[Dirtdawg57]

So I got my 5 pound c02 tank filled today. When they guy got back he said he managed to get 7 pounds in my tank. I didn't really know a whole lot about how much can go in this things, but trusted their judgment since they work with these tanks everyday.

I got home and hooked up my regulator and it read 2100psi! Once again I wasn't completely sure what was too much for these tanks so I got away from it to look it up. I was in the other room and I heard it blow, and begin blasting c02 everywhere. It was the pressure relief valve, thank God it has one! I opened all the windows and doors because I wasn't sure what level c02 becomes toxic.

I think my dog might need see a therapist but thankfully no one was hurt. It is partly my fault, I should have known more about what I was working with. I wanted to pass on the experience so others don't make the same mistake!

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi Dirtdawg57,

Thank goodness nobody (including the dog) was hurt. Yes, they do make a lot of noise when those pressure valves "blow". I would call the owner of the shop, explain what happened including what the guy told you, and tell him you want your tank refilled and the regulator repaired at no charge since they filled the cylinder beyond its' legal capacity.

 

[Dirtdawg57]

I took it in and they said they would pay for the release valve. I don't know if it ruined my aquatek regulator or not. I am not sure what pressure they are rated for.

 

[Dirtdawg57]

So I got my tank replaced for free and my regulator is actually working better that ever. I think it might have had dirt in it and maybe the pressure pushed it through. The guy who took my tank said those pressure release valves are made to blow at 3000psi, so they should never blow unless seriously over filled.

 

[Nordic]

CO2 is da bomb!!!!!!!

 

[PlantedRich]

Something seriously wrong with some of this info?

I went to the Linde site to look for safety info and found this;
Cylinders
The most commonly used high-pressure cylinders (steel or aluminum) are designed to hold gases at pressures up to 2200 psig.
High-pressure cylinders come in a variety of pressure ratings and capacities. The most commonly used cylinders for carbon dioxide are rated at 2200 psig. Other commonly used cylinders are 2000 psig and 2640 psig cylinders.

A safety set to blow at 3000PSI is not going to help much.

 

[Dirtdawg57]

I was thinking that also. They guy at the air gas place told me that the relief valve was for 3000psi. I asked how much the actual tank could handle and he didn't really give me a straight answer. My gages read 2100psi on my Aquatek and then I got away from it to look into it, so it might have climbed higher. Then it blew.

 

[PlantedRich]

Look carefully at the info stamped around the neck of the tank. It gives lots of info once the code is figured out. One item gives the pressure rating for the tank. Possibly 2150?

Item #1 on page 5 gives lots of dope on reading the code:
http://www.lindepremiumproducts.com/internet.lg.lsg.usa/en/images/psa_carbon_dioxide892_21863.pdf

This will give the rating but most things will hold quite a bit more than rated so at 2100 you were still safe from the tank exploding but the guy that fills anything without knowing what he is doing is a hazard that the supervision should not allow. People don't know what they don't know if somebody doesn't train them.

 

[Dirtdawg57]

I don't have the tank any more because they took it on a tank exchange. The new one is probably the same, but it does look newer. I am not sure how close it was but a it was too close for comfort. Moral is, make sure they never overfill it!

 

[abrooks12376]

5#'s means 5#'s.. the person thwt filled it should be fired for their own safety. If that thing goes with hands on it... no thanks..i try to get my 20 oz. Tanks filled at dicks sporting goods and half the time they literally don't want to touch it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[Bandit1200]

That's the complete opposite of my problems getting co2. At the place I previously got my tanks filled, i was lucky if they occasionally got my tank filled with as much as 3 lbs. I've left there many times with less than 2 lbs, which would explain why I had to go so often to fill a 5 lb tank. Fortunately a new home brewing place opened up and I get a full 5 lbs every time I go now.

 

[APynckel]

Nevermind, I was just wrong

 

[PlantedRich]

Maybe there is another factor at work here?
Most anyone who fills tanks should fill by weight and know how. Maybe Colorado needs to reconsider the "weed" question? Anybody who tries to put more than five pounds in a five pound tank, may be smoking something!
The whole question just doesn't make much sense to me.

 

[Hoppy]

I think you need to be licensed to fill pressurized gas tanks. At least in California I think that is the case. If the guy who put 7 pounds of CO2 in a 5 pound tank was licensed he should have his license suspended. He could have caused severe injury or even death by his mistake.

Pressure relief valves are supposed to be adjusted to open at 1.5 times the operating pressure of the equipment they are protecting. That equipment is supposed to be designed so it will not fail at much higher pressure, so the relief valve can protect it. The operating pressure for CO2 is around 800-1000 psi, unless the CO2 system is designed for high temperature usage. So, the relief valve should be set to open at around 1500 psi or a bit higher. It not only protects against overfilling, but also against high temperatures which increase the pressure.

 

[PlantedRich]

I don't know about the CO2 gas regs here but the way propane is filled is what I would call a disaster waiting to happen. It is my understanding that each person is not required to be licensed but "work under the supervision" of a licensed person.
So that means when I get my propane filled at U-Haul, the girl who doesn't know that fittings turn backwards on propane is the one who fills it. When it spews out across the parking lot, she asked me if it was supposed to do that.
Another good reason for me taking the tanks somewhere else!!!

 

[Hoppy]

I don't know about the CO2 gas regs here but the way propane is filled is what I would call a disaster waiting to happen. It is my understanding that each person is not required to be licensed but "work under the supervision" of a licensed person.
So that means when I get my propane filled at U-Haul, the girl who doesn't know that fittings turn backwards on propane is the one who fills it. When it spews out across the parking lot, she asked me if it was supposed to do that.
Another good reason for me taking the tanks somewhere else!!!

But, we all know that men (boys) know this mechanical stuff instinctively, while women (girls) can't even learn it.>

I had this irresistible urge to start a flame war:laugh2:

 

[PlantedRich]

They already give 'em guns here in Texas!

Get the fire hoses ready!!