Living with a Powertank

[Outside somewhere]

Just curious why you do this yearly? I cant remember exact specs but I believe hydros only have to be done every..5 years? Something along those lines.

Leakage isn't really a concern for me since mine is mounted in a vented external compartment but if the op were concerned he could mount a co2 detector inside. I have one in my Ambo just because of my propane heater.

Anal retentive. I've ended up more often than not getting stuck behind people that spent their money on chinese light bars and stickers for their favorite energy drink and don't have so much as a screw driver in their rig so I use the **** out of the tank. Airing people back up, seat a bead, run tools off it etc. Most places charge $15-30 for a fill + an additional fee for a hydro test but I'm friends with the people that own the fire suppression company so they test it and hook me up with the inspection/unlimited fills for $30 a year per tank. Just figure it's cheap insurance.

 

[tgreening]

I hear you on the unprepared. I went a charity run once and couple guys showed up in a ratty *** Jeep they bought just down the road for $500. Like 30 minutes before this thing kicked off. Rusted, busted, and with slipping chain in the quadratrac. The only tool they had was cooler full of beer they used to pay people to pull them up hills that slipping quadratrac couldn't conquer, and a good time attitude. Tall skinny greasy W Va hillbilly and a short fat greasy W Va hillbilly. We immediately nicknamed them Tic and Booger.

 

[DeMented Toys]

I've been using these food grade CO2 tanks, 20lbs. The local welding supply swaps them out when they are empty. So far so good.


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[No Ma]

Used a 15lb Powertank for 5 years in our JKU. Pounded it on a LOT of Colorado and Utah trails in the back cargo area or on the back seat floor secured with bungees. Guess it depends on your level of concern over potential problems. Yes, it can be deadly, but less so than a fire in the engine compartment, or a rollover, or many other types of accidents.

I moved to a 100% duty cycle compressor when we added an AT Chaser to our travels. Filling 7 35" tires required too many refills for the amount of camping/travel we do every year. Still miss the speed and ease of the Powertank though.

 

[MOguy]

I ran a CO2 tank for years. I lived in the Mohave for a few years with temps reaching 125+ and never an issue. The weak spot will be if you have a gauge. There is no need for a gauge unless your are mixing gasses. Any regulator/valve you can get for it will be fixed at a pressure that will be about 110 psi.

I got tired of having to deal with refilling (bottle swaps) and the space it took up so I bought a 12V compressor. It isn't as fast but no more refills.

 

[DaJudge]

I have had mine inside my vehicle for 10 years. Mount it solidly and it will be fine. Worrying about the relief valve popping or any of the other 'what if' scenarios is useless.

 

[perterra]

Interesting reads from people. I've had more problems from propane tanks venting in the heat but never inside a vehicle.
I was sitting here at my desk scratching my nads one morning and heard something hit the floor and scream for a few minutes in my laundry room. It was a freshly filled CO2, 25lb bottle that was sitting in the sun, actually it was in the winter so it wasn't all that warm back there but I did ventilate the house. They do vent until they are empty and the noise will wake you up.

It was over filled

 

[perterra]

Everyone I called wanted to just exchange the tank. One welding shop would do it but then told me it would be cheaper and faster if I just went to the place that would fill it. Which happened to be down the road from where I work.

The bottle I believe is aluminum and it is brand new. Yes, I know about the recertification process.

My main concern is should it be mounted outside the vehicle?

Many places dont pump their own CO2 but have it done by another company. So instead of taking your cylinder, sendng it off on a weekly route truck to get pumped, then waiting for it to come back in a week or so later if it doesnt get lost, they just exchange.

If the people who fill it follow correct procedures, its not dangerous though I probably would not want it mounted in the cab ( due to heat in a closed vehicle and the fact if you have a high speed rollover and it breaks loose, getting hit with a 20 lb metal cylinder aint helpin your odds of survival)

 

[unkamonkey]

It was over filled

The place that did the refill is the place in town that refills for most of the other places. They also do the hydro testing for the area. I think I just had a bum release valve that finally decided to let go. Given how CO2 works as it goes from a liquid to a gas the vapor pressure inside remains the same until you run out of liquid depending on the temps involved.
Not my problem any more as I gave it to a friend to use on his keg set up.
WTH I needed propane for my camping propane tank down by Nathrop CO. Nobody in the store could fill it and the guy that was certified was out. They let me fill it myself.
Quite illegal since I didn't have the creds but it isn't rocket science. About 5 minutes of a training session to be certified.
Now a O2 bottle is a different matter at around 4x the pressure in it.

 

[perterra]

The place that did the refill is the place in town that refills for most of the other places. They also do the hydro testing for the area. I think I just had a bum release valve that finally decided to let go. Given how CO2 works as it goes from a liquid to a gas the vapor pressure inside remains the same until you run out of liquid depending on the temps involved.
Not my problem any more as I gave it to a friend to use on his keg set up.
WTH I needed propane for my camping propane tank down by Nathrop CO. Nobody in the store could fill it and the guy that was certified was out. They let me fill it myself.
Quite illegal since I didn't have the creds but it isn't rocket science. About 5 minutes of a training session to be certified.
Now a O2 bottle is a different matter at around 4x the pressure in it.

Possibly bad safety, but lack of headspace creates some serious issues. Heat changes the equation

http://www.catalinacylinders.com/support/dangers-of-overfilling-co2-cylinders/

 

[unkamonkey]

Possibly bad safety, but lack of headspace creates some serious issues. Heat changes the equation

http://www.catalinacylinders.com/support/dangers-of-overfilling-co2-cylinders/

Intereresting read. I will send it off to the people than I know that are welding engineers, chemists and engineers to get their views on it. I'm not poo, pooing you, I just want a confirmation from people that have worked in the various industries for years.
As said, I don't have the bottle any more but it would be nice to warn the guy that has it now.

 

[perterra]

Intereresting read. I will send it off to the people than I know that are welding engineers, chemists and engineers to get their views on it. I'm not poo, pooing you, I just want a confirmation from people that have worked in the various industries for years.
As said, I don't have the bottle any more but it would be nice to warn the guy that has it now.

I've been in the gas industry 35 years. You know there is a reason they have filling procedures and dont just say fill it till it runs out. That was the standard way 20 lb propane was filled for years, then Airgas burned down half a block in Tulsa when an over filled propane vented and ignited.

http://www.cornelius-usa.com/stellent/groups/web/@guest/documents/manual/002811.pdf


From kegarators website

CO2 expands rapidly as the tank's temperature increases, putting more and more pressure on the gas regulator which controls the CO2 output. The CO2 that the tank has been filled with is very cold (between -57 and -78 degrees degrees). At that temperature, the CO2 puts out only 100 PSI (pounds per square inch). At room temperature (70 degrees), the tank puts out about 850 PSI, and at hot temperatures (around 110 Degrees), the tank can put out a whopping 2000 PSI. If your tanks are ever in the position to be raised to that high of a temperature, the release valve will be triggered to prevent the tank from exploding. This can be quite startling, so it is wise to take steps to avoid this by storing your tank in a cool place, even while disconnected. This is why CO2 tanks are filled to only 34% of their volume. If the tank is filled more, it can trigger the safety and let all the gas out if it is exposed to high temperatures

Dig around, this aint new info, I dont mind being doubted so dont let that be a concern. But just because it was filled at a welding supply doesnt mean the guy doing it knew what he was doing, or was doing what he was supposed to.

 

[unkamonkey]

I'm not here to argue. I worry more about the O2 and acetylene bottles out in the shed, (4) and how if they burned it would blow the crap out of my Buick and probably 1/2 of my backyard.
It probably wouldn't do my house any good either.
Yep, 2 are chained to the wall and the other 2 have their caps on. My bottle for MIG welding is well tied to it's cart and protected.
When I filled the propane tank I used the scale at the filling site.
I only play the idiot role on TV for political ads.

 

[perterra]

I'm not here to argue. I worry more about the O2 and acetylene bottles out in the shed, (4) and how if they burned it would blow the crap out of my Buick and probably 1/2 of my backyard.
It probably wouldn't do my house any good either.
Yep, 2 are chained to the wall and the other 2 have their caps on. My bottle for MIG welding is well tied to it's cart and protected.
When I filled the propane tank I used the scale at the filling site.
I only play the idiot role on TV for political ads.

Handled and stored safely, you will never have a problem.

Not handled correctly and it can lead to some issues, this was a pretty nice Kenworth at one time.

 

[unkamonkey]

I've seen the pictures of an O2 tank going off if the valve gets broken and the pictures of a semi tire that decided to launch it's split ring into a ceiling while being refilled. About 4" into the rafters. I never had it happen to me. I stood back in my tire shop days while inflating or used the cage. Unless I was doing a road side repair and then we used chains in the event of something going wrong. I suppose you don't want to launch a 30lb part 100 feet in the air next to I 70. The cage in the shop had some nice bends in it. I wasn't there for that one.
I really have the back ground in the real world and a few semesters of physics so I do understand what a pressurized tank can do.