kaz
Aquarium Advice Addict
I have a question of safty issues, since this is compacted is it possible to be explosive?
Co2 Explosive?
- Thread starter kaz
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Wizzard~Of~Ozz
Aquarium Advice Addict
It is possible it will blow a burst disk (pressure rated to 3000PSI and it's only 1/2" so 1500PSI to blow it out).. but Co2 is used to put out fires so it's not explosive. There have been a couple paintball incidents where someone blew out a burst disk and put a bolt in the hole causing the tank to explode when heated. but that's just stupidity with safety devices..
No, Co2 will not explode, even if it leaks. It's inert, a 10lb tank even if it were to blow a burst disk and vent into your house wouldn't cause any harm to anyone (Non-toxic)
HTH.
No, Co2 will not explode, even if it leaks. It's inert, a 10lb tank even if it were to blow a burst disk and vent into your house wouldn't cause any harm to anyone (Non-toxic)
HTH.
malkore
Aquarium Advice Addict
Depends on your definition of 'explosive'.
Kidding.
CO2 is a non-flammable gas, in fact, CO2 is used to put out fires.
CO2 is heavier than air, so if a tank did have a fast leak, it would be low to the ground. The thick CO2 replaces air, which contains the oxygen we need to live.
You'd really have ot have a full CO2 tank, and a very small, tightly sealed room in order to trap enough of it to cause harm...and even then your concern would mostly be for any living creature that breathes air from a foot off the ground...so babies, toddlers maybe, and small pets.
Honestly the biggest 'danger' is that the cylinder will get knocked over forcefull enough to snap off the valve on top, which turns the cyilnder into a blunt projectile. I believe it takes off at about 200fps (feet per second). Slower than a paintball gun, but a far greater mass/inertia.
Kidding.
CO2 is a non-flammable gas, in fact, CO2 is used to put out fires.
CO2 is heavier than air, so if a tank did have a fast leak, it would be low to the ground. The thick CO2 replaces air, which contains the oxygen we need to live.
You'd really have ot have a full CO2 tank, and a very small, tightly sealed room in order to trap enough of it to cause harm...and even then your concern would mostly be for any living creature that breathes air from a foot off the ground...so babies, toddlers maybe, and small pets.
Honestly the biggest 'danger' is that the cylinder will get knocked over forcefull enough to snap off the valve on top, which turns the cyilnder into a blunt projectile. I believe it takes off at about 200fps (feet per second). Slower than a paintball gun, but a far greater mass/inertia.
BlazerFRS
Aquarium Advice Freak
Yea, imagine that episode of mythbusters where they tried to blow up the dive cylinder in your living room....
but you'd have to do something monumentally stupid to break the valve off or puncture the tank.
but you'd have to do something monumentally stupid to break the valve off or puncture the tank.
kaz
Aquarium Advice Addict
so in other words with safety and learning how to use/put together etc this is safe.
malkore
Aquarium Advice Addict
Exactly. make sure it can't get knocked over, don't leave it in a hot car all day, and have it filled by a licensed filling location, and you shouldn't have any concerns.
kaz
Aquarium Advice Addict
how many times do you guys usually need it to be filled and what are the cost of it?
sherry
Aquarium Advice FINatic
my 5lb tank will probably last me 6 months or a year. and it cost me $16 in the middle of manhattan where everything is overpriced 
kaz
Aquarium Advice Addict
wow that long not bad not bad.
fastfly48
Aquarium Advice Freak
yeah...I guess $16 isn't bad for a re-fill of C02 with a 5lb tank...
Though I get my one re-filled for free...when-ever I want! HOORAY!
The tank I bought came with a bonus free re-fill deal for my C02. Perfect timing I guess. If I hadn't seen the C02 set-up that day I'd be paying for re-fills.
All in all, I'm a happy chapy!
Ry.
Though I get my one re-filled for free...when-ever I want! HOORAY!
The tank I bought came with a bonus free re-fill deal for my C02. Perfect timing I guess. If I hadn't seen the C02 set-up that day I'd be paying for re-fills.
All in all, I'm a happy chapy!
Ry.
kaz
Aquarium Advice Addict
how much was the tank?
Wizzard~Of~Ozz
Aquarium Advice Addict
they can be found online for under 100$, I picked up a used 10lb for 90$ filled (things are more expensive up here) from a fire control place.
krap101
Aquarium Advice Addict
I was thinking about this a couple months ago.. i read that if theres enough pressure, it lowers the flash point, so if you put some oil in your paintball gun close to the co2 and it was hot out, would the co2 put it out, or would it light??
BlazerFRS
Aquarium Advice Freak
I don't think I understand what you're asking... but CO2 is not gonna make anyhting light on fire. It displaces 02 in air b/c its heavier, and there can be no fire without oxygen.
malkore
Aquarium Advice Addict
Used to play paintball myself. No, CO2 will not ignite, period. A gas needs to be flammable before it can have a flash point.
Also, there can be no combustion w/o oxygen. The reason a filiment in a lightbulb glows is because it's in a near-vacuum (or inert gas, such as sodium vapor, argon, neon, mercury vapor, etc.) If there was oxygen in the bulb, the filiment would last less than a second.
Not sure if it's the absolute cheapest, but I decided to use http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/gas-equipment-cid-19.html for my 5lb cylinder. Payed around $75 shipped, IIRC. They seemd like a big outfit with high stock turnover, so I trusted them more than eBay or "Louie's discount potato chips and gas cylinders". Shipping was fast and the product was perfect.
Not sure if it's the absolute cheapest, but I decided to use http://www.micromatic.com/draft-keg-beer/gas-equipment-cid-19.html for my 5lb cylinder. Payed around $75 shipped, IIRC. They seemd like a big outfit with high stock turnover, so I trusted them more than eBay or "Louie's discount potato chips and gas cylinders". Shipping was fast and the product was perfect.
