Do you top-up or swap your co2 tank?

[z_z]

Hi all

Just wondering whether you do a top-up or swap tanks when your CO2 tank is empty? Does your LFS (or-not-so-near LFS) do top-ups?

[Shadow]

I do swap tank, all my CO2 tank is 2nd if not 3rd hand, so I don't really care

[inkslinger]

i bought my new tank and that's what i want a new tank.
if you buy a new tank and don't care in getting a use one then swap it you will never see it again

[Salphur]

I do try to keep my Co2 tank with me if possible, unless leakage happens
(I am lazy to keep repeating leakage checks on every new C02 tank that i have exchanged)

and often go over to Bioplast at Boon Keng area for my 10 mins top-up and admire their many moss tanks.


Cheers!

[blue33]

And usually the refilled only get you about 3/4 tank full.

[leechaorui]

Wonder how much does it cost to top up a 3L tank?

[ranmasatome]

refill... they dont swop dennerle tanks.. otherwise i would do a swop.

[blue33]

refill... they dont swop dennerle tanks.. otherwise i would do a swop.

Dennerle tank no good?

[chingkt]

And usually the refilled only get you about 3/4 tank full.

Just curious why refill only 3/4 and not a full tank?

[blue33]

Just curious why refill only 3/4 and not a full tank?

Due to compression i guess, and they have to vacuum out the air before they can pump it in, and they have to make it very cold so that they can pump in CO2 gas.

[Shadow]

I guess that the drawback when you top up on the shop instead of factory, but CO2 cheap, who cares

[tawauboy]

co2 tanks are filled to about 2/3 full. the 'empty' space is to allow for co2 gas expansion when the tank warms up to ambient temperature. without this space, the safety valve may blow from over pressure.

[StanChung]

Go to the factory to refill. Usually 2-3 times cheaper and you get a full tank. The have pump to force it till it's full capacity in weight.

Takes less than 5 minutes. I have spare CO2 tanks in case I don't have time to get it refilled. Don't want the dreaded BBA...

[AnA]

Good day StanChung... any recommended factory for CO2 refill? Just 5 mins?That is very fast. Please advise. Thanks.

Go to the factory to refill. Usually 2-3 times cheaper and you get a full tank. The have pump to force it till it's full capacity in weight.

Takes less than 5 minutes. I have spare CO2 tanks in case I don't have time to get it refilled. Don't want the dreaded BBA...

[StanChung]

I have been pm'ed as such but please take note that I'm in KL so you might want to do a little yellow pages search or equivalent in Singapore.
We over here have a few choices- MOX[MOX-LINDE GASES SDN BHD] and a couple of fire extinguisher reconditioners that provide a service to convert old fire extinguishers with the CO2 valve + refilling. The bigger ones are usually not very accommodating as you are more o a nuisance to them! There are safety procedures involved when dealing with high pressure tanks and they do keep an eye and do sometimes recommend metal fatigue test beforehand.

CO2 is very cheap-it's a service provided to you by LFS-I suspect they derive no pleasure or much profit from this from my observation because of transport, time and space.
If you find you are being overcharged or not getting your money's worth, it's great to have alternatives.

I just had two tanks refilled the other day in less than 10 minutes from car to car.
Guy opens tank valve discharging leftover gas, screws it in, hooks it up to a hanging scale in less than a minute and starts passive inflow from a large CO2 tank, as soon as equilibrium is achieved, he turns on the pump and keeps an eye on the scale as it fills to capacity. Repeats for the next tank.

Tanks are much heavier now and needs some hefting to the office to pay...

[blue33]

Good day StanChung... any recommended factory for CO2 refill? Just 5 mins?That is very fast. Please advise. Thanks.

Btw he stay in Malaysia!

[blue33]

I have been pm'ed as such but please take note that I'm in KL so you might want to do a little yellow pages search or equivalent in Singapore.
We over here have a few choices- MOX[MOX-LINDE GASES SDN BHD] and a couple of fire extinguisher reconditioners that provide a service to convert old fire extinguishers with the CO2 valve + refilling. The bigger ones are usually not very accommodating as you are more o a nuisance to them! There are safety procedures involved when dealing with high pressure tanks and they do keep an eye and do sometimes recommend metal fatigue test beforehand.

CO2 is very cheap-it's a service provided to you by LFS-I suspect they derive no pleasure or much profit from this from my observation because of transport, time and space.
If you find you are being overcharged or not getting your money's worth, it's great to have alternatives.

I just had two tanks refilled the other day in less than 10 minutes from car to car.
Guy opens tank valve discharging leftover gas, screws it in, hooks it up to a hanging scale in less than a minute and starts passive inflow from a large CO2 tank, as soon as equilibrium is achieved, he turns on the pump and keeps an eye on the scale as it fills to capacity. Repeats for the next tank.

Tanks are much heavier now and needs some hefting to the office to pay...

It should be vacuum first before pumping in. That would last longer for the tank.

[StanChung]

It does not need to be vacuumed. They weigh the tank before and after, CO2 liquefies at high pressure and a tank of air weight almost nothing.[even compressed] You're getting your CO2 worth in weight not in pressure which is variable depending on the temperature and state the CO2 is in.

[Binks]

While we are on the subject, are there any places any of you reccommend in the West where I could go in for quick refill for my 7.5?

[inkslinger]

Like StanChung said they weight before and after they fill it , the person where i get mines fill wrote the weight down with a marker under my 5lb tank so that i would know when its empty.