Scuba Cylinders As Co2 Bottles?

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dougy

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Anyone know any reason why you couldnt use an old scuba diving oxygen cylinder to store CO2 for your home brew?

I'm asking because they are fairly large tanks, and i have seen a bunch going cheapish (~$50-80 i think).

I havent heard of anyone doing this, so maybe there is a very good reason for not filling them with CO2. Anyone know why?


cheers,

dougy
 
I'm sure you can, but the issue is getting them filled.

BOC will only fill BOC cylinders.
Liquid Air will only fill Liquid Air cylinders.
 
Yeah, so it may not be illegal or something?

There has been talk that in ossy park (perth), ultimate air/beer tech in will refill private gas bottles. I assume this means any suitable pressure vessel.
 
From my readings on Aus forums it seems the best thing to do is to find a gas supplier who is willing to fill a non BOC or Liquid Air cylinder, and then decide whether to Buy a cylinder like the ones u mention or rent a cylinder like Kook says.

Cheers

Will
 
The rumour is true dougy. You can take your bottles there, and they sell their own brands as well.
 
Different cylinders are rated for different pressures (and hence different gases). Not all gases remain liquid under the same pressure and thus their bottles are matched to handle (well actually exceed) the pressure of the gas they are designed to contain. eg. LPG cylinder vs CO2 cylinder.

Also, in order to help maintain the safety aspect of this (ie. not allowing bottles suitable for one type of gas being filled with another "wrong" type of gas) they all have different thread fittings so that you can't hook a CO2 bottle up to a nitrogen filling station and vice versa. This also prevents the wrong regulator being attached to the wrong bottle.

Your not going to be able to get a CO2 place to fill a scuba bottle with CO2 because it wont have the right fitting (well at least the ones I have seen haven't). I'm guessing scuba tanks are filled with a mix of nitrogen and oxygen, what pressure do that reach in a cylinder? Maybe they can fill them with CO2?

If the bottle can withstand the CO2 pressure you could possibily get a brass fitting turned up to adapt the bottle to the CO2 filling station-and don't forget to allow a CO2 regulator to screw on the bottle. Then you have to get the place to fill it and unless he was the one that offered to do it all in the first place I give you buckleys chance of getting it filled.

Your much better off going with a CO2 fire extinguisher-it's designed for CO2 and has the necessary fittings to get it filled. If you get the right fire extinguisher head your reg will screw straight on. By going the extinguisher option you'll save yourself a world of pain and endless frustration trying to adapt your scuba bottle.

Now a scuba bottle for an oxygenation system, that might be a goer ;)

Cheers, Justin
 
I have access to the bottles used for fire fighters breathing aparatus. They are rated to handle 20000kPa. No one in Adelaide would fill them for me though. :(

C&B
TDA
 
Wow. That's some pressure. Imagine running around a flamming house with that bomb strapped to your back.

What a job :eek:

So they probably will hold the pressure. Do scuba places have CO2 on hand? I can ask my mate that works in the dive shop in town. I'm thinking about the oxygenation system now.

Cheers, JD
 
Imagine running into a fire with CO2 hooked up to your helmet :eek:
 
...or diving to the bottom of the ocean with your home brewer mates oxygen tank.
 
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