CO2 Tank safety

I have a 20 lb tank inside. If there is a leak, bad news. Can anyone recommend an alarm?

 

This might not be up to code, but I would trust the tank's valve pretty well.

 

How is it bad news? We have had 50lb CO2 tanks leak their entire contents in our lab over two days (on multiple occasions) because people don't know how to put a regulator on and no one had any issues other than being pissed the tank was empty...

 

I'm guessing the "bad news" would be instead of losing 5 pounds of CO2 the OP would be losing 20 pounds...

Cheers!

 

You may be confusing carbon dioxide with carbon monoxide. If the CO2 tank leaks there's no safety risk unless you're lying face down in a bucket it's leaking into. You exhale 2lbs of CO2 a day.

 

Asphyxiation is the biggest potential issue I guess. 20 lb of CO2 will fill 162 cu ft of space at STP, or reduce the oxygen to <15% (~danger level) in 650 cu ft, if that space is mostly sealed. If there's any air change, then the leak rate is more important, and the size of the space required to be dangerous is much smaller.

Basically, keep your tank in a largish room (bigger than 10' x 10' x 6.5'), with some air flow in it. Don't keep it in the keezer, then stick your head into the keezer to check it for leaks and don't keep 20lb or 50lb tanks in small walk-in coolers.

 

Yeah, kegerator is in my laundry room. 12ft long,only 4ft wide or so. I was worried if the whole thing leaked filling the room and making someone pass out/die

I guess not too much to worry about. Over thinking it.

Thx

 

Unless you live in a home that is modern enough to be air sealed well but old enough to not have forced ventilation it is unlikely to be a real risk. If you are somewhere where there is a fixed CO2 fire extinguishing system all the pre-release alarms followed by the loud injection of C02 creating a fog will not go unnoticed.

Many people also confuse CO (carbon monoxide, a gas that preferentially bonds to the hemoglobin in your blood preventing you from circulating oxygen) with CO2 (carbon dioxide, a gas that is mostly inert but does regulate some of your respiratory drive making you feel out of breath).