I'm tired of getting screwed on "outdated" CO2 tanks

[specialkayme]

I'm so tired of getting screwed by homebrew shops on out of date CO2 tanks.

I've exchanged CO2 tanks in the past only to find out they were out of date, and had to pay a fee. Doesn't seem right when the LHBS I'm exchanging from gave me an either outdated, or close to outdated tank.

I took a trip to Greenville in July for a conference and took an empty CO2 tank with me to get refilled at the LHBS there. My wife did it while I was at the conference. It ran out in about two months. When I took it to my LHBS they told me it was 3 years out of date, and charged me a $40 certification fee. Pissed the LHBS in SC screwed me, I just figured it happens sometimes, moved on.

The tank ran empty two days ago, and I took it to a place that refills. They refused, as the tank expired last month. After charging me $40 for a certification fee, my LHBS sold me a tank that had only two months left on it!

I'm so tired of this ****. Am I the only one this keeps happening to?

 

[RPh_Guy]

You should upgrade to bottling; there's no CO2 tanks required.

 

[CodeSection]

I'm so tired of getting screwed by homebrew shops on out of date CO2 tanks.

I've exchanged CO2 tanks in the past only to find out they were out of date, and had to pay a fee. Doesn't seem right when the LHBS I'm exchanging from gave me an either outdated, or close to outdated tank.

I took a trip to Greenville in July for a conference and took an empty CO2 tank with me to get refilled at the LHBS there. My wife did it while I was at the conference. It ran out in about two months. When I took it to my LHBS they told me it was 3 years out of date, and charged me a $40 certification fee. Pissed the LHBS in SC screwed me, I just figured it happens sometimes, moved on.

The tank ran empty two days ago, and I took it to a place that refills. They refused, as the tank expired last month. After charging me $40 for a certification fee, my LHBS sold me a tank that had only two months left on it!

I'm so tired of this poopy. Am I the only one this keeps happening to?

I appreciate your warning post. I bought a new 20lb tank from MoreBeer with a recent date on it. I have a local place that handles about 40% of the restaurants, bars and breweries in my area that I went to for filling my tank. I will not be exchanging tanks.

For me, I have no idea at this point how quickly I would go through a tank. I could easily exchange 10lb tanks with my LHBS or with the business I mentioned above. The problem is, like you are experiencing, the tank could expire before I even used up all the CO2.

I'm not sure how a business could second guess how quickly a customer would go through a tank. Frankly, I'm not sure why a business would try. One customer could go through a tank in days while another weeks, while another months. It wouldn't make much sense to take a tank out of service just because it had two months left on the certification. I seriously doubt any LHBS is trying to screw or take advantage of their customers. If they did, they won't be in business long.

My LHBS does not fill tanks. I'm guessing they use the same business I went to. So I doubt they check the expiration dates on tanks. Your LHBS may do the same.

At the end of the day, you the customer must check the expiration date to see if it will expire before you end up using. It you believe the expiration date is too near to the time you would use all of the CO2, just ask for another tank with a longer expiration date.

 

[Positronic_Matrix]

My LHBS has a policy that if you return one of their tanks (with an adhesive label on it) and it’s expired, they will exchange it and cover the certification fee. Essentially, as long as you exchange with them, you never have to worry about expiration. To get in on this deal, you just bring them any CO2 bottle that has not expired and from that time forward you can do exchanges without concern for expiration.

Interestingly, this LHBS is really expensive for everything except 5 lbs. tanks, which they exchange for $25. (Paying for certification and taking my tank to a welding shop might actually be cheaper now that I think about it.)

 

[Robert65]

My LHBS has a policy that if you return one of their tanks (with an adhesive label on it) and it’s expired, they will exchange it and cover the certification fee. Essentially, as long as you exchange with them, you never have to worry about expiration. To get in on this deal, you just bring them any CO2 bottle that has not expired and from that time forward you can do exchanges without concern for expiration.

Interestingly, this LHBS is really expensive for everything except 5 lbs. tanks, which they exchange for $25. (Paying for certification and taking my tank to a welding shop might actually be cheaper now that I think about it.)

My LHBS has the same policy (and only $15 for a 5 lb swap.) I've bought shiny new cylinders from them, and instead of having them go in the back and fill it, I've immediately handed it back and exchanged it for a full one with one of their stickers on it. My cylinders all have stickers that guarantee no such extra charges, and they instantly get one in their pool they won't have to get certified for a few years.

 

[tellyho]

Find a fire extinguisher recharging outfit - keep your own cylinder and just refill it. Recertification is still annoying, but predictable. My shop only charges $15 to hydro test. You are totally getting hosed by your LHBS on that.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I picked up a free 20# that expired back in 1997; it's showing about 675psi and feels like it may still have some liquid in it, but what are my options once it's empty? I know I can try to find a place that might swap it out and hope they aren't paying attention to the date but that feels dishonest. Or I can take it to a place that refills and pay the recert. fee, which would still be a deal. Is it reasonable to hope that a tank made in 1981 that is now 22 years past its last test might pass again? I guess if it fails and they condemn it I'm not really out anything. It did come with an old Taprite that I can rebuild, which looks to be in pretty good shape.

 

[bkboiler]

not sure if just different regulation here in CA but fills are $$$...I'd be pleased to pay your prices.

 

[Carolina_Matt]

I swap at my LHBS and never pay any attention to it. During the last swap, I went to an airgas because it was on the way to where I was going that day. They said there was no sticker on it and they had to charge an extra fee. I guess I'll start paying more attention.

 

[IslandLizard]

To the OP, @specialkayme and @Jayjay1976 and anyone else with expired tanks.
Find a place that swaps out, no questions asked. Would be even better if their price is nice too.

Realize, many LHBS have a "deal" with a local gas supplier, some even pick up and deliver. The LHBS just sell what they get + their (sometimes hefty) markup. That short date might not even be coincidental...

After calling around* I swapped out a 20#, that was at least a year out of date, at a welding supply. $27 for the swap, aluminum for aluminum, the one I got back looked better than the one I returned. About 2 years later, swapped it out again, same company, different location. Price had dropped to $25.

* That was thorough research actually, must have called at least 10 places to find the best deal around.
As it turns out, I can't even get a refill for the price of that swap. Such as at the fire protection agency I had used previously. It seems to take me about 2 years to use up a 20# tank, even using it when pouring at a few events.
If that's an indication, I definitely need to brew more.

 

[Robert65]

Realize, many LHBS have a "deal" with a local gas supplier, some even pick up and deliver. They just sell what they get + their (sometimes hefty) markup.

My LHBS actually does the filling themselves. Their bulk supplier is Airgas, and LHBS actually charges less for 5 lbs than Airgas would, seeing it more as a service that will get customers in the store, and they only need to cover costs. (Airgas really don't want to deal with a homebrewer and his little bottle. I've heard they send people to LHBS now.) This would be an excellent model for any LHBS to follow.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I feel you pain, but (hope this doesn't come off as dickish because I do not intend it that way) the date is right there in plain sight. Just like the expiration date on food. If they give you one that is close to expired, just refuse it, get a discount, or go somewhere else.

I have three homebrew suppliers within stones-throw of me. I pick and choose which one I go to for what reason. One doesn't charge a cert fee regardless of how out-of-date it is because they don't get charged one. They are the cheapest on the 20# tanks, but the guy up the street is cheaper for the 5s. The third one? Fahgettaboudit... that lady is crackers. I only go there if I'm in desperate need of something.

 

[specialkayme]

At the end of the day, you the customer must check the expiration date to see if it will expire before you end up using. It you believe the expiration date is too near to the time you would use all of the CO2, just ask for another tank with a longer expiration date.

Maybe I'm slow, but I've never been able to fully understand what the dates mean. It's like Hebrew to me.

Perfect example is this one I have that's now out of date. It shows "02A99" then "11A44406" then "11A53714" (in addition to a laundry list of other stampings). The "11A53714" has black spray paint on it. I would assume it was made in '99, recertified in '06, and recertified again in '14. It looked out of date when I went to pick it up. I asked the LHBS owner. He said it's good to go for a while. I trusted him (maybe that's why there is black spray paint over the last Cert? or maybe the A537 means something else? I don't know). Other HBS said no dice. Expired 11/19.

My LHBS has a policy that if you return one of their tanks (with an adhesive label on it) and it’s expired, they will exchange it and cover the certification fee.

These tanks have no adhesive labels specific to the HBS on it. I'll be taking it back anyway to them. We'll see what they say.

I seriously doubt any LHBS is trying to screw or take advantage of their customers. If they did, they won't be in business long.

Probably, which is why I trusted them. But think of it this way, they charged me $40 to certify a tank that was 3 years out of date. Kinda BS, but I get it if they were to turn their tanks over to their supplier and get charged a fee. So ok. But after taking my expired tank (that I got hosed from another HBS on because it was bought new and had like 4 years left on it) and making such a big deal about how it was out for 3 years, they exchanged it with one that had 2 months left on it. What are the odds they had a bucket full of tanks and they just happened to grab the one that was just about to expire? Maybe chance. Maybe not.

So what did I really pay $40 for?

I feel you pain, but (hope this doesn't come off as dickish because I do not intend it that way) the date is right there in plain sight. Just like the expiration date on food. If they give you one that is close to expired, just refuse it, get a discount, or go somewhere else.

Yeah, I get that. I probably should have checked. I also probably shouldn't have trusted the LHBS owner when I asked if the tank was good. Lesson learned.

I just think it's super shitty to exchange an expired tank, charge a cert fee, then give them a tank that has 2 months left on it.

 

[IslandLizard]

My LHBS actually does the filling themselves. Their bulk supplier is Airgas, and LHBS actually charges less for 5 lbs than Airgas would, seeing it more as a service that will get customers in the store, and they only need to cover costs. (Airgas really don't want to deal with a homebrewer and his little bottle. I've heard they send people to LHBS now.) This would be an excellent model for any LHBS to follow.

That is a good model, indeed. Especially for the paltry 2.5# and 5# tanks. Even 10# are generally too small for the gas business.

When I called around I found out one of my 2 LHBS fills tanks at $3.60 a pound, regardless of size. You'd better be aware of that before handing over an empty 20#er... That's $72 plus tax, sir! I'd have a fit.
The other LHBS simply sends you to a gas outfit up Route 1, less than 10 minutes away, counting traffic.

 

[IslandLizard]

It's like Hebrew to me.

Perfect example is this one I have that's now out of date. It shows "02A99" then "11A44406" then "11A53714" (in addition to a laundry list of other stampings). The "11A53714" has black spray paint on it. I would assume it was made in '99, recertified in '06, and recertified again in '14. It looked out of date when I went to pick it up. I asked the LHBS owner. He said it's good to go for a while. I trusted him (maybe that's why there is black spray paint over the last Cert? or maybe the A537 means something else? I don't know). Other HBS said no dice. Expired 11/19.

You may be much better at Hebrew than you think...

 

[CodeSection]

.... But think of it this way, they charged me $40 to certify a tank that was 3 years out of date. Kinda BS, but I get it if they were to turn their tanks over to their supplier and get charged a fee. So ok. But after taking my expired tank (that I got hosed from another HBS on because it was bought new and had like 4 years left on it) and making such a big deal about how it was out for 3 years, they exchanged it with one that had 2 months left on it. What are the odds they had a bucket full of tanks and they just happened to grab the one that was just about to expire? Maybe chance. Maybe not.

So what did I really pay $40 for?

Yeah, I get that. I probably should have checked. I also probably shouldn't have trusted the LHBS owner when I asked if the tank was good. Lesson learned.

I just think it's super poopyty to exchange an expired tank, charge a cert fee, then give them a tank that has 2 months left on it.

Now I understand a little better....exchanging it for one that had two months left on it sucks. I would definitely talk with the owner and ask for another tank or ask that they re-certify it at their expense. I would give the owner the opportunity to turn a bad situation into a positive public relations experience for you that may anchor your future business with them.

I called my LHBS and asked about their policy. They only deal with 5lb tanks and they charge a $35 certification fee. HOWEVER, they keep record of all exchanges and if the tank expires and it is within 2-3 months of when you received it in a prior exchange, they will waive the fee. I guess it comes down to the LHBS.

Frankly, I like the previous postings where the LHBS will exchange it regardless. It appears they raised their prices to cover that extra exposure they have. Maybe the raised prices are minimal since they are spreading out the exposed liability.... On the other hand, if they are too high, it may be cheaper keeping track of the dates on your tank and use a supplier.

 

[davidabcd]

You should upgrade to bottling; there's no CO2 tanks required.

Funny comment but I'd be uncertain as to how the humor would be received considering the situation.
I've got bottling down so well now--kept clean, streamlined, etc.-- that I wouldn't consider anything else.
As far as the OP goes, it's sad that you have to be the one on your toes making sure they do their job. The reverse should be true. I ran into a similar scenario for a while with propane. I guess the price of success is diligence though, as I mentioned, it should be the supplier looking out for the customer. That's how I'd approach it, anyway, if I were filling tanks.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Funny comment but I'd be uncertain as to how the humor would be received considering the situation.
I've got bottling down so well now--kept clean, streamlined, etc.-- that I wouldn't consider anything else.

Every thread where someone has any kind of issue with bottling, half a dozen people tell the person to start kegging. It gets old. Kegging has tons of issues too and there's a trade-off of advantages.

Just returning the favor a little. If people think I was kidding, that's ok too. It's all good.

 

[SundayBrewer]

Find a fire extinguisher recharging outfit - keep your own cylinder and just refill it. Recertification is still annoying, but predictable. My shop only charges $15 to hydro test. You are totally getting hosed by your LHBS on that.

That's where i go. This is where most hbs get their tanks filled.

 

[Horseflesh]

Call around to welding shops. Surely there is one nearby with a humane swap policy.

My local chain is Central Welding. I can bring in any standard-size cylinder and they swap it for a filled one without even checking the date on it. My local homebrew shop even works with them, so I can swap at the shop if I wish.

Now if you have a shiny tank you want to keep, then you may have to travel much farther and pay more to find a place that fills. I've given up on owning CO2 tanks, I just swap ugly ones as needed.

 

[specialkayme]

I called a few welding shops and gas supply places in the past, but none were willing to deal with 5 lb or 2.5 lb tanks.

Now that I have a 20# my options should be vastly greater.

I didn't think about fire extinguisher recharging outfits though.

 

[davidabcd]

Every thread where someone has any kind of issue with bottling, half a dozen people tell the person to start kegging. It gets old. Kegging has tons of issues too and there's a trade-off of advantages.
Just returning the favor a little. If people think I was kidding, that's ok too. It's all good.

All true. Payback has its allure to be sure. Just recently, I read a post here on HBT where an AG brewer smacked every extract brewer full on in the mouth and oozed total disrespect with their comment. I somehow let it go. Still don't know how I was able to restrain my fingers. I think it was because the poster was new. I'm less inclined to "kick a dog when it's down," I suppose.
I saw the smiley emoji on your post and did think you were kidding. In retrospect, I guess you were just being friendly or polite--it doesn't really matter.
I'm extremely happy with bottling and quite proud to be able to turn out properly carbonated beer plus doing it very easily. I admit, as well, that I get a bee in my bonnet about people attacking or belittling bottling or saying that kegging is the only way to go. It's absolutely not.
Cheers, RPh_Guy.

 

[downzero]

I never even thought about getting my CO2 tank filled at a homebrew shop. The welding shop has been filling mine for years.

 

[Imhoppy]

I have my own (2) 5-lb CO2 bottles that I get filled, and, when required, re-tested at the local fire equipment store. They tell me they can fill it as long as the date is still valid (within 5 years from last test). So I have one that expired 12 months ago that is still dispensing CO2. Not worried about that so will just get it re-tested when it goes empty after a few more kegs or so.

Note the fire store guy told me if the last test date was say Dec 2014 and now is Dec 2019, some places may require re-test and some might just fill it. Depends on how much of a stickler they want to be about the 5-year testing requirement.

Also, I like owning my CO2 bottles instead of getting someone else's bottles in an exchange. It's satisfying and reassuring to know where they have been and how they have been handled since buying them brand new.

 

[madscientist451]

Avoid getting Co2 at homebrew shops, go on your local on line yellow pages and look for welding gasses.
My local gas supplier doesn't say anything about the tank stamp, but your local supplier may have a different policy.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Yeah, I get that. I probably should have checked. I also probably shouldn't have trusted the LHBS owner when I asked if the tank was good. Lesson learned.

I just think it's super poopyty to exchange an expired tank, charge a cert fee, then give them a tank that has 2 months left on it.

No doubt. That was pretty chitty of them. Have you talked to them about it? There is a possibility that they didn't know how expired it was.

 

[Robert65]

No doubt. That was pretty chitty of them. Have you talked to them about it? There is a possibility that they didn't know how expired it was.

If it was the owner and you specifically asked, that tells you a lot about their priorities and in what esteem they hold their customers. If it was the part time kid, who can't ring up your order without calling for help, handing you a random cylinder off the floor, you can give the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Dland]

Is it reasonable to hope that a tank made in 1981 that is now 22 years past its last test might pass again?

It will likely pass, there are some tanks out there that are older than that.

I believe whether they pass hydro test is a function of how many times filled and to what PSI, not age. Some gasses, CO2 among them, are not at particularly high PSI, so should last a long time. Scuba tanks filled to 3,000 PSI are anther matter.

 

[specialkayme]

I went back to the LHBS and handed over the tank for exchange without saying anything. I wanted to see what would happen. The owner was working. He carried the tank closer to the back, carefully inspected the expiration date, and then brought it back. He told me it expired last month, told me how to read the tank, and said he thinks he can "slip it by" the refill place he works with without charging me a fee, but I "needed to be more careful."

I told him I got the tank from his store, and he said if I got it like a year ago it could expire while I had it. I told him I got it from his store two months ago, and he said "oh really, well sometimes if someone else is working here they might not notice the date, so make sure you check it and call us out if one will expire in a few months." I just rolled my eyes inside my head.

He then gave me a replacement tank that was stamped "12A13". I told the owner "so, this tank expired a year ago, right?" He said probably not, it was probably recertified, but couldn't find another stamp, said "that's weird" and gave me a brand new tank manufactured 6 months ago.

I can't say the LHBS is trying to screw me, but they clearly aren't paying attention to the dates and putting the onus on the customer to check rather than the store. Which isn't a great business practice. Plus considering they had a tank that expired a year ago they aren't checking the tanks from their supplier, and either they don't go through many 5 lb tanks or their supplier clearly doesn't care about recert dates, which makes it even shittier that the LHBS is such a stickler about the recert dates and happy to charge a $40 fee when they find an out of date tank.

 

[applescrap]

I have a hard time thinking of him in a good light.

I got lucky, the kid at the lq store said leave it over there and get another. Gladly

 

[CodeSection]

I went back to the LHBS and handed over the tank for exchange without saying anything. I wanted to see what would happen. The owner was working. He carried the tank closer to the back, carefully inspected the expiration date, and then brought it back. He told me it expired last month, told me how to read the tank, and said he thinks he can "slip it by" the refill place he works with without charging me a fee, but I "needed to be more careful."

I told him I got the tank from his store, and he said if I got it like a year ago it could expire while I had it. I told him I got it from his store two months ago, and he said "oh really, well sometimes if someone else is working here they might not notice the date, so make sure you check it and call us out if one will expire in a few months." I just rolled my eyes inside my head.

He then gave me a replacement tank that was stamped "12A13". I told the owner "so, this tank expired a year ago, right?" He said probably not, it was probably recertified, but couldn't find another stamp, said "that's weird" and gave me a brand new tank manufactured 6 months ago.

I can't say the LHBS is trying to screw me, but they clearly aren't paying attention to the dates and putting the onus on the customer to check rather than the store. Which isn't a great business practice. Plus considering they had a tank that expired a year ago they aren't checking the tanks from their supplier, and either they don't go through many 5 lb tanks or their supplier clearly doesn't care about recert dates, which makes it even poopytier that the LHBS is such a stickler about the recert dates and happy to charge a $40 fee when they find an out of date tank.

Wow. In the future, I would use another LHBS. I believe the owner step over the "business ethics" line as soon as he started trying to convince you the 12A13 was "probably" not expired and was "probably" recertified without any evidence that was the case.

His pattern of behavior and responses to you on what happened a couple of months ago and now are clearly intentional and have nothing to do with not paying attention. If it was his ineptness, he would not have tried to convince you to accept the 12A13 expired tank. What a schmuck...

 

[dwhite60]

Former employer of mine had a probably 200 gallon main tank on the compressed air system that, no lie, was made from riveted steel plate. I was working there in the 1990's, not the 1940's. Building engineer said the tank had to have been made in the early part of the century. Boiler inspector would come in every year and wince when he saw it.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[specialkayme]

I believe the owner step over the "business ethics" line as soon as he started trying to convince you the 12A13 was "probably" not expired and was "probably" recertified without any evidence that was the case.

To be clear, he wasn't trying to convince me the 12A13 was recertified without any evidence. He made the comment as he was looking over the tank, thinking there would be another stamp somewhere that evidenced the tank was retested but I had missed it. Not finding another stamp, he gave me a fresh bottle and said "good catch."

Although it shouldn't have been my job to catch.

I was talking to him a bit while I waited on another customer ahead of me to gather up his things. The owner made it clear to me that he doesn't supply to anyone that actually knows what they're talking about. He said of the members in the local brew club (there are actually two near by) he doesn't supply any of them. He wasn't even aware one won the Gambrinus Award this past year at NHC. They all buy online. He really only sells to first time brewers (1/3rd beer, 1/3rd wine, and 1/3rd distilling, which I thought was interesting considering ABS in Raleigh doesn't even supply distilling, and does maybe 5% wine from what I can tell). After these experiences, it doesn't surprise me. The owner even turned to the guy infront of me in line and said "Like this guy (pointing to me), he doesn't buy from me. He probably buys everything online or in bulk. The only thing he buys from me is CO2, which he can't buy online. Everything else is cheaper for him online." He isn't wrong, but it's shocking to me that he's aware of what the problem is but is unwilling to do anything about it. It can't be a viable business model in a city of 300,000 to make a sustainable living off supplying to first time brewers only.

There are 3 HBS in the area, and sadly this one is the best. One is a hydroponic store that has homebrew supplies. They had a packet of liquid yeast that was a year out of date and they tried to convince me it would be fine anyway. I saw mold in a grain bin once. The other one is a great guy, but he tried to expand his HBS into a combo brewery, and lacks the capital to run and operate both. So he cut his HBS inventory way back, and cut back on his open hours. If you want a recipe, he makes you fill an online form or call ahead with an order and pick it up during preset times, typically 8 or so hours are available in any given week (Friday and Saturday 11-5 or so). No other times. You can't sort through the grains yourself. Not an option. That's the whole point of going to a HBS in my opinion. Opening the grain bins, taste everything, smell everything, experience everything. If I wanted to call in an order I'd have it delivered to my door.

So looks like I'll make the drive to Raleigh (1+ hour each way) whenever I want something in the future.

 

[CodeSection]

....I was talking to him a bit while I waited on another customer ahead of me to gather up his things. The owner made it clear to me that he doesn't supply to anyone that actually knows what they're talking about. He said of the members in the local brew club (there are actually two near by) he doesn't supply any of them. He wasn't even aware one won the Gambrinus Award this past year at NHC. They all buy online. He really only sells to first time brewers (1/3rd beer, 1/3rd wine, and 1/3rd distilling, which I thought was interesting considering ABS in Raleigh doesn't even supply distilling, and does maybe 5% wine from what I can tell). After these experiences, it doesn't surprise me. The owner even turned to the guy infront of me in line and said "Like this guy (pointing to me), he doesn't buy from me. He probably buys everything online or in bulk. The only thing he buys from me is CO2, which he can't buy online. Everything else is cheaper for him online."....

What a novel idea on how to increase sales and business, calling you out in front of another person (new brewer?) and indicating to the customer ahead of you that he can buy cheaper online....He still is a schmuck.

 

[soccerdad]

The local welding supply owns my tank. I paid a deposit on it. I take it to them if it needs refill and they change it out. Cert and recert is up to them.

 

[specialkayme]

What a novel idea on how to increase sales and business, calling you out in front of another person (new brewer?) and indicating to the customer ahead of you that he can buy cheaper online....

Exactly my thought! The first thought that popped in my head was "how are you still in business?"

The local welding supply owns my tank. I paid a deposit on it. I take it to them if it needs refill and they change it out. Cert and recert is up to them.

What size tank?

 

[Bobby_M]

I run a very fair deal. Bring me an out of hydro tank and pay the $20 recert fee which is exactly what it costs me. Once you have a branded brewhardware tank, we never check the date again. $20 swaps from then on.

Even the place that hydro tests our tanks would charge a walk in more than we do.

 

[mulletmaster]

This makes me think you are in the Greensboro area dealing with the place by the railroad tracks?

To be clear, he wasn't trying to convince me the 12A13 was recertified without any evidence. He made the comment as he was looking over the tank, thinking there would be another stamp somewhere that evidenced the tank was retested but I had missed it. Not finding another stamp, he gave me a fresh bottle and said "good catch."
...
So looks like I'll make the drive to Raleigh (1+ hour each way) whenever I want something in the future.

 

[z-bob]

Doesn't the 'A' mean it's a 10 year certification instead of the normal 5 years?

 

[soccerdad]

What size tank?

5 pound?

Whoops .. sorry, I read O2 in the original. But same is true. I exchange 20 pound co2 at the welding supply and they own the tank.