# how dangerous is a co2 bottle?



## bumcrumb (30 Apr 2010)

hi
as some of you may know already, i have a faulty co2 bottle with my regulator on which is showing 0 on the gauge but is a new bottle.
what i wanted to know is, how dangerous is it to remove the regulator from a faulty bottle which might/might not be full?
what is the worst that can happen and is there a safe way to get that regulator of the bottle so i can get my tank back to normal.
cheers folks


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## ceg4048 (30 Apr 2010)

Hi,
   I might be missing something here but what's the big deal? This is a regulator that you installed on the cylinder right? Doesn't the cylinder come with a shutoff valve? If so then rotate the shutoff valve to the right and unscrew the regulator attachment nut. If this is some weird brand name cylinder without a shutoff valve then slowly unscrew the regulator and allow the gas to escape. The cylinder will be emptied but that's just life. You should always have a cylinder with a shutoff valve.

Cheers,


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## bumcrumb (30 Apr 2010)

hi mate, im just funny with pressurized bottles and things never been to confident.
as you know its the colombo nano set and it has a knob on the top that lets you adjust the co2 and turn it off.
the thing is i dont think it had pierced the bottle properly so it is only leaking a very small amount of co2 so the pressure gauge wont have gone up.
this in my opinion means the bottle is still full and under pressure in the bottle with a dodgy pierced hole and as soon as i unscrew the regulator it will just blow!

what you think?


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## danmil3s (30 Apr 2010)

shut the valve put on some gloves if it does leak it might be cold and open slowly at arms reach just remember slow you'll be fine


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## ceg4048 (30 Apr 2010)

Yeah, I mean why even use a glove? It's difficult for those who don't share your phobia to understand exactly what it is that you fear. There is a much greater risk of your dropping the bottle on your big toe and smashing it to bits than anything else. I've injured myself with cylinders that way lots of times because I use 25Kg and heavier cylinders. Are you thinking it might explode? We're not dealing with Nitroglycerin or TNT so that can't happen. Are you concerned about toxic gas? No worries there. The gas is inert and we breath it all the time when someone is exhaling it while talking to us. Are you afraid that it will become a missile due to escaping high velocity gas? Not likely. The bottle won't accelerate unless you throw it at someone. The dangers of pressurized cylinders which are not carrying either toxic or flammable gases is that they can fall over and break the neck of the cylinder sending the shutoff valve careening like a billiard ball.

In fact you need to test your theory. Close the shutoff valve and remove the regulator. Then, open the valve slowly. If you hear a hiss then that means gas is escaping and that there is free flow of gas from the shutoff valve to the regulator. That implies that it's your regulator that is dodgy. if there is no hissing when you open this shutoff valve then the bottle is either empty or the shutoff valve as you say has not functioned correctly.

Cheers,


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## bumcrumb (30 Apr 2010)

well a little information for you all, co2 IS dangerous!!
i just unscrewed the regulator a little and it did indeed hiss then all of a sudden BOOOOOMMMM!!!!! AND THE BLOODY THING EXPLODED!!! luckily i did it under water with a towel wrapped around and it still managed to empty the sink and shoot out with extreme force all around the kitchen, im very lucky i wasn't in the way or that anything was damaged.
looks like im going to stick with easy carbo for now on!


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## danmil3s (30 Apr 2010)

i just said about the gloves because i know co2 comes out cold but yeah your right probably over kill. but im interested Clive did you have 25kg cylinders whilst you where in the uk even my 10 is only lasting 4 weeks


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## danmil3s (30 Apr 2010)

thats not good glad yo are ok if you undid it only a bit im surprised it blow up although the water wouldn't have helped probably made it look worse than it was.  was the thread on the bottle or reg shredded. dont give up on co2 have a look at f/e the have a valve you can shut before removing.(the handle)


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## bumcrumb (30 Apr 2010)

hey, i undid it a little and waited for a few secs then it just went off lol.
there was a round thick washer type thing that also got blew out and that was mashed up a bit??
it wasnt threaded and by the explosion i would say it was very very full lol


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## ceg4048 (30 Apr 2010)

Wow, that's the first time I've heard of that. Sorry to hear it mate. Glad you weren't hurt. Did you turn the shutoff valve before unscrewing the regulator? Did the bottle fragment, or was it just the stem where the regulator is attached. Could you show an image of the debris?



			
				danmil3s said:
			
		

> i just said about the gloves because i know co2 comes out cold but yeah your right probably over kill. but im interested Clive did you have 25kg cylinders whilst you where in the uk even my 10 is only lasting 4 weeks


Yes, I used these regularly and never had a problem. These are industrial cylinders via the BOC.

Cheers,


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## danmil3s (30 Apr 2010)

i tried a similar nano product and that didn't work propally never blew up though. those systems are a bit poor they just make them as cheap as possible because you throw them away. had a look on line at the model you have/had the thread does not look strong 3 turns and its off. like i say dont give up on co2


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## danmil3s (30 Apr 2010)

thanks clive i might have to look in to that even with the rent might work out cheaper


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## LondonDragon (30 Apr 2010)

My 2Kg bottles last about 4 months in my 125 litre tank! and the last 5Kg I used lasted almost 10 months!


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## danmil3s (30 Apr 2010)

sounds about right ive got 750l


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## stevec (30 Apr 2010)

danmil3s said:
			
		

> sounds about right ive got 750l



crickey how big is that cylinder?


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## bumcrumb (30 Apr 2010)

i havent got a camera atm, ill keep the parts and take one asap.
anyone recommend a cheap but good co2 kit that wont explode hahahaha


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## danmil3s (30 Apr 2010)

> Post by bumcrumb  Â» Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:10 pm
> i havent got a camera atm, ill keep the parts and take one asap.
> anyone recommend a cheap but good co2 kit that wont explode hahahaha


id like to see the pics of the bottle and id recommend a fire extinguisher set-up. 



> danmil3s wrote:sounds about right ive got 750l
> 
> 
> 
> crickey how big is that cylinder?



i only have a 10 kg and a 2 kg dont last long Â£10 each to fill


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## Colinlp (1 May 2010)

There is a positive side to this turn of events, you now have a supply of natural fertiliser for your tank, apt username too     

Seriously, glad your not hurt


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## mi5haha (1 May 2010)

A shutt off Co2 cylinder with a normal valve usually won't explode into fragment. It will fly up like a missile if there is a leak at the bottom (usually rusted through, or a leak hole patched by welding). It is still in one piece, but with a big torn opening at the bottom.

Caution should be taken when a Co2 cylinder is placed in concrete (like) ground that is exposed under direct sunshine because even when the air temperature is around 35 degrees Celsius in summer, but the concrete ground will absorb radiation heat from the sun and it will go up to more than 70 degrees Celsius, and the heat will be directly transfering to the Co2 cylinder body throught its bottom, and the liquid Co2 inside will turn to air, and then...

Usually a safety device on the valve will act and let the Co2 out in such circumstances, but if a Co2 cylinder is over filled (more than 60% of its capacity), then before the safety device having a chance to act, and the cylinder...

so  :         do not overfill a Co2 cylinder;
                do not expose it under the sun, especially when it is sitting on the concerete ground;
                check the bottom for rusty part (steel cylinders ) from time to time;
                do water pressure test every three years;


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