CO2 Bottle Refill Costs?!

[day_trippr]

Unless s/he's going to take that cylinder elsewhere, such arrangements guarantee a swap, even if the cert expires prior...

Cheers!

 

[CodeSection]

As @bleme suggested earlier in this thread, people should check out hydroponics equipment suppliers.

A quick google search turned up this group in MI:
https://www.horizenhydroponics.com/services/co2-tank-exchange

Thanks for the tip Wayne and you too @bleme. There are three hydroponics suppliers near me and a forth miles and miles away. When I called the only one that is opened today, they quoted $18 for a 20 lb tank exchange. That is cheaper than the $30 quote from the guy I bought from last year and went to on Saturday.

I've always been leery participating in an exchange program. It is probably nonsense on my part. Do you have any tips such as requesting a tank with greater than a year certification on it, etc.?

 

[SanPancho]

Why not trade up to a 20#?

That said the 5# tanks are a charm when serving on location, maybe keep one around if you do those. Dragging that 20# around is a bit of a nuisance, but those 5 to 10 times a year I can still handle. Doesn't look we're having events any time soon. A few got canceled already.

Or keep the 5# for location/travel/backyard party, and buy a used 20# as your main tank. New ones were selling for $35, not that long ago. There's a thread about them.

i have a hard time believing this. you're saying you can buy a 20# tank for $35? or did you mean fill a tank for 35...?

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I go to a welding supply place kind of off the beaten path somewhere between suburbia and farm country surrounded by ranches.
I called them up and they are still filling tanks.
They charge me $5 if I bring cash and are friendly to guys like us.
Otherwise they have to charge me more if it's run with a card.

i'm close to needing a refill so i'm curious if prices went up.
The one thing i'm wondering about is my 20oz paintball tank.
I use that for my cooler keggerator with 2 3 gal kegs.
it fits right inside.

I get it filled at dicks normally and it's still got some life since it's only had to push beer from 4 3 gal kegs.
but, Dicks isn't open right now.
they also charge me more than a 5 gallon tank.

Welding supply place told me over the phone they don't fill those.

Not that I need it filled now, or expect to be taking my beer anywhere soon, however i'm going to move to closed transfer and would like to use the smaller tank for that just for the ease of it.

Thinking of getting a fill station off amazon and a mount to hang one of my 5 lb tanks upside down so I can just refill it myself without having to drive 40 mins to the closest dicks and paying $8 for a refill.

 

[CodeSection]

i have a hard time believing this. you're saying you can buy a 20# tank for $35? or did you mean fill a tank for 35...?

I can see where the confusion is. He meant there was a thread where one could buy a new 5 lb tank for just $35 with free shipping. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/35-co2-tank-free-shipping.674468/

 

[Wayne1]

Thanks for the tip Wayne and you too @bleme. There are three hydroponics suppliers near me and a forth miles and miles away. When I called the only one that is opened today, they quoted $18 for a 20 lb tank exchange. That is cheaper than the $30 quote from the guy I bought from last year and went to on Saturday.

I've always been leery participating in an exchange program. It is probably nonsense on my part. Do you have any tips such as requesting a tank with greater than a year certification on it, etc.?

If you participate in an exchange, the company is responsible for all
certifications. It is one less thing you have to worry about.

I bought my 2) 20 lb tanks, used, for $50 each off of Craigslist. I brought them
to Way to Grow for exchange, and they did not even look at certification
date. They just gave me two different tanks, already filled.

On Saturday, they gave me another tank and then took back my empty. No
questions asked.

 

[SanPancho]

I can see where the confusion is. He meant there was a thread where one could buy a new 5 lb tank for just $35 with free shipping. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/35-co2-tank-free-shipping.674468/

Ah, ok. That seems more reasonable.

Been a while since I did a homebrew co2 purchase, but out here in SF it’s like almost $20 to swap a 5#. Haven’t tried grow shops - I’m not sure what grade of gas they have.

 

[Wayne1]

I do not know about other shops, but Way to Grow uses Food Grade, 99.9%, pure CO2.

 

[brew703]

I went friday to a fire safety place. Got my 10lb tank filled for $10. Took a whole 10 minutes. My HBS charges $15 for a 10lb fill but takes upwards of 2 hrs.
The downside of the fire safety place is they are only open M-F and close at 4. I would have to take the day off as they are over an hour away.

 

[IslandLizard]

i have a hard time believing this. you're saying you can buy a 20# tank for $35? or did you mean fill a tank for 35...?

Sorry, my fault!

I had the impression they were new 20# tanks for $35, shipped. That was incorrect, they're 5# tanks.

I can see where the confusion is. He meant there was a thread where one could buy a new 5 lb tank for just $35 with free shipping. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/35-co2-tank-free-shipping.674468/

Thanks for the correction!

 

[89Hen]

Why not trade up to a 20#?

I'm keeping my tank in my keezer and I don't think a 20# will fit where I keep it.

 

[IslandLizard]

I'm keeping my tank in my keezer and I don't think a 20# will fit where I keep it.

Keep it outside the keezer. That's what I do.

 

[SanPancho]

Holy Christ. 17 for co2. 2 for swap fee/cert. 6 for haz mat fee. $27.27 for 5# swap. WTF

 

[bleme]

Holy Christ. 17 for co2. 2 for swap fee/cert. 6 for haz mat fee. $27.27 for 5# swap. WTF

And just think, you breathe out that dangerous gas all day long...

 

[day_trippr]

Gotta laugh at the hazmat fee...

 

[NewJersey]

I'm picking up a fresh hydro steel 50lbs tank on Monday for $90. The fills are $45.
This beats the **** outta the $19-20 fills/exchanges are for 5LBS everywhere near me.
Now I can just fill my lil 5lbers off the 50.
Done paying $20 a fill!
I marvel at how little some of you guys are paying for co2!

 

[ChiknNutz]

Just called Airgas and a LHBS (Winston-Salem, NC), both are right around $2.50/pound. Airgas sells new tanks, the LHBS exchanges them. Definitely not on the cheap side of the street here. Called another in Greensboro and they are about $2/pound.

 

[TheMadKing]

My CO2 is free, but I pay about $25 for the pressure every time

 

[Cottonmouth]

Just paid $14.92 to refill my 20# tank includes tax and associated fees.

 

[soccerdad]

I have a 2 keg set up with a 20 pound tank. A tank lasts me a long time with no leaks or miscues. I refilled today and was surprised to pay $35.××. $1.75 a pound. But it's been maybe 6 months, so $6 a month or less. Last time I filled it was $28.xx. 25% increase in less than a year.

 

[89Hen]

Keep it outside the keezer. That's what I do.

Not really looking to put another hole in my keezer collar. I did upgrade to a 10# last week, that should do the trick.