CO2 question

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loopmd

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I've got my wife convinced that we will still have plenty of room in our "garage fridge" if I add on a tap system. :) I was just wondering...where do you go to refill a co2 canister? 'Bout how much can I expect to pay to get it refilled? Assuming I don't throw a kegger every weekend, how long will the average canister last before it has to be refilled?

thanks, loop
 
How big is your CO2 tank? I have a 20 lb tank...its handled about 15 kegs thus far. Unfortunately I didn't weigh the thing before I started using it so I have no way of telling how much gas is left. Look in your yellow pages...in mine its listed under "Gas-Industrial & Medical - Cylinder & Bulk". The place I use will rent you a tank for a yearly fee. Or you can bring in your own and swap it....or drop yours off and wait several days for yours to be filled. I think my place charges about 16 bucks to refill the 20 lb tank (although Im not sure since I haven't refilled it yet).
 
I use a 5lb tank that a medical gas place fills for 6.50, I just bought a used 10 lb from them for $50 that they will swap out every time. I think they charge $10 for the 10 lb tank. Most fire extingusher place will fill co2 as well as welding supply places. Definently call around and get prices because some places really charge high prices. MPW
 
vtfan99 said:
How big is your CO2 tank? I have a 20 lb tank...its handled about 15 kegs thus far. Unfortunately I didn't weigh the thing before I started using it so I have no way of telling how much gas is left. Look in your yellow pages...in mine its listed under "Gas-Industrial & Medical - Cylinder & Bulk". The place I use will rent you a tank for a yearly fee. Or you can bring in your own and swap it....or drop yours off and wait several days for yours to be filled. I think my place charges about 16 bucks to refill the 20 lb tank (although Im not sure since I haven't refilled it yet).

Man, I'm getting rooked! I just paid $12 to have my 5lb tank filled, and I had to drive to downtown Hampton for that.
 
Sam75 said:
Man, I'm getting rooked! I just paid $12 to have my 5lb tank filled, and I had to drive to downtown Hampton for that.

Why did he charge you 12 bucks? Was it Wyn? I was sure he'd give you the jeep club discount. I still don't understand why its the same price for a 5lb tnak or a 15 lb tank either. :confused:

BTW...I got another 15 lber for the Jeep this weekend! One tank will fill about 50 tires. Do that with an air compressor, huh?
 
I'm planning on setting up a kegging system soon too. No one seems to carry the 5lb tanks, but to give you an idea of what people charge here for the 20lbs:

1. A beverage gas company gives you a lifetime lease and your first fill for $100, then $28.50 each refill.

2. Industrial gas company has yearly tank lease for $50 and $25 for refill. $120 if you want to buy a tank.

3. A welding supply shop sells tanks for $185 and refills for $27.

Think I'm going to go with the beverage gas company...
 
any fire extinguisher service place will fill it, welding supply shop, etc. i pay about $8-$10 bucks for a 5lb bottle. for some reason it costs almost the same to fill a 10 lb. bottle as a 5 lb. co2 is cheap......
you'll have room on the top shelf in the fridge and in the freezer for other goodies. your in dude!
 
ORRELSE said:
I still don't understand why its the same price for a 5lb tnak or a 15 lb tank either.

I know what you, some those places charge the same for the big tank or smaller tank. I guess they figure it's a flat rate when they hook up the gas line...go figure. :confused:
 
Born Brewing Co. said:
I know what you, some those places charge the same for the big tank or smaller tank. I guess they figure it's a flat rate when they hook up the gas line...go figure. :confused:

Most places are licensed only to siphon CO2 from one tank to another. Therefore the amount of CO2 you receive in your tank depends on the temperature of their tank, the temp of your tank (colder is better) and how much CO2 they have left in their tank. Filling up a 20lbs tank does not always give you 20lbs.

Just a little information. I always throw my co2 tanks in the freezer for an hour before i get them filled, i seem to get 4lbs per fill instead of 3 on a 5lb tank.
 
swh127 said:
Most places are licensed only to siphon CO2 from one tank to another. Therefore the amount of CO2 you receive in your tank depends on the temperature of their tank, the temp of your tank (colder is better) and how much CO2 they have left in their tank. Filling up a 20lbs tank does not always give you 20lbs.

Just a little information. I always throw my co2 tanks in the freezer for an hour before i get them filled, i seem to get 4lbs per fill instead of 3 on a 5lb tank.

A pound is a pound. They fill the tank by weighing it; when a 20 pound tank weighs 20 pounds, they stop. Same for a five pound tank. I grant you that colder CO2 condenses more, but the temps we are talking about make very little difference in the long run.
 
Driftwood said:
I'm planning on setting up a kegging system soon too. No one seems to carry the 5lb tanks, but to give you an idea of what people charge here for the 20lbs:

1. A beverage gas company gives you a lifetime lease and your first fill for $100, then $28.50 each refill.

2. Industrial gas company has yearly tank lease for $50 and $25 for refill. $120 if you want to buy a tank.

3. A welding supply shop sells tanks for $185 and refills for $27.

Think I'm going to go with the beverage gas company...

Or, you can go to http://www.beveragefactory.com and get a beautiful brand new tank for less than $100, or you can do what I did and get on ebay and find a crappy one that you can exhange. I got my 10lb tank off ebay for $62 shipped. Then take that ugly mother to your local welding supply shop and trade it in for $15. :D
 
bikebryan said:
A pound is a pound. They fill the tank by weighing it; when a 20 pound tank weighs 20 pounds, they stop. Same for a five pound tank. I grant you that colder CO2 condenses more, but the temps we are talking about make very little difference in the long run.


They might put the tank on a scale to see how much CO2 they have added in, for charging purposes, however the place that I go to can only fill my tanks up to 3/4 lbs because they are only allowed to transfer from one tank to another. There is a firehall about 30 minutes away that can anctually fill a 5lb tank with 5lbs of CO2.

I would also disagree with your statment that a 5lb tank will weigh 5lbs. I have a brand new aluminim (i think) tank that is extremly light and a 27 year old CO2 tank that weighs itself probably 10lbs. They both will hold 5lbs of CO2 and are the same size tanks.
 
swh127 said:
They might put the tank on a scale to see how much CO2 they have added in, for charging purposes, however the place that I go to can only fill my tanks up to 3/4 lbs because they are only allowed to transfer from one tank to another. There is a firehall about 30 minutes away that can anctually fill a 5lb tank with 5lbs of CO2.

I would also disagree with your statment that a 5lb tank will weigh 5lbs. I have a brand new aluminim (i think) tank that is extremly light and a 27 year old CO2 tank that weighs itself probably 10lbs. They both will hold 5lbs of CO2 and are the same size tanks.

You misunderstood what I was trying to say. Obviously the tanks weigh differently. What they are weighing is the amount of CO2 they put IN the tank. It's done the same way with propane tanks. A five pound tank of CO2 is full when the scale indicates it has five pounds of CO2 in it. The same goes for a ten and twenty pound tank.

How they account for the weight of the tank prior to filling it, I don't know, but I do know that somehow they do, and these places have plenty of experience doing it.
 
bikebryan said:
...
How they account for the weight of the tank prior to filling it, I don't know, but I do know that somehow they do, and these places have plenty of experience doing it.


Every tank has a tare weight...and its stamped on the sides.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. It looks like I got my question answered...and then some.

I can't wait to get this system on my garage fridge. :D
 
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