O2 Refill Cost

I have an E tank but don't use it a lot. Two reactions I've gotten from FBOs over the years are telling; 1) "oh, just that little tank - here, no charge, not worth the paper" and 2) "look, we don't fill the little ones, can't charge enough to make it worthwhile."

O2 is very cheap but filling tanks is time consuming and requires just a bit of know-how. I have a small well thought out kit that allows me to occasionally fill my removable E tank from welders tanks or home medical tanks. Most home users now have concentrators and just use tanks for backup... filled on request. Welders pay reasonable prices for refills.


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There's some good info about building your own O2 cascade here: http://csobeech.com/Oxygen-Fill-System.html

There are several important things to consider:
1) Any part of the system that can come into contact with high pressure O2 has to be super clean.
2) All parts of the high pressure transfiller should be rated for both the pressure and for high pressure O2. Fittings from the local hardware are generally not adequate.
3) When you fill a bottle do it slowly enough that it doesn't get very warm.
4) It's not necessary but still a good idea to submerse small bottles in a tub of water when filling them.
 
gismo said:
There's some good info about building your own O2 cascade here: http://csobeech.com/Oxygen-Fill-System.html [...]
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Thanks for the link, interesting information for somebody who wants to put the parts for the transfer kit together himself.

I think I will simply go with the Aerox 'FBO-1, Two Cylinder Filling Cascade' kit for $483.59 .

I also looked at used 125 cu ft oxygen tanks, in good condition they are however +$100 + the drive to pick them up + a possibly necessary hydro test + filling. IMHO not enough savings to justify the trouble, I will therefore go with new tanks.
A local welding supply shop sells them brand new and full for $220 / piece. Refills are $25.

A welding cart from eBay for $66.38 will make my system complete.

Cascade Kit $483.59
2x 125 cu ft oxygen tank $440
Welding cart $66.38
Total $989.97

I think this will be a worthwhile investment, as we will not have to drive 45 minutes anymore, one way, during office hours, to the closest aviation oxygen service, only to have the tank filled up.
 
frcabot said:
Landmark at KOAK wants $150. I was like ???? They said it's the same price no matter if it's a gulfstream or a 6cf portable tank. Insane.

Does anyone have recommendations in Norcal? Can't find a place in SF that'll do it at anywhere close to a reasonable price.
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Atlas Welding
1224 Sixth Street
Berkeley CA 94710

$15, but you need to remove any ABO labeling... tell 'em it's for welding. About six hours from drop off to pickup.

Paul
 
Acrodustertoo said:
It should be cheap, 22% of our atmosphere is oxygen.
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Yeah, well what about nitrogen tire fills....the atmosphere os 78% Nitrogen.

I guess I can't get worked up over the price. I don't use that much. With the my nelson demand regulator the bottle lasts a good long time and the times I fly in situations I want to use it are minimal. The refills run from $0 to $50 places I've done it. It would take a lot of fills to make it worth setting up even a single larger bottle transfill let alone a cascade.

Was a paramedic for years. Used to fill bottles out of our cascade all the time. Gas came from Baltimore Oxygen supply (primarily sells to welders). Amusingly one day I come over and the guy is welding on the fire engine and he goes "darn I'm out of oxygen."
I tell him we've got plenty of oxygen and went and pulled our "thumper" bottle off the ambulance.
 
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Calkins @ KIWS just charged me $150.00. That was up from $85 in 2014. The cost of a booming economy.
 
Geico266 said:
Getting 02 filled as a medical O2 is crazy expensive. No need to go there. :no:

On the back of the passenger seat. It supplies pilot and co pilot.
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I only pay $25 in a very large E size tank for medical O2 at my welding supply. Not bad at all.
 
just skimming this thread, & don't see anyone producing their own oxygen? but I assume them getting filled at a medical or welding supply? and not filled at home. and don't say it cant be done, I can assure you it can, but it is also quite dangerous, but requires a few items & for you to fully understanding what you are doing. I have majority of what I need to do, but missing 1 critical item, but my system was designed to use as low pressure for torch work, & cut on at 80psi & off at 100psi, to fill tanks I need a whip to connect to tank & a home fill unit, but I do have a bank of oxygen concentrators, plus low pressure pump, high volume tank.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
that won't last long....you need a high press tank.
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if your referring to me? for torch work 20 psi to 40psi you can get by with low pressure running a max of 100psi. but for normal pressure of 1800psi to 2500psi yes you need a normal certified tank.
 
I have an H tank at work which I use to fill a couple of E cylinders I take to the airport to top off my in-plane MH tank.
Pennies.


What use would a low P tank be, they can't hold enough to last very long.
 
These days I am cheating. I have an account at the oxygen place and just drop off bottles as needed 'office stock for crash cart' is the script they have on file.
 
Years ago I was helping weld some steel onto a fire engine to replace a corroded section. About half way through the guy handling the torch says, "Damn, I'm out of oxygen." I tell him we have all kinds of Oxygen. I went and got the thumper bottle off the ambulance.
 
Can a Diving store refill your tanks? I have never dived before, but a friend of mine does and he has a punch card for $100 that refills his tanks for 20 times or $5/each dive... That sounds very reasonable, why could'nt a dive shop refill our aviation oxygen Aerox tanks?
 
It's all a matter of whether he has the right fitting to charge your tank. There's nothing different about it. You do need a diving shop that actually does O2. A run of the mill shop that doesn't service Nitrox divers will only have compressed air.
 
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