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When to refill co2?

sanj

Member
Joined
10 Apr 2008
Messages
1,531
Location
Coventry, UK
Hi guys,

sorry for this, I did a search but could not find it, perhaps im being thick. I thought I had seen a discussion on here as to when you should refill the co2 canister because below a certain level the regulator is less stable and could dump all the remaining co2 into the aquarium at once! :wideyed:

I have the JBL regulator (with the green dials with red marking). There is a small red marking at 60 bar which I assume is where the pressure should be when full and then there is a red band from 0 bar to 30 bar. I am assuming that it needs to be refilled when the dial falls to 30bar?

Thanks
 
from what i understand its only the cheap regs that dump the gas like the ones for welding
 
i would of thought if your useing a needle valve after the reg that should hold the pressure constant but mite be wrong .
 
sanj said:
Hi guys,

I have the JBL regulator (with the green dials with red marking). There is a small red marking at 60 bar which I assume is where the pressure should be when full and then there is a red band from 0 bar to 30 bar. I am assuming that it needs to be refilled when the dial falls to 30bar?

Thanks


Sanj

I use JBL reg's the green gauges type - these reg's do not dump co2 when the remaining pressure in the bottle is very low, you can leave these until the bottle is empty - I leave mine until the bottle is completely empty.

Regards
paul.
 
Hi all
Thanks for that Flyfisherman.
I use the JBL regs but have been changing the bottle as per JBL's instruction, when it drops to 30 bar.
Had to let it drop to 20 bar on one occasion when I didn't have a spare but you've just given me peace of mind :thumbup:.
Thanks.
 
One of the main reasons for refilling pneumatic cylinders while they still hold a positive pressure is to prevent intrusion of debris, toxic gasses and moisture laden atmospheric air. If moisture intrudes into the cylinder it results in corrosion which then weakens the cylinder from the inside, making it susceptible to structural failure. Scuba divers who own their own cylinders are very cognizant of this. The cylinders have to be hydrostatically tested every so often to prove they are still viable. If you have your own CO2 cylinder then you really don't want to allow the cylinder to reach zero PSI.

Cheers,
 
Hi,

I change my co2 FE's once the pressure drops to around 30-40psi purely as a safety precaution.

Fact is bottle dumps can kill and I am now paying so little for my CO2 (under £5 per 2kg) that its simply not worth the risk. IMO a far better way of doing things is to source cheap CO2 and don't worry about squeezing the dregs out of the canister, your asking for trouble if you do, if not a full blown bottle dump you'll likely suffer from fluctuating levels of co2 which can/will induce algae.

I never knew about the point Clive's just made but it's another very valid reason for not emptying the cylinders completely. I used to just discharge into the atmosphere the remaining co2 to leave an empty and harmless FE until I take it for refilling but not anymore. Thanks for that snipet of info mate.

Regards, Chris.
 
I am now paying so little for my CO2 (under £5 per 2kg)

where do you do this? as the best i can manage is £15, but i got to travel about 14 miles for that, so in the end i just bought another cylinder on ebay for about £18.50
 
gollum456 said:
I am now paying so little for my CO2 (under £5 per 2kg)

where do you do this? as the best i can manage is £15, but i got to travel about 14 miles for that, so in the end i just bought another cylinder on ebay for about £18.50

Hi,

Last time I bought FE's I paid £30 for 10x2kg ones from a guy on Ebay, which made it £3 for 2kg's, thanks to a heads up on this thread:- http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=11710

I've had several others off Ebay for £5 aswell just keep looking in your local area as they do come up from time to time.

I also get them refilled when I have enough to make the trip worthwhile at Mr Fizz in Uxbridge. Check out this link and look for the details for Mr Fizz under the south central heading. £5 per 2kg refill.

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4612

I've also had a couple given to me by builder friends of mine who sometimes get hold of them when clearing sites for renovation/refurbishment.

Regards, Chris.
 
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