Paintball CO2 tank

[gdashoff21]

I was trying to make a keg party pump that was easily transportable, just a coupler, regulator and a paintball CO2 tank. The problem is that the paintball CO2 tank's threads are too small for the keg regulator I already have, does anyone know if there is someplace where I can get a conversion for this? I have a line from the CO2 tank with a quick release on it that looks like
So if anyone knows of a place to get that kind of quick release that would fit a standard keg regulator that would also be helpful.
Thanks

[Scott Zuhse]

Can the regulator on this site be adjusted between 12 to 18 PSIG? If so, you could use these to regulate the appropriate pressure from your cylinder and possible adapt this to your pressure inlet on the coupler.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[gdashoff21]

I don't actually have a paintball regulator, but I already have a regulator for a keg set up. So I was looking for a way to adapt the smaller paintball tank to make it fit the larger keg regulator.

[Scott Zuhse]

I would recommend using a conventional cylinder for your regulator. They are designed to regulate high pressure.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[gdashoff21]

I have a regular kegerator system set up with a regular size cylinder for it, but I wanted to make a transportable one so I wanted to use the smaller cylinder so I'd only have a small CO2 tank, regular and tap, then just a party style faucet, but the extra keg regulator I have is too large for the paintball CO2 tank.

[Scott Zuhse]

If you can find an fitting that will adapt between the cylinder and the regulator, there should not be any issue as to dropping the internal pressure of your paintball cylinder to a usable pressure for the keg. Problem you will face is to find the fitting. What is the internal pressure of the paintball cylinder?

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[digunderground]

You can go to Williamsbrewing, they have the proper equipment to convert your regular regulator to a paintball tank regulator. in fact they sell paintball tank regulators pre-assembled.

BREWER'S EDGE® PAINTBALL REGULATOR ADAPTER @ Williams Brewing

I need to find the reverse... lol I need to convert this to a standard CO2 tank, I want to move to a 10# instead of paintball tanks.

-DIG

[nobahdi]

I think it would be a good idea for anyone in this forum to buy one of those adapters. Since you never really know when you are going to run out of CO2, (or at least you don't get a lot of warning) it would be easy, and relatively cheap, to have a small paintball CO2 tank on hand in case of a beer emergency. It would at least get you through the night, or possible the weekend if your CO2 place is only open five days a week.

[AU_Gator]

i was looking into the same thing.

not only do the threads not always fit but also a paintball co2 container had the pin that has to be pushed in which the regulator can't do. I found this which should do the trick ...

1/8 NPT ON/OFF Ball Valve [FITT016] - $16.00 : Palmers Pursuit Shop!, Where Custom Still Means Something
(you can also look for a "remote line fitting")

only thing i'm not sure about is if the male side is long enough to fit on the regulator and have a tight seal. If not then u will also have get a brass pipe adapter and a small piece of tubing.

[AU_Gator]

i'll be able to let u all know more once i get mine finished and working

[nobahdi]

I forgot about that little pin which needs to be pressed. Be sure to post pictures when you get it working.

[CoreyD]

They make paintball tanks that have on/off valves with no pin.

[Fastsc92]

um...you do know that CO2 tanks for paintball use liquid CO2 don't you........

[CoreyD]

All CO2 tanks use liquid.

[Fastsc92]

But a paintball tank siphons it from the bottom...

[digunderground]

Actually all paintball tanks dont syphon they all pull from the headspace of the cilinder. This is exactly why you cant tip one over it will disperse liquid CO2 into your keg and possibly explode it. So if a paint ball tank syphoned from the bottom you would have to turn it upside down to ue it... which you dont.

I found another paintball tank adapter for your regulator. This one is even cooler, it can be used for either a paintball tank or a normal CO2 tank WITHOUT REMOVING THE ADAPTER!!
MoreBeer | Paint Ball Tank Adapter

I use a paintball tank setup so if you have any questions please ask!!

-DIG

[nobahdi]

I found another paintball tank adapter for your regulator. This one is even cooler, it can be used for either a paintball tank or a normal CO2 tank WITHOUT REMOVING THE ADAPTER!!
MoreBeer | Paint Ball Tank Adapter

-DIG

How is it you can use this adapter for both a paintball tank and normal CO2 tank without removing the adapter?

[CoreyD]

Full size tanks and paintball tanks use the same thread. If you use a paintball tank with an on/off valve instead of the pin valve you can use a standard regulator. You just have to make sure that the threads on the regulator nut are long enough to catch the threads on the paintball tank valve.

[digunderground]

Actually the threads are the same, but the depths are not. The second one I posted from More Beer uses a pin to depress the paintball tank "valve" and that same pin doesnt interfere with the normal co2 tanks. ONLY THE ONE FROM MORE BEER WORKS ON BOTH!! Only this one has a detached tightening nut just like ones used for normal co2 tanks. The one from "Williams Brewing" ONLY works on paintball tanks.

The More Beer one works on both the pin actually fits in the small threaded hole in the center of the co2 tank connection, but doesnt block it or disrupt airflow.

Hope this all helps

-DIG

[CoreyD]

If you get a paintball tank with the on/off valve you do not need to worry about the pin. Also if you have a remote setup for the paintball tank the adapter can thread into the regulator no pin depressor needed. Getting the left handed stem out of the regulator can be tough and might damage it.

[digunderground]

If you get a paintball tank with the on/off valve you do not need to worry about the pin. Also if you have a remote setup for the paintball tank the adapter can thread into the regulator no pin depressor needed.

My only concern would be the grade of the plastic hose on those remote tank relocators with a valve. Most of that is by no means "food grade" and you still have to worry about chemicals leaching via the co2 gas inflow. Then again I get upset when I have to use any material other than stainless steel.

Getting the left handed stem out of the regulator can be tough and might damage it.

AGAIN, if you use the one that More Beer has it works for both paintball tanks and std. Co2 tanks. If you are an adept DIY person you will have no problem switching the stem. If you are not a DIY guy, just be gentle and you wont have a problem.. but im guessing if you are a brewer then you are a diy guy..

-DIG

[CoreyD]

The remotes use a stainless steel braided line so it's all good. I built a draft box that uses 2 16oz paintball tanks built into the bottom. The tanks have on/off valves and anti-siphon tubes so they can lay on their sides. It will pump 4-5 kegs with both tanks on. It makes life easy for parties and BBQs since there is no large tank to lug around. I have 20ln co2 tanks with siphon tubes in them so I can refill the paintball tanks myself at a cost of about $1 each.

[campbellbrosbeerdynamics]

I was trying to make a keg party pump that was easily transportable, just a coupler, regulator and a paintball CO2 tank. The problem is that the paintball CO2 tank's threads are too small for the keg regulator I already have, does anyone know if there is someplace where I can get a conversion for this? I have a line from the CO2 tank with a quick release on it that looks like
So if anyone knows of a place to get that kind of quick release that would fit a standard keg regulator that would also be helpful.
Thanks

I am looking for exactly what you have outlined - an adapter from a paintball CO2 tank to my standard beverage regulator. Were you able to work this out? The morebeer link shows the perfect solution but they do not sell it any more. Do you know of any other places that may sell it. The palmer-pursuit.com solution can only handle 1000PSI and since the paintball tanks can handle 1600PSI I would like to work with that number.
Have you had any issues with your setup? For example, were there any issues with any contaminants in the paintball tank. From talking with the paintball guys they say the tanks are clean but it is always good to ask someone that is using it if they have had issues with that or not.
Thanks
Damon

[CoreyD]

What solution can only handle 1000psi? You could use Palmer's low pressure female stablizer on the paintball tank. I use it and a regular secondary co2 regulator. I don't trust the paitball regulators to handle the volume of co2 for the draft beer setup. Palmer's also sells an adapter that would thread into a regular primary co2 regulator and convert it to 1/8" pipe thread to connect to the paintball tank.

[Rkulp]

All you need is a Co2 regulator you would use for beer dispensing and a tank with an on/off valve like this one.
Smart Parts 20oz CO2 Tank with Smart Parts On-Off Valve

If you already have a paintball tank, replace the valve with
DoroSports.com with secure online ordering | Paintball | Skateboard | Airsoft Supplies - 32 Degrees On/Off Paintball CO2 Tank Valve

I use this set-up when a friend needs a tap or I'm tailgating. Works great.

[CoreyD]

There is a minimum inlet pressure on all of the primary co2 regluators that I have seen. I assume that the regulator will not function properly without that minimum pressure. I use the paintball regluator with a secondary regulator for redundancy.

[Rkulp]

What paintball regulator are you talking about? A paintball tank will work on a primary reg just as good as any other tank. Also, what is the difference between a primary and secondary regulator besides for the input?

[CoreyD]

There are regulators designed specifically for paintball equipment. A paintball tank can drop below the minimum inlet pressure on a primary beverage regulator and I don’t know if it will malfunction or not. A primary regular CO2 regulator is designed to go on the tank and handle the high pressure. A secondary regulator cannot handle the high pressure from the tank and is used after the primary where you need different pressures for different products.

[Rkulp]

Regulators designed specifically for paintball are attached to the gun, not the Co2 tank.

[CoreyD]

There are plenty of paintball regulators that go directly on the tank. It has no bearing on how the regulator works. The important things are the inlet and outlet pressures. Paintball regulators cannot be as fine tuned as beverage regulators.

[Rkulp]

Paintball Co2 tanks do not have regulators, its just a cylinder and a pin valve.
Paintball Nitro tanks come in either a high output (800psi) or low output (450psi).

A paintball regulator that is part of a gun will have a gauge and an adjustment screw so you can set the psi accordingly, just like a beverage regulator. Most guns run around 150psi so the regulator and pressure gauge wasn't designed for fine tuning around 15psi.

When using a paintball Co2 tank, you will be using a beverage regulator. You adjust the psi on the beverage regulator just like you would any other tank.

[CoreyD]

Never said that paintball tanks have regulators on them. Not all paintball tanks have pin valves; some have on/off valves. They are separate just like a full size CO2 tank is separate from a beverage regulator. A paintball regulator is just a CO2 regulator designed for paintball. It can be in line with 1/8th pipe threads or it can be female and thread directly onto a paintball tank. The point was that beverage regulators require a minimum inlet pressure of about 500psi which a paintball tank does not always maintain as it empties. I do not believe that a primary beverage regulator functions properly below 500psi. I use a paintball CO2 regulator on my tank with a secondary beverage regulator for redundancy. When you use these things on portable systems they get banged around and who knows what will break when.
Female Stabilizer [PPSP010] - $79.00 : Palmers Pursuit Shop!, Where Custom Still Means Something

[Rkulp]

Never said that paintball tanks have regulators on them.

There are plenty of paintball regulators that go directly on the tank.

The point I was making was that there is only a valve on the paintball Co2 tank, not a regulator. It will empty and lose pressure just like any other tank.

Both options will work but it is cheaper just to buy a primary reg.

[CoreyD]

But you are still missing the point that paintball tanks do not always have the 500psi that primary regulators require for the inlet pressure, which is why I use the paintball reg as the primary because it is designed for those tanks.

[Rkulp]

The point is, a paintball tank is the same as any other Co2 tank. It is just a cylinder and a valve. All tanks lose pressure when they are emptied, regardless of what they are used for.

I have never seen a beverage regulator that had a specified minimum pressure required. If there was, it would not work properly for any Co2 tank once the pressure is dropped.

[rickk1000]

Williams sells a really nice regulator made specifically for paintball tanks. The gauges point in the correct direction when connected to the tank. The gauges are rubber covered as well, a nice feature on a portable system. I have been using one for several months now with very good luck.