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Date: 16 Aug 2006 08:46:42
From: Jim
Subject: CO2 refil or exchange
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I found a place near my house that will not refill but will exchange CO2
tanks for $14. I can drive over an hour and get it filled for $20.
Should I be concerned about that or just go with it?
Jim
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 13:02:17
From: Jim
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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Jim wrote on 8/16/2006 8:46 AM:
> I found a place near my house that will not refill but will exchange CO2
> tanks for $14. I can drive over an hour and get it filled for $20.
>
> Should I be concerned about that or just go with it?
>
> Jim
ok I decided to save the few dollars but really the time it would have
taken to drive to the refill location.
I turned in my bright new brushed tank, and got one that looked exactly
like it. I already have my new keg system pressurized as test and will
be siphoning my beer in to it within an hour.
Thanks for the replies. This newsgroup is great.
I have an Amber XX and a great smelling Bock going right now!! Cant wait.
Jim
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 15:14:20
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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On Wed, 16 Aug 2006 08:46:42 -0400, <Jim@no.com > wrote:
> I found a place near my house that will not refill but will exchange CO2
> tanks for $14. I can drive over an hour and get it filled for $20.
>
> Should I be concerned about that or just go with it?
IMO, go with the cheaper price. It doesn't really make a huge difference
whether you exchange or refill. I usually prefer refills (most of the
time they're cheaper), but given your choices I'd go with the $14 exchange.
John.
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 08:51:09
From: George
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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John 'Shaggy' Kolesar wrote:
> whether you exchange or refill. I usually prefer refills (most of the
> time they're cheaper), but given your choices I'd go with the $14 exchange.
>
>
My experience is the opposite. Exchanges are cheaper than fills in this
area.
George
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 14:11:25
From: stencil
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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On Wed, 16 Aug 2006 08:46:42 -0400, Jim wrote:
>I found a place near my house that will not refill but will exchange CO2
>tanks for $14. I can drive over an hour and get it filled for $20.
>
>Should I be concerned about that or just go with it?
>
Go with it. Just check the hydro date of the bottle they give you and
make sure it will be good until your anticipated next refill.
Otherwise, in addition to burning fuel and money, you risk
establishing an emotional relationship with a CO2 bottle.
stencil sends
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 10:49:24
From: Tom Biasi
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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"stencil" <etcs.ret@verizon.net > wrote in message
news:li96e2107jnbq41iqus2k2bc99r3b06bpi@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 16 Aug 2006 08:46:42 -0400, Jim wrote:
>
>>I found a place near my house that will not refill but will exchange CO2
>>tanks for $14. I can drive over an hour and get it filled for $20.
>>
>>Should I be concerned about that or just go with it?
>>
>
> Go with it. Just check the hydro date of the bottle they give you and
> make sure it will be good until your anticipated next refill.
If you are exchanging it doesn't matter if the test date expires while you
have it.
They will have to retest it before they fill it.
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 09:40:21
From: Phil
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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On Wed, 16 Aug 2006 08:46:42 -0400, Jim <Jim@no.com > wrote:
>I found a place near my house that will not refill but will exchange CO2
>tanks for $14. I can drive over an hour and get it filled for $20.
>
>Should I be concerned about that or just go with it?
A lot of places do bottle exchanges. It's easier and faster for
everyone. The only reason why you may not want to do it is because
you have a brand new one and don't want to exchange it for an old one.
Phil
======
visit the New York City Homebrewers Guild website:
http://www.hbd.org/nychg
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 06:10:49
From: cyberzl1@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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Jim wrote:
> I found a place near my house that will not refill but will exchange CO2
> tanks for $14. I can drive over an hour and get it filled for $20.
>
> Should I be concerned about that or just go with it?
>
> Jim
FWIW: I would just as soon exchange a tank. You get a "new"
tank(recent cert) and it's quicker. You don't have to go back to get
your tank.
Some will argue that "I paid for this nice shiny tank, and it's mine".
Fair argument I suppose, but most I have exchanged have been decent
looking aluminum tanks. I usually exchange my 5# tanks, but I get my
20# filled. They don't stock 20# tanks.
It's up to you, but it's mostly an aesthetic question. The advantage
is not having to worry abour cert status. Dis, is not keeping "your"
tank.
JW
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 15:40:04
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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On 16 Aug 2006 06:10:49 -0700, <cyberzl1@yahoo.com > wrote:
>
> Jim wrote:
>> I found a place near my house that will not refill but will exchange CO2
>> tanks for $14. I can drive over an hour and get it filled for $20.
>>
>> Should I be concerned about that or just go with it?
>>
>> Jim
>
> FWIW: I would just as soon exchange a tank. You get a "new"
> tank(recent cert) and it's quicker. You don't have to go back to get
> your tank.
You're right, a nice advantage to the exchange is not having to worry about
the certification. However, usually the exchange places charge more each
time to cover their costs of performing the certification as well as to
pay for replacing old tanks that fail. It seems unusual that Jim's
experience is the opposite. IMO, the advantage to refilling is that
it is usually cheaper. BTW, it's the same thing with propane tanks. You
can either exchange or refill them as well. Exchanging means that you
don't have to be concerned with the condition of the tank, but refilling
generally costs less.
The local place I go to refills on the spot. You hand them the tank over
the counter and they go to another room and come back in a couple minutes
and hand the refilled tank back. The only exception to that is every 5 years
when it needs to be certified. If they're not busy and you don't mind
waiting around, they'll do it right then. But usually when it needs to
be cert'ed they'll ask to hold onto the tank for a day and have you come
pick it back up later.
> Some will argue that "I paid for this nice shiny tank, and it's mine".
> Fair argument I suppose, but most I have exchanged have been decent
> looking aluminum tanks. I usually exchange my 5# tanks, but I get my
> 20# filled. They don't stock 20# tanks.
>
> It's up to you, but it's mostly an aesthetic question. The advantage
> is not having to worry abour cert status. Dis, is not keeping "your"
> tank.
I know this is probably not common, but I had an experience that relates
to this. I bought a brand new shiny 5 lbs tank a long time ago and
got the same one refilled for years. I never did it so that I could
have a pretty tank, but for the reasons I've stated above, etc. I did
take really good care of the tank, and many years later it was still bright
and shiny and looked like it was new. One day when I was at the local
refill place, he commented on how nice the tank looked (probably saw the
cert stamps on it and knew it was fairly old). He then said that if I
was interested he would be willing to swap a beat up ugly 20 lbs tank
that just passed certification for my pretty 5 lbs tank, no charge. I
kind of raised an eyebrow at that, but he said that he'd have a much
easier time selling the pretty 5 lbs tank to someone than selling the
ugly 20 lbs one. I didn't really care about the aesthetics, but apparently
a lot of other people do. I said "heck yeah", and upgraded to a 20lbs
tank for free. Another nice benefit is that refilling a 20 lbs tank is
almost the same price as refilling a 5 lbs tank (the cost is mostly in
the labor, CO2 itself is cheap).
John.
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 14:32:18
From: Bob
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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"John 'Shaggy' Kolesar" <spam@shagg.net > wrote in message
>
> You're right, a nice advantage to the exchange is not having to worry about
> the certification. However, usually the exchange places charge more each
> time to cover their costs of performing the certification as well as to
> pay for replacing old tanks that fail.
I can go to a fire extinguisher shop and get a tank refilled. $8.75 for
5 lb. and $20 for 20 lb. The welding shop will swap for $10 for 5 lb.
or $16 for 20lb. So it can go both ways.
Bob
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 21:45:42
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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On Wed, 16 Aug 2006 14:32:18 -0700, <bobnospam@gmail.com > wrote:
>
> "John 'Shaggy' Kolesar" <spam@shagg.net> wrote in message
>>
>> You're right, a nice advantage to the exchange is not having to worry about
>> the certification. However, usually the exchange places charge more each
>> time to cover their costs of performing the certification as well as to
>> pay for replacing old tanks that fail.
>
> I can go to a fire extinguisher shop and get a tank refilled. $8.75 for
> 5 lb. and $20 for 20 lb. The welding shop will swap for $10 for 5 lb.
> or $16 for 20lb. So it can go both ways.
That price for the 20 lbs refill sounds strange. You're 5 lbs swap price
is less than what I pay, but your 20 lbs swap price is more. I don't doubt
that you're right but it seems high, especially since your 5lbs price is
really good. From what I've seen usually the 5 and 20 lbs prices are a
lot closer to each other than that.
John.
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 21:05:56
From: Dan Logcher
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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cyberzl1@yahoo.com wrote:
> Jim wrote:
>
>>I found a place near my house that will not refill but will exchange CO2
>>tanks for $14. I can drive over an hour and get it filled for $20.
>>
>>Should I be concerned about that or just go with it?
>>
>>Jim
>
>
> FWIW: I would just as soon exchange a tank. You get a "new"
> tank(recent cert) and it's quicker. You don't have to go back to get
> your tank.
>
> Some will argue that "I paid for this nice shiny tank, and it's mine".
> Fair argument I suppose, but most I have exchanged have been decent
> looking aluminum tanks. I usually exchange my 5# tanks, but I get my
> 20# filled. They don't stock 20# tanks.
>
> It's up to you, but it's mostly an aesthetic question. The advantage
> is not having to worry abour cert status. Dis, is not keeping "your"
> tank.
I exchange my 5# tank since its hidden in the kegerator. I fill the 20#
tank since its sitting out visable.. and its in good condition. I can do
tank swap for $15 or fill for $10. The swap place is 2 blocks from the
office or one mile from my house. The fill place is about 30 minutes drive.
--
Dan
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 16:53:19
From: Ryan Case
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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Jim wrote:
> I found a place near my house that will not refill but will exchange CO2
> tanks for $14. I can drive over an hour and get it filled for $20.
>
> Should I be concerned about that or just go with it?
>
> Jim
My local Oxarc has an exchange program that is $14 for a 20lb tank each
time you exchange. One time $40 deposit. If I ever choose to quit the
exchange I get my $40 back, and I never have to worry about cert, as
long as I bring their tanks back to them for exchange. Seemed like a no
brainer to me at the time, as it was still $14 to have "my tank" filled
if I had one, and I would have to pay for cert. when needed.
Ryan
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 15:27:40
From: alebrewer
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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George wrote:
> John 'Shaggy' Kolesar wrote:
>
> > whether you exchange or refill. I usually prefer refills (most of the
> > time they're cheaper), but given your choices I'd go with the $14 exchange.
> >
> >
> My experience is the opposite. Exchanges are cheaper than fills in this
> area.
> George
A lot depends on how they are refilling. With a siphon feed system
(like they use for the paintball tanks), it can be difficult to get a
decent fill on a larger tank. The last time I took my 10 Lb tank in,
the guy say he put 7 pounds in it, but only charged me for 5. I
weighed the tank when I got home and he really only put a little over 5
pounds in it. I can take it a place that has a compressor to
pressurize the fill and they put an even 10 pounds in it.
If you exchange, they are probably always a "compressor" fill. And,
since the companies that do this deal with hydrotesting as part of
their overhead, they rarely increase cost to account for it. Yes,
they'll charge you to hydro your personal tank, but they'll also charge
you the same to fill an exchange tank as your personal tank.
If they fill while you wait, it could possibly be a siphon fill in
which case, they most certianly aren't getting as much in it.
ab
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 19:07:15
From: Brewer Bob
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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Jim wrote:
> I found a place near my house that will not refill but will exchange
> CO2 tanks for $14. I can drive over an hour and get it filled for $20.
>
> Should I be concerned about that or just go with it?
>
> Jim
I'd say go with it. Let them worry about hydro testing and all that
rubbish. What size tank do they fill for 14 bucks?
Brewer Bob
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Date: 16 Aug 2006 15:57:35
From: Jim
Subject: Re: CO2 refil or exchange
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Brewer Bob wrote on 8/16/2006 3:07 PM:
>
>
> Jim wrote:
>
>> I found a place near my house that will not refill but will exchange
>> CO2 tanks for $14. I can drive over an hour and get it filled for $20.
>>
>> Should I be concerned about that or just go with it?
>>
>> Jim
>
>
> I'd say go with it. Let them worry about hydro testing and all that
> rubbish. What size tank do they fill for 14 bucks?
>
> Brewer Bob
They exchange a 5# tank for $14.
I am already drinking my Amber XX out of my new keg!!
Jim
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