Is CO2 from Welding Supply & Paintball Safe?

[cmkunisch]

I've heard the CO2 you get from welding or paintball supply is not as pure of a mix. Is this a health hazard?

[cubby_swans]

I've heard the CO2 you get from welding or paintball supply is not as pure of a mix. Is this a health hazard?

That's most likely incorrect. The co2 you get from a welding or paintball supply store is the same co2 you get from anywhere else. They're all getting their supply one way or another from the industrial big guys like Airgas or UIG, and their co2 is about as pure as you can get. The lowest co2 purity grade available at either of these two companies is 99.98%.

I've READ that there are food grade co2 containers, that are glass coated, that are used for commercial applications (restaraunts)? This supposedly prevents any backflow into the system from causing the tank to rust, and then POSSIBLY contaminating your system with rust. But I can't find any concrete evidence to support even this. There are tens of thousands of kegerator owners around the world that fill their gas tanks up at welding supply stores and paintball stores. If it were even a remote health hazard, you can be certain that it wouldn't be legal for these guys to be filling up co2 tanks that is going to be consumed.

[Sammy1759]

Hey Cubby you seem to know a lot about the co2, so I ask you this. How would one know if there tank is lined with glass? Also I have heard that some tanks have a "straw" of some type to bring out the liquid part of gas from the bottom. I think this type of tank is for making dry ice and other industrial apps. So we as beer drinkers want the tank that pull co2 in the gas state from the top correct? How can I find out if the tank I have is a top draw or a bottom draw? I have 2 tanks and think that the one I rent from a bev company is a top draw while the one I own I think draws from the bottom. any help or thoughts are great!

[cubby_swans]

I'm no expert at anything, except maybe Google. Don't know anything about different types of containers that are top vs. bottom drawers? My container came with my kegerator, so I'm pretty sure I got the right one.

I don't have a clue where you buy one of these food grade co2 containers. Like I said, I just READ about them, in various blog responses. Could be they're full of cr@p.

I have found from a few food business websites that there are food grade co2 cartridges, and that one shouldn't use the standard pellet gun cartridges, but for all I know they're just using a scare tactic to sell the co2 cartridges they're trying to sell. This also could be where the 'food grade' co2 rumors have come from.

All I know for sure is that I went to the websites of Airgas and UIG and the lowest grade co2 available is 99.98% pure. Airgas has locations all over this country. I bet if you ask whichever welding supply store the purity of their co2 gas, they're going to come back with this same number or maybe 99.97%.

I'm reasonably comfortable feeling that welding supply stores are not a health hazard. People have been filling co2 tanks from welding supply stores for as long as home kegerators have existed. My dad had one 25+ years ago. If it were a health hazard, someone (FDA?) would have figured it out by now and made it illegal.

[Sammy1759]

Thanks Cubby, I dont think there is anything to worry about with welding co2 or food grade, I think it is all the same. I only ask about the bottom draw because I saw an adapter to make dry ice with, the co2 tank but it must be a bottom draw type. The tank I own is old(60s) and when I open the valve the regulator freezes up and sort of looks like dry ice. but the rental tank dosent do that. That is how I came to think that I have the top and bottomdraw tanks. I only ask because I might be taking a keg up to MI from home and the drive will be at least 6 hr. Hence the dry ice to keep it cold in the trunk. I just may buy some water ice or buy/make dry ice. sorry to ramble on about the topic

[psychodad]

The co2 from welding suppliers and paintball outfitters is cleaner than many a bar that I've enjoyed beer in.

[lunkhead]

I've been getting welding shop co2 for my jocky box and kegerator for over 20years now. I seem to be getting fatter and my hair is turning gray, hummm. I may just be getting older too??

[jlopez77]

I get mine from a welding supply store also and have had no problems even with out a CO2 filter.

[oneandonlychaz]

The tube going down into the bottom of the tank is called a siphon tube. Its used in applications where you need to be assured you are getting liquid co2 out of the tank not the gas. This is used mainly as far as when you are filling other tanks. I dont know if this would cause any problems except at the regulator. When i played paintball liquid co2 was the devil because it got into stuff and expanded rapidly and would blow solenoids and mess up co2 regulators. I would advise getting a tank that doesnt have a siphon tube just for those reasons.

[Saintjude33]

I spoke to someone I know in the Health Department here in CT, and he assured me that the CO2 from welding shops is perfectly fine.

He uses CO2 for immunizations, and wouldn't use it there, but for beer dispensing, it's fine.

[shane34652]

I work for a local beer distributor and we get all our venue co2 form a welding supply company. We also send our bars and resturants to the same one because they are cheaper than the soda whole salers.

[shuggy]

I have found from a few food business websites that there are food grade co2 cartridges, and that one shouldn't use the standard pellet gun cartridges, but for all I know they're just using a scare tactic to sell the co2 cartridges they're trying to sell. This also could be where the 'food grade' co2 rumors have come from.

This particular one is not a scare/sell tactic. Pellet gun cartridges such as the Crossman ones have oil in them. Fine for the gun but no so good in your beer. Food grade canisters/tanks however are a load of bunk.

[Heischman]

I wanted to extend my thanks to everyone here! I am now in need of filling my co2 and the title for this post was so straight to the point I did not have to make a new post. And the answers were perfect as well! Thanks a million!
How ever is $16.40 a price for a 5 pound fill?

[atalanta]

I did post the same question, but found the answer here and so deleted my post. We have a lot of welding gas suppliers here (AirGas is one) and will have to check them out for tanks too.

Thanks.

[lunkhead]

I wanted to extend my thanks to everyone here! I am now in need of filling my co2 and the title for this post was so straight to the point I did not have to make a new post. And the answers were perfect as well! Thanks a million!
How ever is $16.40 a price for a 5 pound fill?

I have a welding shop 2 miles from home and they only exchange the bottles. The last 5lb bottle was about $12.00. The last 20lb bottle was $15.00. The bigger bottle is surely the better deal, but the smaller bottle is alot easier with the jockey box.

[whutever]

I have a welding shop 2 miles from home and they only exchange the bottles. The last 5lb bottle was about $12.00. The last 20lb bottle was $15.00. The bigger bottle is surely the better deal, but the smaller bottle is alot easier with the jockey box.

Pretty much the same price(s) as lunkhead quoted. 'Cept I get mine refilled at my local homebrew store and are 5lbs. and 15lbs.

[Woodsy Pete]

$12 for a refill??? HOLY CRAP, US CANADIANS ARE GETTING HOSED EH!!! I paid $45 to get mine filled at a local paintball shop!! A weldomg store wanted $30 but they were going to take my nice shiny new aluminum bottle and exchange it for an ugly POS... umm, not likely!

[cubby_swans]

$12 for a refill??? HOLY CRAP, US CANADIANS ARE GETTING HOSED EH!!! I paid $45 to get mine filled at a local paintball shop!! A weldomg store wanted $30 but they were going to take my nice shiny new aluminum bottle and exchange it for an ugly POS... umm, not likely!

That's outrageous. I get mine filled for $10 from a paintball shop. Do they have to import all the co2 into Canada or something? We have the same deal with the welding supply shops. They wanted to take my brand spanking new Aluminum tank and give some ugly steel job. I figured I'd eventually have to do it, when the tank needed testing, but I have since found a dive shop that will hydrostatic test it for $15.

[lunkhead]

The local welding shop I use has always given me an aluminum tank in exchange for mine (the 5lb bottle) and they look pretty new. The 20lb steel bottle is always steel for steel and I get a unit with a good check date on it.

[McIntyreDispensing]

My company does a lot of beverage gas business with Praxair, the largest distributor of compressed gases and welding supplies in Canada. I am pretty new to the industry (been operating a line cleaning and installation business since October 2008) but have had alot of experience with CO2 and it's various applications. The reason why some CO2 tanks are tagged as "Beverage Grade" (at least here in Canada) does not have anything to do with the quality of CO2 in the tanks. The gas companies prefer to keep the CO2 tanks used for beverage dispensing seperated from the CO2 tanks used for industrial applications (welding, etc.) because supposedly there can be back flow into the CO2 tanks from beverage systems which would contaminate the cylinder and the gas inside of said cylinder the next time it is refilled. The local Praxair branch tells me they used to have lots of problems with contaminated tanks causing problems for welders. Cheers!-Jamey

[cm11599ps]

I have my tanks filled up from the local welding supply shop that has many locations on Long Island.

I'm also a mailman and have an Applebee's on my route.

Wouldn't you know that Applebee's gets mail from the same welding supply company that I get my Co2 from.

If it's good enough for Applebee's, it's good enough for me.

[Scott Zuhse]

What????? Did you mean that Applebees gets the same gas as you do?

[Jazzbone]

What????? Did you mean that Applebees gets the same gas as you do?

Applebee's has always given me gas....

[cm11599ps]

What????? Did you mean that Applebees gets the same gas as you do?

I would assume so. It's kind of hard for me to open Applebee's mail to see what is actually inside the envelopes. lol

I would assume that they use the same supplier. What else would Applebees be doing getting mail from a welding shop?

[cubby_swans]

I would assume so. It's kind of hard for me to open Applebee's mail to see what is actually inside the envelopes. lol

I would assume that they use the same supplier. What else would Applebees be doing getting mail from a welding shop?

Maybe Applebee's is a front for Dr. Evil, and they're building a secret lair. Have you ever thought about that? Hmmmmmmm?

[ciderbarrel]

The tube going down into the bottom of the tank is called a siphon tube. Its used in applications where you need to be assured you are getting liquid co2 out of the tank not the gas. This is used mainly as far as when you are filling other tanks. I dont know if this would cause any problems except at the regulator. When i played paintball liquid co2 was the devil because it got into stuff and expanded rapidly and would blow solenoids and mess up co2 regulators. I would advise getting a tank that doesnt have a siphon tube just for those reasons.

I've paintballed over a decade with CO2 and HPA and I've always heard them called an ANTI-siphon tube to make sure you get gas and not liquid as the liquid CO2 will freeze your solenoid on an electronic marker. If the tank is not in the right way, the anti-siphon tube will be in the wrong way and will pick up liquid.

Remember, CO2 tanks are held in a horizontal position on paintball markers. The tube is installed in a way that it curves topward to get only gas and not liquid. If you have a CO2 tank with the anti-siphon tube installed and have the tank in a vertical position for your kegerator, you will siphon liquid CO2.

When buying new, it's only marked as anti-siphon when the tube is installed because it costs extra. So, if it's not marked, assume it's just a normal tank. I have about 3 spare 20's lying around from when I switched to HPA a few years ago, I should fill them up for my setup.

The one advantage for using smaller CO2 tanks is that if they have the right *** #, they don't have to be hydro'ed, EVER. It's the "2 x 2" rule. The only down side is those tanks are under 9 ozs,

From: American Hydrotest -Paintball Tank Testing.

CO2 tanks: 2 inches or less in diameter and less than 2 feet long, do not need to be tested. This is a *** Rule. These CO2 bottles usually have a 1800 psi limit. Greater than 2 inches in diameter must be tested every 5 years. These bottles are not fiber wrapped. These are considered high pressure.

EDIT: Why is the acronym for the Department Of Transportation censored?