15 lb Co2 tank overfilled?

[Draft Master Flash]

I recently had a 15 lb Co2 tank filled and the high pressure gauge reads 1600 psi. I'm assuming the person who filled it thought it was a 20 lb tank and it's probably about 5 lbs over filled. I didn't see any sign of liquid in the gauges when hooked up to the regulator. I plan on using this tank solely for the purpose of carbonating 5 gallon corny kegs at 35 psi for 24 hours. Is it safe for the beer? I'm just wondering what the effects would be if Co2 entered the beer in liquid form? Not worried about the pressure as I'm sure the regulator can handle it and the tank is rated at a much higher working pressure. Also I don't plan on letting the tank get hot and blow the burst disk.

DMF.

 

[Bobby_M]

There's no way to fit 20LB into a 15LB tank. The best thing you can do is put it on a scale and weigh it. It should be 15 pounds over the TW stamped into the tank.

 

[Draft Master Flash]

Okay but with a pressure of 1600 psi with the norm at around 700 psi or so, does this present anything bad aside from maybe the risk of blowing the burst disk?

DMF.

 

[Mr. Vern]

Your liquid stops boiling well under this pressure.. you will be fine provided the tank does not get too warm! Is it in a ventilated area or maybe the garage? If you blow 15# of CO2 it will displace some oxygen which would be my only concern assuming this cylinder is properly secured..

Primary gauges show full levels around 1200 PSI, you should not be in danger of blowing a relief unless it gets warm and builds more pressure.

If you siphon liquid I do not think the temperature effect will be great, you have five gallons of thermal mass to absorb the cold. One teaspoon of liquid CO2, however, is roughly one pint of gas at atmospheric pressure... so you might have some goofy pressure swings until the liquid expands into gas and settles down.

In short, I wouldn't sweat it. Use some CO2 before temps get warm

 

[odie]

the pressure will vary with temperature of the contents. Not the volume or weight of the contents.

 

[Draft Master Flash]

Your liquid stops boiling well under this pressure.. you will be fine provided the tank does not get too warm! Is it in a ventilated area or maybe the garage? If you blow 15# of CO2 it will displace some oxygen which would be my only concern assuming this cylinder is properly secured..

Primary gauges show full levels around 1200 PSI, you should not be in danger of blowing a relief unless it gets warm and builds more pressure.

If you siphon liquid I do not think the temperature effect will be great, you have five gallons of thermal mass to absorb the cold. One teaspoon of liquid CO2, however, is roughly one pint of gas at atmospheric pressure... so you might have some goofy pressure swings until the liquid expands into gas and settles down.

In short, I wouldn't sweat it. Use some CO2 before temps get warm

Thanks you, this makes sense. I've never used a 15 lb tank before just 5 and 20s and the high pressure gauge was always at around 700 psi until just before the tank was empty. Not sure if a 15 lb tank was any different. I also ruled out the possibility that the guy at the welding shop who filled it might of put a different gas in it but I'm sure the fill connector to the CGA320 valve would be a different fit.

DMF.

 

[Draft Master Flash]

the pressure will vary with temperature of the contents. Not the volume or weight of the contents.

The temperature of the tank is at room temperature at around 68f so I know it's not heat that is causing a high psi.


DMF.

 

[Bobby_M]

Are you sure the tank didn't fall over and bend the high pressure gauge causing the needle to get hung up on the display?

 

[Draft Master Flash]

Are you sure the tank didn't fall over and bend the high pressure gauge causing the needle to get hung up on the display?

I tried it out on 2 different regulators a Taprite and a Micromatic and both read 1600 psi.

DMF.

 

[Bobby_M]

Wonder if someone put some CO2/Nitrogen beer mix in there.

 

[Draft Master Flash]

Aside from heat and the fact that the tank can only hold so much what could cause the pressure to be so high?


DMF.

 

[Draft Master Flash]

Wonder if someone put some CO2/Nitrogen beer mix in there.

Wouldn't the fill connection be different if it was another kind of gas? It was a welding shop.


DMF.

 

[Draft Master Flash]

There's no way to fit 20LB into a 15LB tank. The best thing you can do is put it on a scale and weigh it. It should be 15 pounds over the TW stamped into the tank.

So, I weighed the tank. It weighs 38 lbs 10.5 ounces. The tare weight I assume as stamped on the neck of the tank (TW 18.7) is 18.7 pounds. Plus 15 would equal 33 pounds. So it is 5 lbs over. If it only holds so much how is it 5 lbs over?

DMF.

 

[day_trippr]

 

[Draft Master Flash]

Thanks for the chart day_tripper. As far as I can interpret the tank is about 150% overfilled. So for now I'll just make sure it doesn't get hot and blow the burst disk. According to the tare weight listed on the tank neck it looks like an extra 5 lbs got put in unless I'm missing something here.

DMF.

 

[Bobby_M]

If you're seeing 1600psi at 70F, it's about 130% of rated fill then.

If it stays cold, I doubt you'll have a problem but if it was my tank I'd vent it down until the high side read 1000psi.

 

[day_trippr]

Bobby got it. And 5 pounds over 15 is in the 30% overfill range as well, so there's correlation...

Cheers!

 

[Draft Master Flash]

Yes I do see that. It is 130%. Thanks!

DMF.