How much do you pay for a CO2 tank? Refill?

[UCanBrewToo]

I live in Georgia and $25 for a 5lb tank is usually standard also a fill and a swap are the same thing except you get some one else co2 tank. If they fill your 5lb tank the co2 tank they are filling it with has a dip tube so you get liquid not pressure.

 

[JJL]

I pay around $8 for a 5lb fill at a local fire extinguisher place. This is the place most homebrewers in the area go for fills. Plus they fill while you wait. I bought the tank with the rest of my equipment from keg connection.

 

[Gabba]

$20 for a 5# exchange, $25 for a 5# refill

 

[xdalisx]

Bought my 5# aluminum tank for 70$ shipped. Swaps around here seem to be between $17 and $25 depending on the shop. Found a fire extinguisher place that will fill while I wait that cost $15.19.

 

[der_Missionar]

Adding a post to the end of this very old thread... people may want to know...

CO2 is sold by both "Grade" and "Purity." Simiply looking at the purity percentage is not enough. The the "Grade" has to do with what else is in there besides CO2. For instance, Food Grade is different from Beverage grade, because food grade has to have low O2 levels. Industrial Grade has to meet a certain percentage purity, but the impurities can include Ammonia, or something worse. If you only look at the Purity percentage, not the Grade, you could be ingesting harmful and potentially cancer causing chemicals.

Some CO2 providers have the spec sheets from the manufacturer of the CO2 they purchased. While some CO2 manufacturers produce all grades (making them relatively the same) others do not. Just because one guy buys CO2 from a welding supply store and gets a Grade that's suitable for beverage grade, doesn't mean you will too.

Food and Beverage Grade has to be manufactured with very high cleanliness standards. Just because two grades come from the same plant, don't mean they are cleaning / treating the hoses and the containers the same way. For instance, one plant may place all new hoses and new fittings on the food grade CO2 then, when it gets older, move it to the Industrial. Oils and other solvents could have gotten onto the connectors, if they were handling Industrial, it wouldn't matter, but if it were Food Grade, they would have to use special care. If a 'batch' of CO2 is found to have other harmful chemicals, they cannot sell it as food grade, and mark it for industrial or other use.

And yes, there IS food grade CO2.. as defined (but not regulated) by the FDA: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=184.1240

CocaCola WARNS sellers of Coca Cola AGAINST using CO2 purchased from Welding Supply stores: https://www.cokesolutions.com/conte...s/documents/old-recipes/CO2Quality6-15-11.pdf

 

[wepeeler]

I used to get refills at a local air supply company, and it was costing me $29 for 5#. Went to the LHBS for some other supplies and brought my tank because it was low, and they charged me $20 for a 5# swap and $28 for a 15# swap. I was getting ripped before...

But yeah, to quote the post above me, my receipt from the air supply store used to state "Food grade co2".

 

[WBB]

5lb exchange is around $22/25 and 20lb refill is running around $26/28. The 5lber I’m paying for convenience. The place that exchanges is right down the road. Meh.

 

[Drumminguy81]

+1 for airgas. Should be available nationwide. They also told me all they sell is food grade now since they are the main supplier for most of the breweries in our area. I got them to price match another smaller supplier at $19 for a 20lb exchange. They will fill my tanks for the same price but I dont like to wait. They always look for the nicest one to swap me for so i always get a nice aluminum like what i originally took in. They also opened me a cash account and saved my price match so that i dont have to request it everytime, just tell them the account number and my pricing is saved. As far as tanks i picked mine up off craigslist, paid $80 for one 20lb and $40 for one.. the nice thing about swapping them at airgas is i never have to worry about recertification either.

 

[Davedrinksbeer]

I pay $15 for a 5 gallon refill.
My tank was out of date so I had to pay another $25 to get it inspected.

 

[bleme]

I pay between $12-$20 for a 5gal swap, depending on who is running the register, at a welding supply. The manager is a homebrewer and will usually ring it up for about $12. If one of his minions are there, they ring it up 'by the book' for closer to $20. Even at $20, it is the best price in town so I can't complain and they always give me a shiny aluminum tank.

 

[rhys333]

I pay $15 for a 5 lb tank refill at the LHBS. Cheaper than I can get at the local welding supply stores.

 

[tmm786]

My last refill was about $12 for a 20 lb tank and $15 for a 5 lb at Nexair. Not sure why the 5 lb was more expensive -- I would have figured price per pound would be higher, but not to that degree. Either way, I am happy with their pricing but I'll probably keep my focus on 20 lb refills.

 

[BugEyedValiant]

for me 20lb exchanges are only a couple bucks more than 5lb. I have a hose to fill my 5lb from my 20 lb tanks.

 

[SEndorf]

I use a welding supply store near me. For years I've refilled 5 lb tanks. Then kicked myself for not going 20 Lb. earlier which is only a couple dollars more.

 

[camonick]

Just spent $19.00 on a 20# exchange at Buckeye Welding Supply in Sterling, CO. If the hydro is out of date they charge $18. I was going to try to swap my 20# for two 10's until they told me a 10# exchange is $18.00. I asked why so much and they said 10# bottles aren't very common around here... guess I'll keep my 20 and keep swapping it.

 

[lump42]

I'm paying $26 for 5# beverage grade swap at the local Scott Gross/ Amer. Welding Gas. I can get a refill for $15 but I've got to drive an hour one way and they can't tell me if it's bev. grade.