Where do you send your 5# CO2 tanks out for hydro testing?

[Danny D.]

Where do you send your 5# carbon dioxide tanks for hydro testing?

Every five years a 5# CO2 tank needs hydro testing so I'm getting near that point where I get mine refilled at Carbonics for about $25 on the spot (where I get to keep my tank which is what I want to do).

Since I don't want to trade in my tanks, I can't get them filled at Praxair or Airgas because they only take trade ins (and give you a beat up old tank, which works as well, but this is in the kitchen so it has to look good and be in perfect clean shape).

Carbonics ships tanks out for hydro so I can ship mine out myself if that's the case. They ship them to their own shop but that shop won't accept them from a person.

Where do you send your 5# carbon dioxide tanks for hydro testing?

[bob_villa]

I would check with a local dive shop and see where they send scuba tanks for hydro.

[hubops]

These 5.5 lb dry chem can be bought fairly cheaply - they are good for 10 years ...

A few years ago I got them on sale plus a volume discount when I bought a dozen - Christmas gifts for adult kids, nieces & nephews. John T.

[gfretwell]

I can see the attractiveness of CO2 in the kitchen. Have you ever seen

5 pounds of dry powder go off? It might be better to just let the fire burn itself out ;) I have both in my kitchen but the CO2 is going for my first swing at a fire. Actually I put out an oil fire in a turkey cooker with a regular Zep spray bottle (using my coast guard oil fire training). It was outside so I did not panic but I was really surprised at how well it worked. I was really just trying to push the heat back so I could turn off the tank but when I saw how well it worked I just went ahead and put the fire out. Just use the medium wide spray, work at the surface of the oil and walk the fire back. It was so easy that I lit it up again after cooking my dinner and did it again just to be sure it wasn't a fluke. .

[Terry Coombs]

  I don't think he's using it as a fire extinguisher ... think "carbonics" as in carbonated water/etc .   --   Snag

[Ed Pawlowski]

Call a local place that does fire extinguishers. They may do it or can tell you where to go. Given shipping costs it may be just s cheap to let Carbonics do it.

[gfretwell]

Guess I never saw a 5 pound beverage cylinder. Mine is a standard 20#. The Soda Steam my wife has uses one that is more like a pound or two and they may not even be refillable. I agree Carbonics says they do it and that may be his best bet. I am a swap guy myself. I was refilling but that is more expensive, even before you look at hydro testing. Maybe he should go with the swap and just make a pretty sock for it.

[Danny D.]

You are correct. This is a beer-keg 5 pound CO2 tank that I get refilled at Carbonics but every five years it needs a hydro test.

I can let Carbonics send it out, but I figured I'd ask what others do in case you have a good source for hydrology testing.

I guess the sources are:

- Welding outfits (such as Praxair and Airgas)

- Soda outfits (such as Carbonics)

- Fire Extinguisher outfits

- Scuba outfits

I can let Carbonics do it but I was wondering if you had a good source already, from experience.

Thanks

[Danny D.]

I used to have the tall one but at some point I moved the carbonated water apparatus from the garage to the kitchen, so I downsized the tank to the five pounder.

I'm kind of sorry I did that, but it's too late now.

I do agree that Airgax and Praxair just swap out your old tank for your new tank, and that they charge a two dollar fee for hydro testing on each swap, plus a four dollar fee for "hazardous materials", and then the $18 fee for the CO2 and then the $2 for tax, so in the end, it's about the same price (a little cheaper actually, as you said) than Carbonics.

So I get your point that my pretty nice new tank will be instantly replaced with a crappy ugly beat up tank, but I'll save a few bucks on each swap, plus I don't have to worry about the hydro testing because you pay for hydro in every swap as it's built into the price.

Maybe I'll do that, because you have a point that I can just sock it. So thanks for the ideas.

[Terry Coombs]

  Nope , I just swap 'em out when they're empty - we don't care what they look like out in the shop . Just a couple of days ago I swapped one in that I'm pretty sure was out of test - a "B" acetylene tank that has been kicking around my neighbor's yard for at least 5 years or so . No questions from the supplier , in and out with a full tank .   --   Snag

[Danny D.]

Like you, I used to have the tall one but at some point I moved the carbonated water apparatus from the garage to the kitchen, so I downsized the tank to the much smaller five pounder.

I'm kind of sorry I did that, but it's too late now.

I do agree that Airgax and Praxair just swap out your old tank for your new tank, and that they charge a two dollar fee for hydro testing on each swap, plus a four dollar fee for "hazardous materials", and then the $18 fee for the CO2 and then the $2 for tax, so in the end, it's about the same price (a little cheaper actually, as you said) than Carbonics.

So I get your point that my pretty nice new tank will be instantly replaced with a crappy ugly beat up tank, but I'll save a few bucks on each swap, plus I don't have to worry about the hydro testing because you pay for hydro in every swap as it's built into the price.

Maybe I'll do that, because you have a point that I can just sock it. So thanks for the ideas.

[Danny D.]

I used to have the tall one but at some point I moved the carbonated water apparatus from the garage to the kitchen, so I downsized the tank to the five pounder.

I'm kind of sorry I did that, but it's too late now.

I do agree that Airgax and Praxair just swap out your old tank for your new tank, and that they charge a two dollar fee for hydro testing on each swap, plus a four dollar fee for "hazardous materials", and then the $18 fee for the CO2 and then the $2 for tax, so in the end, it's about the same price (a little cheaper actually, as you said) than Carbonics.

So I get your point that my pretty nice new tank will be instantly replaced with a crappy ugly beat up tank, but I'll save a few bucks on each swap, plus I don't have to worry about the hydro testing because you pay for hydro in every swap as it's built into the price.

Maybe I'll do that, because you have a point that I can just sock it. So thanks for the ideas.

[trader_4]

For a sock, look into fender covers for boats. Fenders are those barrel shaped bumpers that you use to keep the boat from banging into the dock. They have fabric covers that come in colors, there might be a size that works.

[gfretwell]

Then the clean up begins. ;-)