Cost of CO2

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DrugCoder

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I'm getting started in kegging and I was wondering how everyone started with their CO2. Do you rent a tank from your local gas supply store? Did you purchase a tank and have it refilled as needed?

I've shopped around for tanks online but what is a reasonable cost to rent a 5/10/20 lb tank?

What is a reasonable price to fill a 5/10/20 lb tank?
 
I paid $50 at my LHBS (for a 5lb tank). When it's empty I can swap it out there for $15 but I usually take it to the fire/safety place and they fill it for $11.

I also bought a 20lb tank off of ebay for a few dollars. Check ebay and craigslist for a good deal.

If have trouble finding a place to refill it look for Airgas. They are usually everywhere.
 
about 20 kegs for carbing and dispensing from a 10 lb tank
 
I have heard that a 5lb bottle will carb and serve 8 kegs, but haven't done that many yet, so I can't confirm.

It cost me $15 to fill my 5lb bottle at the paintball store around the corner.
 
Shonuff said:
If have trouble finding a place to refill it look for Airgas. They are usually everywhere.
Click to expand...

So Airgas refills tanks? There's one right down the road from me. I guess I could call them but I'm lazy and don't like dealing with people.
 
Austin_LSU said:
So Airgas refills tanks? There's one right down the road from me. I guess I could call them but I'm lazy and don't like dealing with people.
Click to expand...

The Airgas by me would only swap, but I think it varies place by place. I recommend calling your fire extinguisher shops.
 
I run a fire extinguisher servicing shop (well technically my dad does, but he's so old I've been doing the shop work on the side). Anyways...I've had a few guys stop by recently asking to refill their bottles. Normally, I told the paintball dudes no. But now that I'm a kegger I'm more sympathetic and fill for home keggers at $1.25 per pound w/ a $5 minimum.
 
Fire extinguisher shop is by far the cheapest option here. $11 bucks for a 5#, vice $18 at Airgas, and $18 at the LHBS which only does swaps.
 
Just filled mine today. 10lb for $16. Airgas in Portland will only exchange, and I have my own tank so I go to a welding supply shop. I think with shipping the tank was like $75 - $80.
 
Cost me $26 to fill a 5# tank at Airgas in San Diego. I'm getting screwed :mad:

Any of you other San Diegans know of a good place besides Airgas? (This was the Clairemont Mesa location. They didn't force me to swap though).
 
Bach7210 said:
Cost me $26 to fill a 5# tank at Airgas in San Diego. I'm getting screwed :mad:

Any of you other San Diegans know of a good place besides Airgas? (This was the Clairemont Mesa location. They didn't force me to swap though).
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Look for a welding supply shop.
 
I pay $8 - $10 depending on where I go. The more expensive place is a beer distributer that is open late. All of the cheaper places close at 5:00. Last time I got my tank filled, the distributor actually apoigized to me that the price had to go up from $9 to $10. Good people there.

quick plug for them the beer place (not affiliated except by being satisfied customer)
 
Airgas here will do swaps on a 20lb tank for $24.60. That's good because I just picked up crappy steel one for $40 on craigslist. A new hydrotest is $18 there, but the guy on the phone said "Just don't say anything when you bring it in."

$65 for a full 20lb CO2 tank. Not a bad deal... though it did take me about 2 months of watching craigslist daily to find it.
 
Just filled mine today on Long Island, NY. 16 bucks for 5 pound tank. If you get there when they are filling tanks, usually in the AM, you can keep your tank. Island Soda Systems
I have only been there one time, but I prefer a soda place because I read there are different grades of C02, meaning some are food grade and some are not. Even though I don't think there is a big difference, I am going to stick with the food grade.
 
Bach7210 said:
Cost me $26 to fill a 5# tank at Airgas in San Diego. I'm getting screwed :mad:

Any of you other San Diegans know of a good place besides Airgas? (This was the Clairemont Mesa location. They didn't force me to swap though).
Click to expand...

Beer King in Clairemont or Liquor Locker on Morena. It's been so long I don't remember the prices, but you can at least call them...
 
underwaterdan said:
Just filled mine today on Long Island, NY. 16 bucks for 5 pound tank. If you get there when they are filling tanks, usually in the AM, you can keep your tank. Island Soda Systems
I have only been there one time, but I prefer a soda place because I read there are different grades of C02, meaning some are food grade and some are not. Even though I don't think there is a big difference, I am going to stick with the food grade.
Click to expand...


Pretty sure CO2 is CO2 no matter where you go....I think it consists of certain properties and if there where different elements...it wouldn't be CO2
 
that is what I thought at first, then I started to think maybe the tanks they store it in are sanitized differently or something like that.
 
Diablotastic said:
Pretty sure CO2 is CO2 no matter where you go....I think it consists of certain properties and if there where different elements...it wouldn't be CO2
Click to expand...

I know that with nitrous oxide, there are food, medical, and auto grades. The difference has something to do with the purity; auto grade has more impurities like the oils used during manufacturing.

I would assume the same exists with CO2 and other gases.
 
damrass said:
I know that with nitrous oxide, there are food, medical, and auto grades. The difference has something to do with the purity; auto grade has more impurities like the oils used during manufacturing.

I would assume the same exists with CO2 and other gases.
Click to expand...
I'd guess it's similar to scuba tanks, mainly how pure the source is. Sketchy dive shops will sometimes have an air compressor with the intake too close to the exhaust, and give you a tank full of carbon monoxide. Good dive shops use a clean(er) air source.
 
co2 is co2. it all depends on the condition of the storage tanks and your own tank. thats why it is better to get yours filled than to exchange. then you know where yours ahs been.

as far as the original question, drugcoder, you are going to find it very hard for anyone to rent you a small co2 tank.


my company will make you buy anything smaller than a 20#tank. above that we will rent it to you.
plus, you would be able to buy 2 cyls with a years worth of rent.


our price right now is $20 for a 5# cyl.

just a note to everyone. if you have a chance, and the room to get a bigger co2 cyl, go for it. our price for a 5# is $20 and our price for a 20# is roughly $25.

the cost of the fill is all of the waste starting the pump.
 
underwaterdan said:
... but I prefer a soda place because I read there are different grades of C02, meaning some are food grade and some are not. Even though I don't think there is a big difference, I am going to stick with the food grade.
Click to expand...

Diablotastic said:
Pretty sure CO2 is CO2 no matter where you go...
Click to expand...

underwaterdan said:
that is what I thought at first, then I started to think maybe the tanks they store it in are sanitized differently or something like that.
Click to expand...

jonp9576 said:
co2 is co2. it all depends on the condition of the storage tanks and your own tank. thats why it is better to get yours filled than to exchange. then you know where yours ahs been.
...
Click to expand...

Industrial users of gases are every bit as picky about the quality of their gas as food users, maybe more so depending on the circumstance. I did read in one place that the only real difference between co2 grades was that to be truly food grade your tank had to be glass lined so that if any moisture entered the tank rusting would not be a concern (I assume that would apply to steel tanks only).
 
very good. or they could do what they do for oxygen and use a caustic solution to clean it, but that doesnt work well for co2 because some moisture always gets in when usint co2. even though its dry. it doesnt make much sense, but thats how it is
 
I could only find a place that does exchanges and it was kind of expensive. $80 for the tank filled and 22 for swaps(refill) If anyone has any cheaper places Northern NJ please let me know!
 
This is a head's up for Baton Rouge people. TNT Gas and Supply on 3rd street fills for $1.20/lb. Pretty cheap if you ask me.
 
well...for the small stuff any way. for a 50# tank thats expensive, but for a 5# thank its very cheap
 
paid $22 and change for a 20# swap... I gave them an old steel tank and got back a shiny almost new Carolina aluminum tank. I will be going to the fire extinguisher shop for a refills until the date expires.:)
 
your not getting screwed. thats what we charge, thats the standard price around here. all of our competition charges that or more.

its all relative to your area. some areas of the country are charging under $10. are you in the northeast?
 
plus, the more you buy the cheaper it is.

we charge $20 for a 5# and 25 for a 20#. i dont understand the pricing
 
I pay $17 (including tax) to have my 20# tank filled at the local welding supply. But to fill my 20 oz travel tanks it costs $3.50 at Dick's.
 

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