Oxygen - good find on craigslist?

I'm looking to improve my aeration/oxygenation -- Do you think this would be a good CL find? I know zero about O2 tanks.

How much would you pay for this if it is?

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/hab/2535993865.html

One thing to look into is that I think you'll need a prescription to fill or re-fill a medical O2 tank.

gah - really? isn't it the same O2 that they put in at the welding shop?

You will also need to look into if you have or need a medical O2 filler in the area.

This sounds like more trouble than it is worth.

well it might just be one phone call.

If the tank's full, though... that's a LOT of batches of beer from one medical tank. Depends on how much they're asking.

Medical O2 and CO2 are the same gas as non medical, they just have the inside of the tank lined with glass. So you can get it filled up anywhere.

pm5k00 said:

Medical O2 and CO2 are the same gas as non medical, they just have the inside of the tank lined with glass. So you can get it filled up anywhere.

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This. Lots of people have perpetuated this myth, but you should be able to get it filled. Just call and ask.

If you are going this route I would consider the following. I would want my o2 cylinder to be serviced with as pure o2 as possible, Medical or aviator oxygen. I would ask prior to servicing with industrial o2 what the purity of it is.

Second is the hydrostatic date of the cylinder. I believe most are 10 years, but that may be an issue, as the gas company may not fill a bottle that is out of date.

I work with AV o2 and its a basic principal never allow your bottle to go to zero PSI as moisture can accumulate in the bottle. So just to keep your o2 clean, service when you get below a 100-psi.

It's not a myth. In order to fill medical tanks, the filling station needs the filling whip that matches with this medical-only valve assembly (CGA 870). Airgas and other welding supplies typically do NOT have that whip. The filling stations that do have it are for filling medical tanks and they will not just fill one for someone without a prescription. If you know an EMS or volunteer fireman, that's one way to go.

Bottom line, if you can get a used tank and reg for say $50 or less AND the tank is nearly full, buy it. It will last for at least as long as you brew. Think about how much more gas it has in it than the disposables that you pay $9 each for. Even if you had to sell the tank for scrap or put it back on craigslist, you'd come out ahead.

I'd pay even more than that for it. I mean, it's going to cost what, $30 just to buy one of the cheap-ass Benzomatic regulators, that only work half the time? I wouldn't go nuts, but I'd pay $75 or $80, maybe a little more for a mostly-full tank and a reg.

Then, just bust into some old lady's house when you need a refill. Don't steal the TV, just take her medical O2.

Wow. Just wow @ the_bird. On the plus side it reminds me my grandfather may still have one of my grandmother's tanks....

Relax. Learn to recognize forum humor.

I didn't actually believe him.

Do remember, though, most people don't stop needing O2 because they've gotten better. This O2 tank/reg is death-booty!

No doubt about that. If you want oxygen, go to estate sales. My uncle just passed away and he was on oxygen but I just don't have the balls to ask my aunt for the tank.

FYI aviators use LOX and an exchange manifold (heater) to make o2 so aviation grade u2 is a myth unless you have equipment to handle -500 F temps

Jklinden said:

FYI aviators use LOX and an exchange manifold (heater) to make o2 so aviation grade u2 is a myth unless you have equipment to handle -500 F temps

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Not true. Some aircraft use LOX (mostly military types), but the most common systems use gas cylinders very similar to the medical variety pictured in the first post.

I beg to differ but your entitled to your opinion what do I know I just fly for a living. There are mainly gaseous exchange manifolds that use LOX and oxygen generation systems that chemically produce 02 but like I said we all have opinions...

I can speak a little about this bottle because I use them. I am a volunteer firefighter/EMT. If this bottle is full at .5 liters per minute, lpm, it will last about 600 minutes. This is a lot of batches of beer. Getting them filled is getting difficult. Many fire departments used to have their own cascade system for filling their bottles. Now companies like airgass have replaced this. They lease bottles with the regulators permanently attached. They give us 20 bottles, we run two ambulances, two rescue units, and two pumpers with medical capability, when a tank runs low we swap it out with a full one. Airgass stops by every other week and exchanges our low bottles with full ones. We have not used our cascade for over a year. Most departments have gone to this.

Now, the refill connection for a bottle like you are looking at the bottles with a regulator attached are different. Airgass has the hookup for the all in one, but may not have it for yours. Also, the hydo date for aluminum tanks only last for 5 years. http://www.oxyedge-chum.com/safety.htm If you "know a guy" a hydro test will cost you $20. If you don't "know a guy", $40 and up. For more information you should call the local medical supply company in your area.

If the bottle is full, I would by it for $60 or less. The regulator is more precise than what home brew stores sell. The O2 is medical grade, I would still use a filter though.


Edit: Actually, the case is really nice. If you had a use for it I would add another $30 or more.

Jklinden said:

I beg to differ but your entitled to your opinion what do I know I just fly for a living. There are mainly gaseous exchange manifolds that use LOX and oxygen generation systems that chemically produce 02 but like I said we all have opinions...

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Sure, in commerical aviation, chemical generators are becoming more prevalent, and LOX isn't entirely uncommon. However, most general aviation and smaller jet systems use O2 cylinders. Your post was inaccurate, and aviation grade oxygen is not a myth. I corrected the information. I stated no opinion. Please don't get hostile.

Some sources:
http://www.zaviation.ca/training/oxyfacts.htm
http://www.biopak240r.com/faq/oxygen.php

I followed up, they want something like $250 for it. Too rich for my blood at the moment.
if it's a full tank, I guess I would shell out $100 for it if it would work for as many batches as you all say. . .

Thanks for all the input.

$250 is to high, even for the medical use of it. The bottom right picture shows a cup that goes over a face with a small cylinder of aluminum on it. It is called a demand valve, the medical person pushes a button and 02 is forced out at high flow. They are not used anymore. The problem with them is that they force air into the stomach because the lungs could not take all of it. The next thing you know is that the person you are doing CPR on throws up on you and you have to suction the airway before going back to CPR. We are not allowed to use them anymore. We use a bag the is filled with O2 and we force it out by hand.

I would tell him this and offer $100, see what he does. Hopefully you get lucky.

what are they asking for it? I buy o2 cylinders at home depot for about 7 bucks and they last many batches...

edit: $250 is too much. buy an o2 stone from one of the online brew shops and use the red o2 cylinders from the local big box home store.

cfrazier77 said:

$250 is to high, even for the medical use of it. The bottom right picture shows a cup that goes over a face with a small cylinder of aluminum on it. It is called a demand valve, the medical person pushes a button and 02 is forced out at high flow. They are not used anymore. The problem with them is that they force air into the stomach because the lungs could not take all of it. The next thing you know is that the person you are doing CPR on throws up on you and you have to suction the airway before going back to CPR. We are not allowed to use them anymore. We use a bag the is filled with O2 and we force it out by hand.

I would tell him this and offer $100, see what he does. Hopefully you get lucky.

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I was wondering what kind of "regulator" that might be. And based on your take on it, I'm wondering how useful that actually would be for a home brewer...

Cheers!

i bought a medical grade tank off of ebay and way unable to get it filled without a prescription, i tried everywhere. i ended up buying a 20cu ct cylinder and a regulator from harbor freight and got it filled for $30 at airgas. i don't know of anything bad that can live in pure oxygen so i don't worry about filtering the gas.

day_trippr said:

I was wondering what kind of "regulator" that might be. And based on your take on it, I'm wondering how useful that actually would be for a home brewer...

Cheers!

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There are pictures of two regulators with the O2 bottle. One is this demand, the other is a constant flow which is good for us.

Jklinden said:

FYI aviators use LOX and an exchange manifold (heater) to make o2 so aviation grade u2 is a myth unless you have equipment to handle -500 F temps

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ummmm..... Since your a pilot, I am going to go easy on this one. As an A&P for over 20 years in Military and civilian jobs, most pilots know nothing about aircraft, and certainly know less about how they internally operate. Its nice that your specific aircraft uses Lox, but this is far from the norm. And Lox systems don't "make" o2, Lox is Liquid Oxygen, it runs thru your exchange manifold, or as us Mechanics call them Heat exchangers, where the temperature of the Lox is raised and a change from Liquid to Gas occurs. Aviators Oxygen, the Myth as you call it is actually 99.9% pure o2. Nothing special, just clean. And as far as your Obogs system goes I have yet to ever see this system out of military application. I worked on these systems in the Military.

My concern would be introducing contaminated oxygen to your Wort, is why i would choose to use an aviator or medical o2. Oxygen systems can become contaminated very easily, usually by filling an oxygen cylinder that has completely depleted it's pressure. I am not sure the purity of a commercial grade o2, but I suspect that I would not want that blowing thru my wort.

as far as re-servicing the cylinders, I am sure that the medical field has put a firm hand on the servicing of their cylinders, so I can understand why they would require you to have a prescription.

Buying a cylinder from harbor Freight, great idea... But I still would be concerned with oils and other contaminates that could be in that bottle. As you know, a hydrocarbon does wonders with oxygen, so I would be concerned servicing a bottle that has not been specifically prepared to hold o2.. Just a safety note. But if Airgas serviced it, I am sure you are fine.

It seems to me that using filtered air with an aeration system is a more appropriate way to go. This o2 idea although would be very efficient at supplying o2, is a headache...

AdvGroo said:

ummmm..... Since your a pilot, I am going to go easy on this one. As an A&P for over 20 years in Military and civilian jobs, most pilots know nothing about aircraft, and certainly know less about how they internally operate. Its nice that your specific aircraft uses Lox, but this is far from the norm. And Lox systems don't "make" o2, Lox is Liquid Oxygen, it runs thru your exchange manifold, or as us Mechanics call them Heat exchangers, where the temperature of the Lox is raised and a change from Liquid to Gas occurs. Aviators Oxygen, the Myth as you call it is actually 99.9% pure o2. Nothing special, just clean. And as far as your Obogs system goes I have yet to ever see this system out of military application. I worked on these systems in the Military.

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+ 1

I am also an A&P for 20 plus years. I have serviced many O2 cylinders. It is gaseous oxygen. I have never seen LOX used on anything but military aircraft. Because of the extremely dangerous risks of LOX, I highly doubt your aircraft is using it unless you fly for uncle Sam.