Where to find CO2 cylinders (other than LFS or MO)
 

I also bought mine used from a welding supply company. 10 pound for $100. Costs about $15 to fill while I wait at the fire extinguisher place. When/if you buy a used tank, make sure it has been hydro tested. After inspection, they're stamped for 5 years worth of use before retesting.

Where to find CO2 cylinders (other than LFS or MO)
 

Scott,

Is Air Liquide's head office in South Vancouver? That's where I bought my stuff. They had new 5 lb cylinders too at the time but considering a fill costs the same regardless of cylinder weight the salesman suggested a larger 15lb tank.

Do they charge for pressure testing?

Where to find CO2 cylinders (other than LFS or MO)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I paied 35.00 for a pressur test and a new valve (this was included in the 100.00 cost of the bottle) so iff you find a 20lb co2 fire extinguisher for cheep this is all it would cost you to get it tested and valved depending on prices in your area.

Steve

Where to find CO2 cylinders (other than LFS or MO)
 

Ok, I am totally out of my element here. Can someone please answer me the following:

Why do people purchase their cylinders? Most places I am calling are outright hostile to the idea that a person may ever want to buy one. Air Liquide went so far to tell me "it is IMPOSSIBLE to purchase the cylinders in Canada. You HAVE to rent them." So, who's all renting their cylinders for their reactors? Are you renting or owning the cylinder? If not renting, why not? What is the advantage of owning over renting?

I had no idea it had to be this difficult to get into a calcium reactor. I found a Fire Extinguisher place that could sell me a 15lb cylinder hydrostatic tested and certified to 3000lbs. for $50, but no valve. As they are a "Fire Extinguisher" place they cannot provide me with anything but a "fire extinguisher" type valve. (For one thing it's a levered type valve, not a gate type valve, I suppose.) So I call places like Air Liquide, BOC, Praxair, and they're all "well why would you want to buy a valve? The cylinders that you RENT come with valves. And obviously you are RENTING your cylinder because we REFUSE to sell you a cylinder." So great. Even if I find a cylinder, I now cannot purchase the valve from these guys. And I am not calling some fly-by-night outfit either. These are BOC, Praxair, Air Liquide that are telling me this. I can't beleive I am the first person to be calling these places with a calcium reactor application in mind.

I must be asking the wrong questions still when I call these places. Oh well, the wine brew places are about to open (I don't think they open before 11 out here) so I can start calling them and enter myself into a whole new world of frustration (I can just see it now "why do you want to BUY a cylinder? You must be STOOOPID!!!")

sigh .... Why does it have to be this difficult?

Where to find CO2 cylinders (other than LFS or MO)
 

Keep on trucking Tony, I'm behind you all the way!
With a smile and grin on my face. :D

Where to find CO2 cylinders (other than LFS or MO)
 

Tony, I don't know what rental costs are, but unless they're dirt cheap, it is more cost effective to OWN the tank. Also, if you rent and they just replace the tank with gas in it, you have no idea what was in the tank they give you. Maybe it was under water or had oil in it. In Victoria, I could probably find a tank a week for sale. Hydroponics, brewing, welding and fire extinguisher companies all deal with CO2 tanks.If you go to a place here to rent one for your tank, they ask why you don't just buy your own!! Saves money in the long run and you don't keep getting some rusty old tank with who knows what in it.

Where to find CO2 cylinders (other than LFS or MO)
 

Hi,

Another way to find a reliable CO2 source is to pop by a food court or a fast food restaurant and ask where they got the CO2 from. Pop distributors and professional food equipment retailers should also know where to get your CO2 stuff. Hydroponics also should know too.

Yes CO2 systems are expensive...that's why calcium reactors setups are so expensive !!!

Clint...why did Air Liquid have to change the fiting on the regulator to fit on to your tank ? CO2 valves are design to fit on CO2 regulators. That way...you can't use a argon regulator on CO2 (very similar products...buy not quite) or a oxygen regulator on a acetylene tank [img]smile.gif[/img] Seems kind of odd....hmmm.....

- Victor.

Where to find CO2 cylinders (other than LFS or MO)
 

Well I'm resigned to the fact this will be expensive, but I guess my question is, does it have to be $300 expensive just for the cylinder? Are you telling me that's what everyone who has a cylinder has paid? Because that's sure not the sense I'm getting from you guys. If I'm wrong, please tell me, so I'm not barking up the wrong tree here. If there's a tank per week for sale in Victoria in the $100 range then it literally is worth my while to make the drive out there and pick me up the tank then to continue banging my head against the brick wall I've got over here. Even if I spend $100 on gas I'm still ahead of the game, and plus I get another visit to the old preferred stomping grounds anyways out of it.

Where to find CO2 cylinders (other than LFS or MO)
 

If you build your own reactor, the way I look at it the CO2 system is the biggest expense. From what I could find when I was looking regulators were $100+ depending on guages and such. I was lucky that my dad had a reg I could use. I did have to purchase the correct fitting for the tank, most regulators are not gas specific.

Then I needed a tank. Up here in Campbell River, I could not find any local refill places if I had my own tank. So I went to Praxair, used my company name and rented a tank for a year $65. Then each refill was $36 (I have had a guage and a solenoid fail, so this has cost me more than I expect, I should get more than a year out of a 20lbs tank!!) I was going to get a 5lb tank from KMS, but I wouldn't be able to refill it up here. So now I'm stuck with renting for now.

Also consider where you want to put the tank. 20lbs rental are big and ugly. I can just fit it on my reactor/skimmer shelf.

Lee

Where to find CO2 cylinders (other than LFS or MO)
 

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Victor the different thread and mounting types are for industry, it is to prevent acadently hooking up a flamable gas whare you want a inert gas which could cause a explosion... but it is perfectly fine to use a "Mixed gas" regulator on a co2 tank for our purposes.. infact they make adaptors for different types of regulators to go to different types of tanks..

Tony.. the reason they want you to rent the bottel is simple.. conveniance.. basicly they charge you the amount you would pay to buy a new bottle but when you need it filled you just exchange your empty bottle for a new one.. less down time for you and the company can let 50 or 100 bottles build up and just spend 1 day refilling instead of setting up every hour to do it.. also a lot of companies deliver so when they pick up the empty the drop off a full this way only one trip.

I sugest you go buy that fire extinguisher for 50.00 , clean it up and paint it blue.. then call liquid air or who ever and ask how much a hysrostat test, new co2 valve and a fill would cost.. a 5, 10, 15, 20 lb fire extinguisher and a comercial co2 canister have the same throat threads and are interchangable as co2 tanks. also you could try the home brew story when you talk to thease guys.. tell them you purchased a co2 tank for carbonating your beer.. they should know all about this..

Steve