Where to get a co2 Fill in MD

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bwhite

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I got a 20lb co2 tank with pepsi stamped on the side that I need to get it filled. Roberts Oxygen wont exchange it since its got the stamp on it. Does anyone know where I could get it filled/exchanged?
 
Laurel Bottled Gas! That is where I go! They will fill it as long as the tank is not expired. But you should call first.
 
bwhite,

Gaithtersburg....?
I thought I was the only one.
I have used a welding shop on this side of frederick. It was exchange (5#) but they didn'y eem to mind what I brought in. Both times I received good-as-new cylinders. I can look up the name/address if you need.
I am in the montgomery village area - where are you?
jason
 
Jason,

I was able to go to MD Fire Equipement in Rockville where they filled it up. The tank was still good so they did not need to hydro test it, which they do. They did not even look if there was a company stamp on it as far as i am aware. It was $36 in the end to get it filled.

Have you tried exchanging your tank at Roberts Oxygen? They wouldnt take mine since it had a coca cola stamp on it.

In am off of Strawberry Knoll.
 
Thanks everyone for all the information on this site. It has answered a lot of questions I've had. Just thought I would give back a little.

I know this is an old thread but wanted to let people know about HK Fire Protection in Rockville. They had the cheapest price on refills I found so far. I got an old tank off of CL (#20 steel) for $35. Its cert was expired so I also needed hydro test as well. They didn't have the cheapest hydro test price but there fill charge was considerably lower than other places. Plus the guy who helped me out was great. Did the hydro test and fill in the same day. Big thumbs up to them.


hydro test 17.00
20# recharge 12.50
 
typhoon91 said:
Thanks everyone for all the information on this site. It has answered a lot of questions I've had. Just thought I would give back a little.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much for posting this up. I am about to order my first co2 tank and needed a place to refill. :rockin:
 
jmulligan said:
Annapolis Homebrew fills tanks (not exchange). I think it's like $15 for my 5 lb. tank.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this up. I went there to get my tank filled up and the facility and staff were great. I'll definitely be going there for my keg needs.
 
Just back from a three stop circuit that ended in success. H&K Fire Protection guy was really nice, but his CO2 pump was down for repairs so no luck there. He referred me to Roberts Oxygen which only offered to exchange. Since I just got a brand new tank, I was about to do that. They did refer me to Maryland Fire Equipment in Rockville, who filled my 20 pound tank for $36 even. Probably not the best price, but they were very friendly, and of course, I was running out of options.

H&K told me they charge 95 cents a pound, so whenever I do run out, I'll be bringing my tank there.
cheers
 
Bad experience at Maryland Fire Equipment today. They started filling my bottles before giving me a price. I wasn't worried about it because I figured a place like that would be fairly cheap, or at worst, comparable to LHBS prices. The clerk came back out front with a sales slip and told me it would be $50. $25/tank, for a 5# and a 4# bottle. After recovering from the sticker shock, I told them that I thought it was a little steep and that other places in the area offered the same service for much less. The clerk got the manager who was filling the bottles and brought him up front. I explained that I thought the price was high, and before I could offer to pay for the one bottle he already filled, and rather than trying to work with me on the price, he shrugged and said "Ok. I'll just dump them." A few minutes later he came back with both bottles completely iced over and told me that wherever I go they might need to take them apart since there was good chance that there was an ice ball inside. Great.

So, I went a couple miles north to HK Fire Protection. They were great and filled both bottles for $17 total. I recommend avoiding Maryland Fire Equipment for smaller bottles. Might be worth it for a larger tank, but they charge a $25 minimum per bottle.
 
Wow! That's pretty bad customer service. Clearly, they don't want or need your business. Lesson learned.
 
tjash said:
Bad experience at Maryland Fire Equipment today. They started filling my bottles before giving me a price. I wasn't worried about it because I figured a place like that would be fairly cheap, or at worst, comparable to LHBS prices. The clerk came back out front with a sales slip and told me it would be $50. $25/tank, for a 5# and a 4# bottle. After recovering from the sticker shock, I told them that I thought it was a little steep and that other places in the area offered the same service for much less. The clerk got the manager who was filling the bottles and brought him up front. I explained that I thought the price was high, and before I could offer to pay for the one bottle he already filled, and rather than trying to work with me on the price, he shrugged and said "Ok. I'll just dump them." A few minutes later he came back with both bottles completely iced over and told me that wherever I go they might need to take them apart since there was good chance that there was an ice ball inside. Great.

So, I went a couple miles north to HK Fire Protection. They were great and filled both bottles for $17 total. I recommend avoiding Maryland Fire Equipment for smaller bottles. Might be worth it for a larger tank, but they charge a $25 minimum per bottle.
Click to expand...
That is ridiculous that they just dumped it...clearly it didnt cost them $25 to fill :). I think they don't feel like dealing with us homebrewers so they set the price at a fee to make it worth there time?

Glad I saw this thread though! I am getting ready to be empty on my 5# and didn't fill like trekking over to Laurel. HK sounds great! Its like a hidden gem cause they aren't list on BURPS CO2 map

I also email Torrid Paintball in Gaithersburg and they claim to fill for $0.25 and ounce or $20 for a 5# tank...so a little steep but they are open til 8 and 7 on Friday/Saturday respectively.
 
circa1023 said:
HK Fire Protection in Rockville also does quick, on-the-spot CO2 fills. I got my 10# tank filled for $18.

http://www.hkfireprotection.com/
Click to expand...

Thank you for the recommendation! Went there this morning and they filled up my 5# tank for $9.50! Great customer service and they said they really appreciate all the business from the HB community. I definitely recommend HK Fire Protection and will definitely use them again in the future!
 
Anybody know where to get beer gas in MD? I want to make sure I can get tanks filled, for less than an arm and a leg, before I dive into it.
 
You're going to have to go to a specialty place like Roberts Oxygen or Airgas for a mixed gas. As far as filling goes, it won't be cheap (<$20). Best bet is to do an exchange. Airgas up in Frederick had the smaller tanks available, but I'm not sure if that's all locations. I would call a couple of locations to find out prices, but they should be pretty similar.

Good Luck!
 
Any updates to this post for Southern Maryland? I just talked to 3 Mules in Mechanicsville, they will fill tanks - $15 for a 5# tank. I'm closer to Pax River and trying to find something a little closer.
 
For those of you that end up with a "stolen" tank, I've heard of people filling in the stamp with layers of paint before repainting the whole tank, then an exchange is not a problem.

I exchange my 20# co2 tank for ~$20 and my 80 cuft beergas tank for ~$30 at Airgas. I go to the one in Frederick but I know they have locations all over.
 
My CL acquired, 4 year old, but almost new looking aluminum 20# CO2 bottle finally puffed out, so it was time for a refill.

This thread and the BURP link were extremely helpful to give me a start where to look. I knew about the Laurel Bottled Gas Co, but that's a bit of a drive from Pasadena, so I did some research and made a dozen or so phone calls. Here are the most fruitful results. Although I must mention I was quoted 20 cents an ounce by some paintball outfit, yeah right!

20# Fill or Exchange - March 2014:

Code: 
Weld World (GTS Welco/Praxair)		Curtis Bay	$18.77	Exchange only
Roberts					Glen Burnie	$26.94	Exchange only

Laurel Bottled Gas 			Laurel		$23.11	Fill
Fireline Corp.	Hollins Ferry Rd	Halethorpe	$27.30	Fill
[B]BFPE (Balt. Fire Prot. Equipment)*	Hanover, MD	$27.50*	Fill*[/B]
GTS Welco/Praxair 			Jessup 		$30.00	Fill
Defense Fire Protection Co.		Glen Burnie	$33.00	Fill
O'Brien's Fire Protection		Middletown	?	? Frederick Area

Add tax to all prices.

* I had a really good experience there today. And the price became better, read on...

Where the heck is Hanover, MD?
As it turns out, BFPE (Baltimore Fire Protection Equipment) is located off Dorsey Road (south side of BWI), fairly close and easy to get to from here. Besides I needed to run some errands in that area. I'll be paying a little more but save some gas not driving to Laurel.

After the switch board I talked to "Lenny" and he quoted me that $27.50. I called first to make sure they were open today (we had 6" of snow on the ground) and he said to go around the back.
He was waiting for me when we arrived. Checked the hydro date, put it on the scale and filled it, while I stood there.

20# later the bill is $20.84 plus tax for a total of $22.09! Paid cash, thanked the guy and left happy (as Larry).

Very recommended!

BFPE
7512 Connelley Drive
Hanover, Maryland 21076
410-768-2200
 
I'm doing BFPE this week when my 20# is delivered, since it's right down the road and the price is pretty good. Thanks Scott R ([email protected]) for a killer deal on the tank! Drop him a line. Beats anything around. And thanks to IslandLizard for the lead.

I'm updating the list based on two email quotes I got today, if that's OK. I resorted alpha as well.

HK sounds like a steal as well, if anyone wants to add it to the list.

20# Fill or Exchange - March-April 2014:

Code: 
BFPE (Balt. Fire Prot. Equipment)	Hanover, MD	$27.50	Fill
Defense Fire Protection Co.		Glen Burnie	$33.00	Fill
F&M Fire Protection			Hyattsville	$30	Fill
Fireline Corp.	Hollins Ferry Rd	Halethorpe	$27.30	Fill
GTS Welco/Praxair 			Jessup 		$30.00	Fill
Laurel Bottled Gas 			Laurel		$23.11	Fill
Maryland Fire Equipment			Rockville	$36	Fill
O'Brien's Fire Protection		Middletown	?	? Frederick Area
Roberts					Glen Burnie	$26.94	Exchange only
Weld World (GTS Welco/Praxair)		Curtis Bay	$18.77
 
fearwig said:
HK sounds like a steal as well, if anyone wants to add it to the list.
Click to expand...

Not sure if HK are still around. Their website expired and when I tried calling them a couple of months ago nobody answered. Also, when I went their a while back they were almost out of CO2 that day (early in the morning) and I had the feeling they weren't doing too well. Hopefully I'm wrong because they were quick and decent priced.
 
funnycreature said:
Not sure if HK are still around. Their website expired and when I tried calling them a couple of months ago nobody answered. Also, when I went their a while back they were almost out of CO2 that day (early in the morning) and I had the feeling they weren't doing too well. Hopefully I'm wrong because they were quick and decent priced.
Click to expand...

I have called every day this week, so I'm guessing you're right and they're just an answering machine now.
 
I can confirm the above price for Laurel gas, wound up going there because BFPE was not doing co2 fills today for whatever reason. I can also confirm that the guy who works there or runs it or whatever is a doofus and a dick, and he took great offense to the absence of a hazmat label on my new tank and decided to give me a tongue lashing over it (blah blah blah). But he also sold me a co2-thread-to-barb fitting for like $2, which beats the homebrew shop.

Also contrary to the table he only took exchanges, which was OK by me because I am def sporting the discount model. There was no soda brand stamp on the tank I exchanged (that I can see, maybe painted over), but I guarantee he would have crapped himself over that.
 
Another place you can go in SoMD is Matteson Supply Co, just south of Prince Frederick on the North-bound side of Rt 4. It's in a former gas station & usually has 4 wheelers in front.
 
I will NEVER go to Laurel Bottle Gas again. I called a 4:45pm and asked when they were open until. They said 5:00pm. I told the guy I’m on my way and will be there shortly. I showed up at 4:55 and the guy hurried and locked the door. I told him I just called and he said he didn’t care and that he’d been there since 7:00am. This guy went out of his way to close up shop early so he didn’t have to help. I attempted to negotiate with him as I had driven 25 mins in traffic.
I’ve never seen someone go so far out of their way to display horrible customer service. I’ll pay double any day than go to this so called “family owned business”.




fearwig said:
I can confirm the above price for Laurel gas, wound up going there because BFPE was not doing co2 fills today for whatever reason. I can also confirm that the guy who works there or runs it or whatever is a doofus and a dick, and he took great offense to the absence of a hazmat label on my new tank and decided to give me a tongue lashing over it (blah blah blah). But he also sold me a co2-thread-to-barb fitting for like $2, which beats the homebrew shop.

Also contrary to the table he only took exchanges, which was OK by me because I am def sporting the discount model. There was no soda brand stamp on the tank I exchanged (that I can see, maybe painted over), but I guarantee he would have crapped himself over that.
Click to expand...
 
I attempted to get a tank filled at Laurel Bottle Gas today, but it needs to be tested. Any suggestions on where I can take it for testing in the Columbia/Howard County area? I'm guessing somewhere along the route 1 corridor in Laurel, Elkridge, Jessup, etc.

For what it's worth, the guy at Laurel Bottle Gas wasn't particularly helpful.
 
I've been driving around for a couple of weeks with my empty spare 5 lb tank in the car, hoping to catch the HK guy at home. I go through his neighborhood a time or two a week. Went by 3 times - nobody home. The phone number is now disconnected. Will go see the pirates at MD Fire Supply now.
 
If you don't mind visiting Carroll County, here's the place I've gone since moving here:

Westminster Fire Extinguisher:
150 Airport Drive, Unit 10, Westminster, MD 21157

Filled (not swapped) my 10# tank for $12.95. My wife took it in, they filled in in 10min while she waited. Hydrostatic testing, don't know how much that costs, and isn't while you wait - next day kind of thing, they said. But for the fill, seemed a good price - better than what I was paying in Tucson.
 
"My Local Homebrew Store" in Fair Fax is the only place I have found in the area that fills and does a tank exchange for food grade Co2. Other than that I've heard of the Annapolis Homebrew store.
 
Laurel Bottled Gas refused to refill a tank for me last week, saying they've decided to switch to a swap system.

That's too bad since they were in the neighborhood of Maryland Homebrew.
 
flameout said:
Laurel Bottled Gas refused to refill a tank for me last week, saying they've decided to switch to a swap system.

That's too bad since they were in the neighborhood of Maryland Homebrew.
Click to expand...

That is really sad news!
But they may still have the best price, though. ;)

Last year they told me they wouldn't fill 20# anymore on the spot, I had to drop it off and pick it up the next day. 2 round trips to Laurel? I don't think so.

I ended up swapping that 20# (which was out of date) at Praxair in Curtis Bay. No charge for the hydro test. I got a nice shiny one back for $30. But it does have Praxair stamped in the neck. I guess I technically don't own that tank anymore... :tank:

But I'm fine with doing swaps at Praxair and never have to worry about hydro tests anymore. Moreover, the sticker says "Beverage Grade," for whatever that's worth.

Praxair also has a Jessup outfit that will fill if they have time and someone available to do it. Otherwise you need to swap.

BFPE (south side of BWI) definitely filled them as of last year. Also around $30 for a 20#. Just walk in the back during business hours.
 
BuffaloHop said:
"My Local Homebrew Store" in Fair Fax is the only place I have found in the area that fills and does a tank exchange for food grade Co2. Other than that I've heard of the Annapolis Homebrew store.
Click to expand...

Annapolis Homebrew was charging $3.20 a pound, regardless of fill volume... (Whaaat ???).

Best rate for a 2.5# tank, really! Pricey for a 5#. And highway robbery for a 10# or larger! :tank:

Anyway, they've come under new ownership recently, maybe things are different now. Won't hold my breath, though...
Still, they have the largest selection of grain in stock in a wide, wide area, and most other things you'll ever need in beer brewing and winemaking.

I still prefer Maryland Homebrew (MDHB).
 
Not trying to resurrect a dead thread, just wanted to add if it helps.
Laurel bottled gas shut down a while ago, so I started using Poist Gas Company. Right around 32 and rt 1. They fill my aluminum 5lb bottles for about $18 per fill. Nice people, good service. More out of my way the LBG was, but still happy they’re there since I can’t find many other options. They also have Saturday hours from 8a to noon, and I hear they only did it because they were picking up the gap LBG closing left.
 
mattmauriello said:
Not trying to resurrect a dead thread, just wanted to add if it helps.
Laurel bottled gas shut down a while ago, so I started using Poist Gas Company. Right around 32 and rt 1. They fill my aluminum 5lb bottles for about $18 per fill. Nice people, good service. More out of my way the LBG was, but still happy they’re there since I can’t find many other options. They also have Saturday hours from 8a to noon, and I hear they only did it because they were picking up the gap LBG closing left.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the update and pointing us to the new service location! There was a dire need for one.

Although probably about the best price you can get, and definitely convenient, $18 for a 5 pound fill still sounds a bit steep.
Alas, the overhead is steep, and handling time involved per filling job is about the same, whether you fill a 2.5# tank or 20# one, so that may well be a large part of the filling price, not the cost of product. A few years ago CO2 was running about $1 a pound retail, perhaps $0.10 wholesale.
 

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