Do you refill or exchange your CO2 bottles

[Shrewd_Alchemist]

I bought a new aluminum CO2 tank so there is no way I'm exchanging that thing - not until it gets really beat up. I don't see that happening since I usually take care of my stuff. I think it's $19 for a 5# refill here.

 

[HoppyDaze]

Yea, wish I could find a cheaper place. Airgas wants to exchange. I have a nice aluminum tank, so no thanks. I can't find anyone to refill for less than $20. Kind of steep for 5lbs of CO2 IMO.

this is the main reason why I got the kegging kit minus the tank....I just bought the tank from airgas and swap em out. Saves quite a bit of money in the long run

 

[Free_Eagle]

If you are in the Cambridge/Boston area I manage the store and swap tanks at Airgas Cambridge. 5# for $18.32 including taxes & fees, 20# for $29.31 including taxes & fees.

 

[j1laskey]

I refill. I too bought a new shiney tank... that is now hidden in the back of my kegerator, that I only see when I have to refill it. But I refil in Malden MA, ARCO Welding. Their prices just went up from 2 bucks a # to 2.2 a # ...not a bad deal...

 

[the_bird]

I had a shiny new tank at one point, so I was getting it refilled... but the only place around that will refill instead of swap requires that drop the tank off and pick it up the next day, and it's a good twenty-five minutes or so away. Fire-extinguisher place, they do them all at once (and there isn't always someone there; it's just an old garage). Too inconvenient, especially since they're only open during the week and it's in the exact opposite direction of work.

So, I bit the bullet and now just swap out. Major side benefit is that the welding place where I swap is open Saturday mornings. Plus, yeah, I had acquired an OLD CO2 tank, probably fifteen or twenty years out of date, and they swapped it with no problem (other than it was an odd size, so they needed to special-order).

The tank's not on display, so in the end it doesn't really make much difference. Not worth losing an extra two hours in travel time for each refill!

 

[prosper]

about $20 to exchange a 20 pounder, and $40 for my 64-pounder. From there, I fill my own 20oz paintball tanks for portability and to take up less room in my kegerator.

 

[TomSD]

Brand new shiny tank... I refill.

 

[ArtVandelay]

$20 and 5 min to refill a 15lb at the best beer store around. Although for some reason I always end up walking out of there $100 poorer

 

[abracadabra]

Yea, wish I could find a cheaper place. Airgas wants to exchange. I have a nice aluminum tank, so no thanks. I can't find anyone to refill for less than $20. Kind of steep for 5lbs of CO2 IMO.

"Kind of steep"? more like highway robbery!!

I do both and learned the hard way that 5# and 2.5# tanks are a rip-off refill or exchange.

20# or larger steel tank exchanges are the best deal by far

It's almost impossible to find an aluminum exchange

If people keep giving me tanks I may never have to refill or exchange again I've been asking for the two expired 100# tanks at work I think they are both full

 

[Hammy71]

Refill. Not exchanging my aluminum tank for a rusty steel one...you crazy? LOL Friend of mine did so and the steel tanks leave a rust ring in his fridge. Gas places LOVE to exchange expensive aluminum tanks for cheap steel ones.....

 

[homebeerbrewer]

I have one new 5# tank, two used 5# tanks, and a used 20# tank, the used ones get swapped, while the new gets refilled (now used as a backup if I run out and can't swap right away). The new one I bought when I first started kegging, the used ones were acquired through craigslist. I'll eventually swap out the new tank when it's close to expiring.

 

[Krelja]

Refill here $12 for a 5lb tank, $20 for a 10lb tank, and $3 for a 20 oz tank for traveling. I bought a $3 adapter and it works great. All from the local paintball place.

 

[Hammy71]

I have one new 5# tank, two used 5# tanks, and a used 20# tank, the used ones get swapped, while the new gets refilled (now used as a backup if I run out and can't swap right away). The new one I bought when I first started kegging, the used ones were acquired through craigslist. I'll eventually swap out the new tank when it's close to expiring.

The Hydro testing for my last tank was under 10 bucks.....not worth swapping IMHO

 

[kirscp]

I exchange and refill. I have one 20lb that I exchange and 2 20lbs that I get refilled, they aren't new and shinny, actually they are 34+ years old, they belonged to my grandpa, he was a Grain Belt Beer distributor.

Costs me the same to refill or exchange, just refills take some time. Comes out to around $17 for the 20lb.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

The Hydro testing for my last tank was under 10 bucks.....not worth swapping IMHO

OK, I haven't checked the cost on the hydro test. I'll have to check on that, but if it's less than the cost of a refill, it may not be worth swapping. Thanks for the tip.

 

[rodd]

I got my tanks used and ugly from craigslist, so exchange makes more sense. Especially when Airgas wants $17 to exchange a 20 lb tank, and the fire extinguisher place that fills them wants $36.

 

[WilliamstonBrew]

Refill here $12 for a 5lb tank, $20 for a 10lb tank, and $3 for a 20 oz tank for traveling. I bought a $3 adapter and it works great. All from the local paintball place.

Same here. A paintball store is the only place I could find to even fill a tank. My kegerator came with a brand new shiny one and I felt strongly about not exchanging it, so called around all day when I finally found the paintball store.

$14 to fill a 5# tank.