O2 tank setup

[DiscusOnly]

I've search and couldn't find an answer for this.

I've been debating on shipping fish lately so I decided to visit my local welding store where I get my CO2 hoping to come home with an O2 setup.

I have a few question for those with O2 setup.

1. Does it even make sense to get a 20cf cylinder. The price of the cylinder is about half of the 60cf but how long will it last. The refill price was only $1 difference between the two.

2. Can I have them fill it with regular O2 (for welding) instead of food or medical grade? I am told that the 20cf isn't usually stock with medical grade O2 and I have to special order. In an case, medical grade O2 is twice as much.

3. Do I just need a standard regulator and something to dispense?

At this location, rental is only available for tanks larger than 60cf and it would cost me as much since they want $150 deposit.

Van

[Jhhnn]

Talking with the guy who delivers gasses to our shop, he told me that the rate they charge for oxygen is based on the kind of bottle they fill. Medical uses have greater liability, so they charge more for that. The oxygen is the same in either case- it comes out of a cryogenic unit on their property.

As for the rest of it, I only have experience using oxygen with torches in an industrial environment, and I don't pay for it, my employer does. Bottles need to be recertified periodically, every 10 yrs, iirc, and that costs money. So be careful of the date stamped on the bottle if you're buying one used. Good deals can often be had on craigslist for medical kits. Renting might be a good idea, particularly at first. They'll set you up with a regulator, hose and valve for a set monthly fee, plus the price of refills. You can always get your deposit back by turning in the bottle. I'd avoid any long term commitment. Ask them to explain how to read the bottle certification info, and how much it costs for a recert. Armed with the proper knowledge, you'll be ready to score on Craigslist if you want...

Let us know how it works out.

Oh, yeh- oxygen is great for hangovers... don't ask me how I know that...

[RudeDogg1]

sorry to highjack whats craigslist?

[Jennie]

?? Kidding right?
www.craigslist.org


sorry to highjack whats craigslist?

[Chad Hughes]

I've search and couldn't find an answer for this.

I've been debating on shipping fish lately so I decided to visit my local welding store where I get my CO2 hoping to come home with an O2 setup.

I have a few question for those with O2 setup.

1. Does it even make sense to get a 20cf cylinder. The price of the cylinder is about half of the 60cf but how long will it last. The refill price was only $1 difference between the two.

2. Can I have them fill it with regular O2 (for welding) instead of food or medical grade? I am told that the 20cf isn't usually stock with medical grade O2 and I have to special order. In an case, medical grade O2 is twice as much.

3. Do I just need a standard regulator and something to dispense?

At this location, rental is only available for tanks larger than 60cf and it would cost me as much since they want $150 deposit.

Van


Van,

Tank size is all personal preference and may be driven by the amount of shipping that you are doing. High volume would obviously warrant a bigger tank.

I use welding oxygen. I have an account with the local airgas distributor and you can typically negotiate a discounted price if you use them as your sole source of gas regularly. I get both O2 and CO2 gas a couple of times a month so I get a little bit of a discount. One nice thing about using an airgas distributor is they take responsibility for hydro testing. You'll typically turn in your old cylinder when it's empty and get a new one. Buy a cheap tank! :-)

You can get a standard oxygen regulator. $60 should get you a decent one. I like the dual guage so I can see tank pressure and line pressure. You'll need to change the air line fitting on the O2 regulator to fit a standard air line fitting. Oxygen regulators have special fittings for welding applications. The fitting is easily changed to NPT threads for use with standard air lines and accessories.

Hope that helps!

[DiscusOnly]

Van,

Tank size is all personal preference and may be driven by the amount of shipping that you are doing. High volume would obviously warrant a bigger tank.

I use welding oxygen. I have an account with the local airgas distributor and you can typically negotiate a discounted price if you use them as your sole source of gas regularly. I get both O2 and CO2 gas a couple of times a month so I get a little bit of a discount. One nice thing about using an airgas distributor is they take responsibility for hydro testing. You'll typically turn in your old cylinder when it's empty and get a new one. Buy a cheap tank! :-)

You can get a standard oxygen regulator. $60 should get you a decent one. I like the dual guage so I can see tank pressure and line pressure. You'll need to change the air line fitting on the O2 regulator to fit a standard air line fitting. Oxygen regulators have special fittings for welding applications. The fitting is easily changed to NPT threads for use with standard air lines and accessories.

Hope that helps!

Thanks Chad.

I got a used regulator so I am just going to go back to the welding place for a tank. The 20cf tank is $65 plus $12 to fill. It will be hydro tested for 5 years. I am already in their system for co2. They did tell me that I can bring in a used tank that is tested or they will test it for a fee. They do offer uprades. The last time I filled my 5lb co2, they offered me $65 credit for the upgrade to a 20lb tank so it was a no brainer.

The output of the o2 regulator look to be the same size as my air compressor hose so I may be able to use that.

My biggest concern was using welding o2 for bagging fist but it sounds like that it is OK to do that.

Thanks again

Van

[Jhhnn]

Anybody contemplating the use of oxygen needs to understand that many hydrocarbons, like oil, will combust spontaneously in the presence of pure oxygen, particularly at pressure. Never oil any part of an oxygen system.

It's a lot less of a problem today because of fire retardant requirements, but some synthetic fabrics will act the same way.

Properly used, the stuff is quite safe, but knowing what's proper is the catch... Google "oxygen safety" for more info...

[RudeDogg1]

?? Kidding right?
www.craigslist.org

nope never heard of it, I can see y its not exactly impresive