Fire Extinguisher Co2 Bottle

[Justin]

Hi guys, there has been a bit of talk lately about kegging systems etc, so I thought I would post some info on my fire extinguisher CO2 bottle that's currently powering my system in the hope it might help some. I purchased the whole thing for $138 filled and each fill will cost me $35. So I'm stoked to have gotten around the rental side of things.

This info and topic was wandering about on the grumpy's forum and I have finally got around to taking some pictures of it to post here.

Anyway, my bottle is a 5kg Aluminium Chubb fire extinguisher. A chat with the bloke and a bit of playing around with my regulator and the types of extinguisher heads (valves) revealed that he could order me in a head to suit the fire extinguisher in which the regulator would screw straight on to the head unit with out the need to manufacture a brass adapter. The head has written on it an identifying code: SV50-C

Obviously the dip tube has been removed so as to draw gas from the top of the liquid. My cylinder head that I have also has the added bonus of being able to reinsert the safety pin into the squeeze valve handle so that it can be left permanently on.

Anyway hope it helps some others out there trying to do the same. Look for someone who services fire extinguishers to help you out.

Cheers. JD

 

[Justin]

And a close up of the head.

 

[JSB]

Justin,

I note that Goliaths has just started stocking 2kg units, may look further into
this solution to get out of renting the bottle scenario....

JSB

 

[Justin]

And just one last one of it in action.

I love my kegs. At the moment I have a Boag Premium Clone, quick and easy kit Coopers draught, English Special Bitter and a hefeweizen kegged. I had a few too many beverages last night and now my head hurts a bit.

JD

I can fit three kegs and my fire extinguisher in my chest freezer at once. The picture obviously only shows two.

 

[sosman]

Is there any difference in the quality of CO2?

I can only speculate but somewhere, someone would know whether it is generally as good as food grade.

 

[Justin]

I talked to the fire extinguisher guy and he said there was no difference. Batz also said once on the Grumpy's site that he used to work for CIG and that they used to sell the Medical/Food grade CO2, which was filled out of exactly the same tank as the industrial CO2 bottles, just with a higher price tag , so there was no difference.

I'm not worried about it. I have heard often enough that there is no difference and I believe it.

JD

 

[Hoops]

AWESOME
Great work JD. Great pics too.
Good to see people improvising, adapting and overcoming problems.
$138 sound cheap, I may look into a small bottle for a portable/backup bottle for my setup.

I have also been told that the industrial and food grade CO2 are the same gas. I was a bar manager for a short time and when I took over there were 2 different gas bottles - beer gas (food grade) and CO2 (industrial). I queried with CIG and they confirmed both are filled from the same container - same with O2 if anyone's that keen to aerate their wort.

Hoops

 

[Justin]

Don't know if you'll find many O2 extinguishers he he

JD

 

[JSB]

Hi Justin,

I was wondering what brand of regulator you are using ???

Regards
JSB

 

[JSB]

Justin,

I phoned Chubb and their price was $432 + GST for the 5kg ????? What the !!!!

Anything I may have missed ???

JSB

 

[Justin]

Hi JSB, my reg is your average CIGWELD Carbon dioxide Beverage Regulator. Has two dials and goes up to about 400-500kPa on the outlet I think (I don't know exactly). Anyway, if your worried about your reg thread fitting - all CO2 bottles have the same thread so it is just your normal CO2 gas bottle thread on the regulator (and of course the corresponding one on the fire extinguisher).

OK. Yep, new extinguishers are pretty pricey. I phoned up a guy that services extinguishers and asked about getting an extinguisher with a faulty head, in which the cylinder is ok. Explain that you want them to remove the dip tube so you can use it as a CO2 bottle. Anyway just explain that you are setting up a kegging system for your homebrew and that should spark some interest from the blokes.

Most places will have cylinders lying around without heads on them, my cylinder cost me $40 (no head, no gas, just the plain aluminium cylinder). The guy then just played around with my regulator on the various tank heads he had lying about until he found one that fitted it. It turned out that he didn't have one that he could give me there and then so he ordered me in one (cost about $45 delivered). You don't need a dip tube for it (which would cost extra if you needed it).

So basically if you can find someone around your area that services and fills fire extinguishers get talking to them. It is all perfectly safe and legal to do, so that should be of no concern the the guys there. Ideally it would be best to get the extinguisher head that allows the reg to screw straight on but worst case senario you could get a fitter and turner to make up a brass adapter for you.

Cheers, Justin

 

[devilsaltarboy]

Hi JSB, my reg is your average CIGWELD Carbon dioxide Beverage Regulator. Has two dials and goes up to about 400-500kPa on the outlet I think (I don't know exactly). Anyway, if your worried about your reg thread fitting - all CO2 bottles have the same thread so it is just your normal CO2 gas bottle thread on the regulator (and of course the corresponding one on the fire extinguisher).

Just a question, at uni where we use all sorts of regulators there is apparently a change over occurring not sure if it affects CO2 but it affects N2 and comp air I know that, apparently we either have to buy new regulators or buy adaptors. Any idea what this is about, has anyone with CO2 botttles been told otherwise

 

[jayse]

I have heard about what your talking about.
that doesn't affect C02. but there are some bottles that use the same stuff which has caused some problems.
basically they don't won't different types of gas bottles with the same threads, they all should be different.
Don't quote me on this but this is what i have got for the conversations i have had so far.
iv'e rigged up a Fire job, if you put your fingers inside the empty container you'll see what seems to be a carbon build up on the outside walls.
i don't know if my co2 bottle has this but it did worry me with the fire job.
but in the end the fire putaoutarer does a fine top.
only thing i fill it up from my co2 bottle so can only put enough gas into it to pour 2/3 of a keg.
heres a pick of my party gear.
its just a ball valve and a hose going to a cheap air regulator for the fire put out thingamjig

jayse

 

[jayse]

close up of the reg.

 

[JWB]

:huh: Just one question guys????

Do you get any kick back or arguements from CIG or where ever you get the fireputtaoutterers filled.

The local GIG guy in my town is.... to put it mildly ...A PRICK with a capital P..
I know his answer before I even front up with a extingusher that has been modified...

Where are you getting them filled???

JWB

 

[Justin]

I get mine filled where I got it. The guy was more than happy to help me out throughout the whole deal. Even the point where it looked like I may have had to have an adapter made up, he offered to sort it out for me. Ring around as many blokes as you can, particularly any small independent blokes that service extinguishers. It sounds like you'll get no where with this bloke anyway so look elsewhere. It's not a problem in doing the conversion, the problem comes in getting someone who is willing to donate a bit of extra time and effort to help you out.

Anyway, your not modifying the extinguisher in anyway so it's just a normal fill, you don't do anything different. Secondly, unless you tell them that it has no diptube then they would never know that either and thirdly there is nothing illegal/unsafe/ or troublesome about filling or using an extinguisher with out a dip tube. It just becomes an every day old gas cylinder. Everything still complies to the industry standards.

Cheers and keep trying. It took me a bit of messing around but it's been worth it for me. Hey I just noted your in Tassie. Give me a pm and I'll give you the name of my bloke.

Justin

 

[Linz]

Jayse,

Your bottle is an old fire extinguisher, but not a co2 extinguisher. Its an old dry chemical powder bottle( a Quell brand one at that). It would have had a powder that was propelled by nitrogen gas. The powder that is used is Baking soda in one instance(BE or ABE).
Those bottles are usually pressure tested to 2MPa and run a holding pressure of 700- 900 KPa. The CO2 bottles(extinguishers) are filled to a liquid weight, not pressure.

 

[Boots]

Guys,
I was speaking to Dave at Goliath's the other day (while admiring his $80 CFC'er) and he has this all sorted out for us.

You buy a (smallish - didn't ask the size)brand new fire extinguisher off him for about $90 -100 - this will last for 5 years before you need to get it safety checked.

When you need a gas refill, you take it into Dave, and he arranges the refill for you. (I assume you could bypass him here and get it filled yourself).

He said, for the first lot of gas you keep the extinguisher upside down so that the dip tup is pulling the gas from the top, and at the first refill, Dave's contact will pull out the diptube for you so you can stand it upright.

I'll be going this path when I get sorted.

*usual disclaimer about no affiliation with the HBS etc etc etc*

cheers

 

[Justin]

Yep. 2kg bottle. Not a bad deal. Guess 2kg of gas would last a little while if 5-6kg bottles last most folks the best part of a year. Not a bad option I guess.

JD

 

[Bigfella]

hey jayse I was wondering how you fill your bottle.
I'm trying to work out a good portable system at the moment.