What are you paying to refill/exchange 10# co2 tanks?

[jwill911]

I got a new 10# (empty) bottle from Northern Brewer and exchange at "Airgas" gave me sticker shock $79.00
What are you paying? Where are you having them filled/exchanged?
John
SF East Bay Area
Alameda, Ca

 

[scrap iron]

I had a 5# bottle that was needing recertified and took it to Air-gas for an exchange. The price was $29 for a new full bottle exchanged. This is in the Kansas City area. When it's time for refill I'll take it to my regular place and see what it costs now adays. I go to a fire extinguisher place that has food grade co2. That place is always cheaper than Air-Gas. I think prices are different nation wide.

 

[madscientist451]

$79 seems high, maybe call around next time and see what you can find. Last #20 exchange I did was about $30.

 

[HD3]

I bought two 10# tanks and when I get them filled, it is about $21 each (including taxes). Was about $18 pre-pandemic.

 

[Wayne1]

You might want to check around at Hydroponic supply shops. Here in Denver, I get 20 lb, food grade, CO2 swaps for $6.99 at Way to Grow.

 

[matt_m]

Just over $20 for 20lb here in SE Michigan at a regional gas supplier.

 

[Homebrew Harry]

See if you have a company that sells and services fire extinguishers near you. I can get a 20# filled for 25.00. Never asked about a 10#, but I think he has a minimum of $20 for 5& 10 pounders

 

[rgregoryirving]

The last time I got a tank swap, I think my 5lb tank cost around $22 in New Jersey.

 

[Homebrew Harry]

You might want to check around at Hydroponic supply shops. Here in Denver, I get 20 lb, food grade, CO2 swaps for $6.99 at Way to Grow.

That's a really good deal ! Is that in cash or trade...wink,wink ?

 

[Wayne1]

Debit Card

 

[ITV]

Airgas in the Chicago suburbs, $25 for a 20#, $20 for a 10# refill. Pays to go with a 20# tank.

I assume the $79 included the cost of the empty tank.

 

[eric19312]

$34 for a 20# tank and $22 for a 5# tank when I filled last week.

 

[IslandLizard]

exchange at "Airgas" gave me sticker shock $79.00

Holy Cannoli! That must be the high record for 10# of CO2.
I hope you declined, and left...

$26 here for a 20# swap, aluminum for aluminum. Praxair.

I can get them filled at a Fire Protection place for a similar price. But then have to deal with recertification at some point, which they do there too, for $30, and waiting for up to a week.

Swapping has been easiest.

 

[odie]

A lot of it is the "minimum" charge factor...small or large there is basically a flat cost to the supplier for labor, admin, etc...

The CO2 cost is practically nothing...that is why a 2.5 bottle costs almost as much as a 20#.

So always go as big as you can.

$79 at Airgas? that's way high. Airgas is not my favorite and they are not cheap...maybe it's California taxes or something.

 

[grampska]

Mine are $24ish in CO with a $25 charge for recertification at General Air.

 

[Wayne1]

@mozicodo
You may want to check out
Way to Grow at 4610 Northpark Dr, Colorado Springs.
$7.00 swap for 20 lbs. No recertification with swaps.

 

[marc1]

For me in northeast Ohio, a 5# exchange was a little over $19, and a 20# exchange was about a dollar more.

 

[Cellar_Dweller]

I'm in the Atlanta area and Brew Depot charges 16 bucks to refill a 5# tank. The old shop I used to go to charged me like $30 to do an exchange. Would rather refill my nice shiny tanks. Doesn't matter either way I guess, but they are somewhat nicer to look at.

I paid thirty bucks to fill my nitrogen (beer gas) tank at Sidney Lee Welding Supply.

 

[apache_brew]

@jwil911 Airgas sucks, they’re overpriced on everything. Call Morebeer in San Leandro and see what they’re prices are for 10’s. I’m not sure if Praxair carries 10’s, but they may be able to swap you up to a 20 (regardless, they’re always cheaper than Airgas). Lastly, you can always drop your tank off for filling and pick it up the next day from California Beverage Systems in Hayward (a little inconvenient because you have to make two trips, but most likely the cheapest) Lastly, just opt for beverage grade CO2.

 

[bracconiere]

You might want to check around at Hydroponic supply shops. Here in Denver, I get 20 lb, food grade, CO2 swaps for $6.99 at Way to Grow.

from people that charge $20 for one seed? pics or it didn't happen!

 

[soccerdad]

I usually pay about $30 for 20 pounds.
But 2 things ...
- In recent months CO2 is said to be one of the things in short supply. Short supply raises prices.
- on my last fill the welding supply added some kind of "State Mandated" fee of $6.95 was added. Only problem is, no state agency ever in the world of state agencies charges such a fee And the gas supplier HQ won't speak to me anymore once updated on that fact.

 

[GBRbrew]

General fire and safety in Nebraska last year was 50ish for 2 15# tanks

Cheers

 

[franknbeans]

I got a new 10# (empty) bottle from Northern Brewer and exchange at "Airgas" gave me sticker shock $79.00
What are you paying? Where are you having them filled/exchanged?
John
SF East Bay Area
Alameda, Ca

$79 sounds more like buying a tank from them. Here in town, swaps of 5lb tanks with an empty are about 30. Not giving them a empty was over 50 bucks. (Air-Gas) they're pricey for sure. I swapped some old tanks that were out of hydro to just get it over with, and get em filled at a hydroponic shop not far away for next to nothing.

 

[fuzzybee]

I'm in the Atlanta area and Brew Depot charges 16 bucks to refill a 5# tank. The old shop I used to go to charged me like $30 to do an exchange. Would rather refill my nice shiny tanks. Doesn't matter either way I guess, but they are somewhat nicer to look at.

I paid thirty bucks to fill my nitrogen (beer gas) tank at Sidney Lee Welding Supply.

I'm also in the Atlanta area. I just called Nexair and they quoted me $90 to swap out a 20# tank that's out of hydro date. $45 for the hydro test, $45 for the refill. I used to use Beverage Control in Tucker - it's a long ways away, but was a lot cheaper IIRC.

 

[jwill911]

@jwil911 Airgas sucks, they’re overpriced on everything. Call Morebeer in San Leandro and see what they’re prices are for 10’s. I’m not sure if Praxair carries 10’s, but they may be able to swap you up to a 20 (regardless, they’re always cheaper than Airgas). Lastly, you can always drop your tank off for filling and pick it up the next day from California Beverage Systems in Hayward (a little inconvenient because you have to make two trips, but most likely the cheapest) Lastly, just opt for beverage grade CO2.

Last word on this from me; I just called American Ave. Hydroponics in Hayward. Thirty bucks to fill a 20#, $175 to buy tank filled.
So I'll still be on the lookout for a 20# tank. Won't be going to Air-Gas.

 

[doogie]

Just found my re-certification receipt from last summer; $47 with refill. Normally just over $20 to refill my 20# tank

 

[odie]

Swapped tanks are NOT "customer owned". They are supplier owned and have their label on them. They are responsible for the cert. If you have no tank to swap then you are charged the cost of the tank as a deposit (just like propane tank exchange). I've also purchased brand new tanks that were mine...the supplier placed a "customer owned" label on the tank and I always get that tank returned to me.

A "proper" supplier will factor recert cost into the exchange price and it gets spread evenly among all customers. Every time you exchange a tank you are not getting one back with the same "life" left. But it should not matter. It's their tank. My local Praxair does this.

Dis-reputable suppliers will change a full recert fee if the tank is one day out of date and then you will likely be given one that has a date a few years old in return. Then they can charge you another full recert next time again. My local AirGas does this.

So guess who gets ALL my biz now?

 

[gplawrence]

I got a new 10# (empty) bottle from Northern Brewer and exchange at "Airgas" gave me sticker shock $79.00
What are you paying? Where are you having them filled/exchanged?
John
SF East Bay Area
Alameda, Ca

That's seems absurdly high. I live near you and pay $24 to exchange a 20lb bottle. Head over to D&S Garden Supply on 130 Doolittle Dr. (near the Oakland airport). It's a massive hydroponic supply warehouse with plenty of CO2 (and free beer on tap from local breweries while you shop!)

 

[apache_brew]

Last word on this from me; I just called American Ave. Hydroponics in Hayward. Thirty bucks to fill a 20#, $175 to buy tank filled.
So I'll still be on the lookout for a 20# tank. Won't be going to Air-Gas.

I would swap out tanks at another hydroponics store in Hayward for a while until I learned up about some horror stories of non beverage grade tanks. Did I ever have any problems with the 10 tanks that I swapped out? Not to my knowledge, but to me the extra $15 to swap out a bev grade tank at Praxair is worth the piece of mind knowing I won't potentially contaminate my kegging system/beer.

 

[fuzzybee]

I'm also in the Atlanta area. I just called Nexair and they quoted me $90 to swap out a 20# tank that's out of hydro date. $45 for the hydro test, $45 for the refill. I used to use Beverage Control in Tucker - it's a long ways away, but was a lot cheaper IIRC.

And they ended up charging me $65 for 2 20lb refills.