co2 bottles?

[keenfish]

i know this may be a hardware Q but i put it here for planted hardware

is ALL co2 bottle the same screw top? cos i was thinking of using a co2 fire extinguisher which i can get a 5kg bottle for half the price of a 2kg from lfs

 

[aqua_chem]

I'm not sure if fire extinguishers have the same tops or not, but I'm pretty sure that you would have to do some modification in order for it to work right. Then in order to fill it, you'll need to find someone who is willing to fill it without a hydro test.

That, and I don't think that fire extinguishers are designed to hold LIQUID CO2, only pressurized gases. The tanks that we use are reinforced because they hold the liquid form of CO2 (under high pressure). I'm not sure that extinguishers will hold up to that.

My thinking on this is this: You've already spent $100 on a regulator and $10-50 on a diffuser. Why cheap out on the tank, which is relatively cheap in comparison? Also, why cheap out on the part of the tank that is has the most catastrophic failures?

 

[keenfish]

I'm not sure if fire extinguishers have the same tops or not, but I'm pretty sure that you would have to do some modification in order for it to work right. Then in order to fill it, you'll need to find someone who is willing to fill it without a hydro test.

That, and I don't think that fire extinguishers are designed to hold LIQUID CO2, only pressurized gases. The tanks that we use are reinforced because they hold the liquid form of CO2 (under high pressure). I'm not sure that extinguishers will hold up to that.

My thinking on this is this: You've already spent $100 on a regulator and $10-50 on a diffuser. Why cheap out on the tank, which is relatively cheap in comparison? Also, why cheap out on the part of the tank that is has the most catastrophic failures?

what about welding bottles?

 

[aqua_chem]

what about welding bottles?

Those are the same as the lfs tanks. I got mine from a welding shop and get it filled there too.

 

[keenfish]

Those are the same as the lfs tanks. I got mine from a welding shop and get it filled there too.

well here in england you can pick up a can for for about $80 deposit then exchange it for a prefilled can for a fraction of the cost of a lfs where a whole new tank from a lfs can cost around $110 plus getting it refilled
(i think i got the money conversion right)

 

[aqua_chem]

well here in england you can pick up a can for for about $80 deposit then exchange it for a prefilled can for a fraction of the cost of a lfs where a whole new tank from a lfs can cost around $110 plus getting it refilled
(i think i got the money conversion right)

Thats pretty much right. Buying stuff like this at a lfs usually results in a higher price.

 

[keenfish]

could you use a regulator from welding and a flow meter instead of a bubble count?

 

[manbeast]

I found my co2 cannisters with regulators off CL one for $50 one for $75, one with a solenoid (excellent) and one with a flow meter (needs much more attention) each has a 5 lb bottle which I recently had filled at a local beer distributor for @ $7 each

 

[aqua_chem]

Use a pressure regulator and NOT a flow regulator. So don't use the one with a little bead that goes up and down or whatever your model might do.