Oxygen Refill

drgwentzel

drgwentzel

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Flyers,

I have a small O2 bottle for the rare moment I do some high flying. I need to refill it and I heard that industrial companies, welding supply places, etc can do this for a relatively small fee.

Rumor has it that airports that fill O2 bottles have a much more significant charge for the same service. What do most of you here do who utilize oxygen for their flying needs?

Gene Wentzel
 
I'd bring it to a local welder air / gas guy. Should be a small fee. If you fly a lot, you could get a large cylinder and refill your smaller one. We use a local dealer for medical O2 and they come out once a month to switch out our tanks. Maybe 100 bucks each time but I'd have to check receipts to be sure.
 
Make sure the bottle is legal to refill - the hydrostatic test has to be within the past 5 years or so.

Around here the welding gas suppliers are about the same price as the FBO ($30) so no advantage...call around.
 
FORANE said:
I bought a transfill adapter:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Oxygen-Tran...211?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e7b7755db

and a 330 cu ft oxygen cylinder off of craigslist. The 330 cu ft cylinder was full and I have never needed to refill it. When refill is eventually needed it is only about $30 if I recall at the local airgas.
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Count your blessing.....

Airgas came through this area a few years back and bought up ALL the welding supply houses.... They are now the only game in town, or for that matter 300 miles...:mad2:..

Last refill for a 330 cu ft O2 cylinder was just under 100 bucks...:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
 
you may need a "prescription" if it's medical oxygen....and if you tell them its for aviation they could wig out over that. I've had difficulty going around the FBO to get Oxygen.
 
What Sixie said. Don't mention aviation. Also not sure if they will have the right adapters to fill your portable bottle.

I have built in O2 in the new plane and just bit the bullet and bought two large O2 cylinders and a dolly from Airgas as well as a transfill kit from Precise flight. I can now refill in 5 min in my own hangar for very little cost.
 
My in-laws have one of those oxygen machines that can fill their medical oxygen bottles. Will that work, or does it not produce oxygen in the right concentration?
 
182driver said:
My in-laws have one of those oxygen machines that can fill their medical oxygen bottles. Will that work, or does it not produce oxygen in the right concentration?
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It is the correct concentration.... It will just take a LONG time to fill.. And you need a booster pump to fill the cylinder...
 
Some dive shops can fill them for you. They use Aviation Oxygen to mix Nitrox for diving. I have personally filled several tanks for people who said that the price we were charging was much less than the FBO.
 
The airport charges about 30% more than what I can get it filled elsewhere. Sometimes it's worth the convenience of having them do it then and there (my local gas dealer can't fill them at the local shop and sends them with a day turnaround to their other facility).
 
We also have the small O2 tank for our RV-8A. We bought a second one so we always have a full tank.

I have found that most airports that are set up for O2 take one look at our itty-bitty tank, chuckle, attach it to their tanks, squirt O2 into it for 0.8 seconds, filling it completely, hand it back to me, and send me on my way, gratis. At most, I've been charged $25 (in San Marcos, TX) -- and those boys came and stayed at our hotel the following month, so we're money ahead.

YMMV, but if you take it into a big corporate shop, like I've done on several occasions, the guys won't even charge you.
 
From all the research I've done, welding O2 is the same as aviator's O2 except for the price and paperwork. Do with this information as you please....
 
Jay Honeck said:
We also have the small O2 tank for our RV-8A. We bought a second one so we always have a full tank.

I have found that most airports that are set up for O2 take one look at our itty-bitty tank, chuckle, attach it to their tanks, squirt O2 into it for 0.8 seconds, filling it completely, hand it back to me, and send me on my way, gratis. At most, I've been charged $25 (in San Marcos, TX) -- and those boys came and stayed at our hotel the following month, so we're money ahead.

YMMV, but if you take it into a big corporate shop, like I've done on several occasions, the guys won't even charge you.
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I spent more time than it was worth looking for low cost options for my very occasional refill needs.

I too had an large FBO king of through up there hands at my request then proceed to fill it. It's not that small a tank so I don't get it. I've also had to pay $30.

Just don't spend too many ergs chasing this one down.
 
Yep, since my oxygen bill doesn't really run more than $50 total a year, I've not worried about it. It would take a long time for transfilling to pay back for me (or even the nuisance of lugging the tank to the gas shop to refill it).

It used to be that Nelson and MH both had a tank at their booths at Oshkosh and would top your tank for you there...
 
I'm lucky, a nearby airport FBO fills ours for free.....
 
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