain and a leather covered stick full of sand all with that rusty natural look for $975. I think I found a use for a couple of "no one owns bottles" I have laying around, job for Mr. plasma cutter.
They're safe old helium bottles.
 
Easy solution, guys:

I have a 15lb nitrous tank in my trunk 24/7. It's been in there for 8 years. In the middle of summer in South Carolina in months of 100 degree days, I kept a beach towel and a small container of water in the trunk. A soaked towel draped over the top is all that is needed to keep the bottle at normal temps, but if you're really scared (or in my case, need to cool the bottle fast), a little ice water is a quick trick.

When a car is parked outside in the hot sun all day long on a 100+ degree day... I have no idea how hot it must get in the car, but my bottle stayed in usable temps, so it was no where near blowing the safety valve.

That's not the so called "party gas" as it has an additive that will make you sick. My dentist has had many bottle of the "good gas" stolen from their little locked up outside shed next to the building. No i'm not a user.
 
Easy solution, guys:

I have a 15lb nitrous tank in my trunk 24/7. It's been in there for 8 years. In the middle of summer in South Carolina in months of 100 degree days, I kept a beach towel and a small container of water in the trunk. A soaked towel draped over the top is all that is needed to keep the bottle at normal temps, but if you're really scared (or in my case, need to cool the bottle fast), a little ice water is a quick trick.

When a car is parked outside in the hot sun all day long on a 100+ degree day... I have no idea how hot it must get in the car, but my bottle stayed in usable temps, so it was no where near blowing the safety valve.

That's not the so called "party gas" the one used for vehicle motors as it has an additive that will make you sick. My dentist has had many bottle of the "good gas" stolen from their little locked up outside shed next to the building. No i'm not a user.
 
I have seen 260/280 cu/ft sized bottles that had their tops cut off before the neck taper then inverted and made into deep sounding gongs in those fancy big buck nature stores. With 2" square tube, short chain and a leather covered stick full of sand all with that rusty natural look for $975.

I'm in the wrong business. I just made 4 of those for our HS band and the total cost was about $250 including paint, mallet, and an A frame stand
 
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