Word of warning : Don't Leave Full CO2 Tanks in Hot Car!

wizardofza · Jun 5, 2008

Yep, went and exchanged my C02 tank yesterday during my lunch break and left it in the backseat of my truck.

I came out after work and I knew something was strange when all the papers that were originally in my back seat were all in my front seat! That, and the tank had condensation on it, not to mention it was empty.

I took the thing back to where I had it filled thinking something was wrong with the valve. I explained the situation and they guy tells me because of the heat (it was near 80 yesterday - prolly close to 100 in the truck) the safety valve gave emptying the tank. He tells me I'm lucky I wasn't in the truck when it happened.

Anyhow, just thought I'd pass that info along...

dblvsn · Jun 5, 2008

Good safety bulletin.

ColoradoXJ13 · Jun 5, 2008

PV=nRT
live and learn.

pjj2ba · Jun 5, 2008

When it is hot outside, the place I go to asks if the tank is going to left in the car for any length of time, and warn you of the dangers of doing so.

bradsul · Jun 5, 2008

Prost! and suggest this thread be stickied!

eriktlupus · Jun 5, 2008

also make sure that you don't carry your tank inside the passenger compartment of your vehicle

Choguy03 · Jun 5, 2008

ColoradoXJ13 said:
PV=nRT
live and learn.

Word. :rockin:

BierMuncher · Jun 5, 2008

bradsul said:
Prost! and suggest this thread be stickied!

Done. Good summer time message.

Sir Humpsalot · Jun 5, 2008

Don't keep it in the passenger compartment of my vehicle, eh?

Hrmmm... well, I have a station wagon and a motorcycle. So I take it the motorcycle is the better option for transport then?

:cross:

GilaMinumBeer · Jun 5, 2008

Sir Humpsalot said:
Don't keep it in the passenger compartment of my vehicle, eh?

Hrmmm... well, I have a station wagon and a motorcycle. So I take it the motorcycle is the better option for transport then?

:cross:

Strapped to your back like a Scuba tank. I am sure DOT planned for that.

jds · Jun 5, 2008

eriktlupus said:
also make sure that you don't carry your tank inside the passenger compartment of your vehicle

I disagree. I think that it's reasonably safe to transport a cylinder inside a car, so long as the cylinder is secured to prevent it rolling around.

IlliniSox4Life · Jun 5, 2008

jds said:
I disagree. I think that it's reasonably safe to transport a cylinder inside a car, so long as the cylinder is secured to prevent it rolling around.

It's probably reasonably safe if it is secured and don't have a trunk, but if you have a trunk you should probably put it in there just as an extra safety precaution.

Professor Frink · Jun 5, 2008

IlliniSox4Life said:
It's probably reasonably safe if it is secured and don't have a trunk, but if you have a trunk you should probably put it in there just as an extra safety precaution.

I would think that it's safer strapped in the passenger compartment. If you put it in the trunk and it's rolling around, there's a chance the valve can get damaged. And if it does, that thing will be a missile.

Loweface · Jun 5, 2008

Wow you are lucky that didn't go off while you were in the car. If you in the car and didn't get out immediately I don't what to think what would have happened to you...

I do think that you could take it in the car with you, securely fashioned and with the ac on... But I'd remove it as soon as you get out of the car so it doesn’t have a chance to heat up...

Good to hear you only lost a refill worth of CO2...

wizardofza · Jun 5, 2008

Yeah, it was kinda crazy. Most of the paper I have in my truck is stuck in the pocket behind the drivers seat.

It was put away pretty good. I can't imagine how much force it took to get it out of the seat pocket!

Lesson learned. Definitely.

chachi · Jun 5, 2008

heh, well I am about to go and refill my propane tank...and it will travel inside my car both ways. But, I am not too scared just as long as I don't see Roy Scheider standing in the middle of the road with his revolver :tank:

Aleforge · Jun 9, 2008

Do propane tanks hold the same danger? Mine is under my deck at the moment and gets full sun in the afternoon. I also got my first CO2 tank a few months back and it rode in my back floor board so it couldn't roll around. Actually I was somewhat nervous the entire time like I was transporting a WMD. :ban:

Redweasel · Jun 9, 2008

Thanks for the heads up. Prost!

Desert_Sky · Jun 9, 2008

yea scares the **** out of you when that disk blows. Happened all the time while playing paintball, especially out here in AZ. And these were only 20oz tanks. Couldnt imagine what a 5lb tank would do

abracadabra · Jun 11, 2008

Taipans said:
Do propane tanks hold the same danger? Mine is under my deck at the moment and gets full sun in the afternoon. I also got my first CO2 tank a few months back and it rode in my back floor board so it couldn't roll around. Actually I was somewhat nervous the entire time like I was transporting a WMD.

Propane tank don't carry the same kind of pressure a CO2 tank does. But there no way on earth I'd leave one inside a hot car on a summer day.

Shouldn't this be under Bottling / Kegging. No offence to the OP but anyone that would leave a full CO2 tank inside a vehicle in the summer. Probably won't notice this sticky under Equipment.

NitrouStang96 · Jun 12, 2008

Easy solution, guys:

I have a 15lb nitrous tank in my trunk 24/7. It's been in there for 8 years. In the middle of summer in South Carolina in months of 100 degree days, I kept a beach towel and a small container of water in the trunk. A soaked towel draped over the top is all that is needed to keep the bottle at normal temps, but if you're really scared (or in my case, need to cool the bottle fast), a little ice water is a quick trick.

When a car is parked outside in the hot sun all day long on a 100+ degree day... I have no idea how hot it must get in the car, but my bottle stayed in usable temps, so it was no where near blowing the safety valve.

Skrimpy · Jun 21, 2008

ColoradoXJ13 said:
PV=nRT
live and learn.

Wow. Haven't seen that one since Chem 131.

Special Hops · Jun 24, 2008

NitrouStang96 said:
Easy solution, guys:

I have a 15lb nitrous tank in my trunk 24/7. It's been in there for 8 years. In the middle of summer in South Carolina in months of 100 degree days, I kept a beach towel and a small container of water in the trunk. A soaked towel draped over the top is all that is needed to keep the bottle at normal temps, but if you're really scared (or in my case, need to cool the bottle fast), a little ice water is a quick trick.

When a car is parked outside in the hot sun all day long on a 100+ degree day... I have no idea how hot it must get in the car, but my bottle stayed in usable temps, so it was no where near blowing the safety valve.

Just curious. what the hell is a Nitrous tank doing in your car 24/7? Are you doing whip-its while driving down the road?

Soulive · Jun 24, 2008

Special Hops said:
Just curious. what the hell is a Nitrous tank doing in your car 24/7? Are you doing whip-its while driving down the road?

Its for speed and driving around like this...

[youtube]5-5lFubLaqg[/youtube]

*watch your volume*

olllllo · Jun 24, 2008

I actually believe that the biggest danger is that a closed window car is a small enclosed space. Especially when we are talking about propane.

Gas cylinders are routinely transported here in PHX in the back of flat bed trucks. Many are stored outdoors. I venture to guess that the surface temperature on a tank in the sun exceeds 150F for hours each day, after all, it is possible to fry an egg using the sun alone here.

Yuri_Rage · Jun 24, 2008

Some shops won't even provide service if they know you're going to transport a tank in the passenger compartment. If you get into an accident, the valve could be damaged, releasing the contents, and you could suffocate.

Fingers · Jun 24, 2008

olllllo said:
I venture to guess that the surface temperature on a tank in the sun exceeds 150F for hours each day, after all, it is possible to fry an egg using the sun alone here.

There are only a few months out of the year we have to worry about CO2 venting in a hot car. Up here we get cold enough to freeze a mastodon so we have different challenges. Ever get your lip stuck to a beer glass? You have to drink the entire glass to thaw it. (She asked how the glass could get cold enough to cause your lip to stick without the beer freezing, but I redirected like a pro and drained the glass.) You'd be surprised how often that happens. Even indoors! In the summer! :rockin:

BrewBeemer · Jun 26, 2008

Back in 72 one of the five full scuba tanks vented while they were in the back of the pickup. It was the only black tank with others out of clear aluminum or light orange paint. Made a heck of a noise, one you know what it is but can do nothing about. I recall propane under cold conditions will only produce 90 psi in the heat can reach 175 psi, this on pickup running on propane with a across the bed mounted tank. You could feel the power difference between hot or cold tank not alone running almost empty.
I recall the newer style valves put on these newer 5 gallon tanks only fill to 4 to 4.2 gallons. Add this volume to your propane bill and your refill price isn't cheap anymore. Ah heck i'm still set on an all electric heated system when it ever gets built.

eschatz · Jul 5, 2008

good thread, thanks for the info

jpuf · Jul 6, 2008

Hell, who needs ear drums

Word of warning : Don't Leave Full CO2 Tanks in Hot Car!

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