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Filling O2 in the DFW area...

Walt

Walt

Well Known Member
Picked up the Aerox O2 setup at sF and now thinking about how I'm gonna get this thing refilled. I'm at 52F and if nobody in the area already has a setup perhaps a few of us could get together and put a refill station together? Or perhaps there is a local welding shop that already will do this for us?
 
I'd be game to contribute to a shared fill setup. I don't expect to use much O2 this summer, but when the FBO charges $50 for filling a 10cf cylinder.....
 
Welding Shop! or Medical Supply Company!

There are literally TONS of them around. Welding SUPPLY shops, that is. That's who would readily do this for you. They fill tanks every single day, just usually much larger tanks :D

And, medical supply companies also do this same thing. We fill up a tank of my buddies here in Arlington (at a Medical Supply) all the time. We use it to keep oxygen flowing in a huge tank, when we transport largemouth bass from one ranch/stock tank to another. No problems getting it filled for a very marginal price.


Take care,
 
Labels

kcameron said:
~$7.50 + tax
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Do you cover up the "AVIATORS BREATHING OXYGEN" label on the tank?... :)

The label tends to set bells off in various places, especially if there are lawyers present... :D

gil in Tucson
 
It hadn't occurred that there might be a problem. The dive shop never balked even though I mentioned up front that it was for aviation. Is there a regulation about it?

BTW, I found them after searching far and wide for someone to pressure test my cylinder. They did it quickly and cheaply as opposed to the welding shop that was going to take at least a month and for a lot of green.
 
Near DFW

kcameron said:
It hadn't occurred that there might be a problem. The dive shop never balked even though I mentioned up front that it was for aviation. Is there a regulation about it?

BTW, I found them after searching far and wide for someone to pressure test my cylinder. They did it quickly and cheaply as opposed to the welding shop that was going to take at least a month and for a lot of green.
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No regulation AFAIK, just the usual aviation and liabilities ones... I think the regulations are Dept. of Transportation ones, as opposed to direct FAA ones...

When I lived in Los Angeles, the was a good oxygen shop that serviced the O2 bottles on the commercial airliners, a few miles from LAX. They did refills fairly cheap and had a quick turn-around on the pressure testing... they were the guys that painted the big label on top of the fresh green paint... :)

I'm sure if you check the Yellow pages there is something similar close to DFW...

gil in Tucson
 
Aviation oxygen

I would caution against using any oxygen in your aircraft except "aviators breathing oxygen." I can't speak to the purity of welder's oxygen, but obviously medical grade oxygen is very pure. The problem with the use of either of these in an aircraft is their moisture content. Aviatior's oxygen is highly dried and has no appreciable moisture content. Medical grade oxygen has a significant moisture content that can cause freezing in the lines at altitude. This will block the line and ruin your day at altitude.

I just attended the high altitude physiology course at the FAA in Oklahoma City. I highly recommend this to all who fly at any altitude (It's also free). I have a new respect for hypoxemia (even at low altitudes) and the insideous dangers of high altitude flight. The time spent in the altitude chamber at 25000 feet was a real eye opener. They teach you to recognize your own hypoxia symptoms (very different in different people). I watched a 20 year old pilot claim to the instructor that he could still fly though he was unable to put the plastic blocks in the cube (the toddler's toy). This was after only 3 minutes off oxygen.

Steve Johnson
RV9-A (Almost done)
Aviat Husky (flying)
Abilene, Tx
 
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docskj said:
I would caution against using any oxygen in your aircraft except "aviators breathing oxygen." I can't speak to the purity of welder's oxygen, but obviously medical grade oxygen is very pure. The problem with the use of either of these in an aircraft is their moisture content. Aviatior's oxygen is highly dried and has no appreciable moisture content. Medical grade oxygen has a significant moisture content that can cause freezing in the lines at altitude. This will block the line and ruin your day at altitude...
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This used to be true many years ago. http://www.avweb.com/news/avmail/189712-1.html

Scroll to near the bottom to see the word from a senior medical examiner. I had thought that welders, aviators and medical oxygen were all exactly the same, but he says that in some cases welders is more pure than the other two.

By the way, I have found for maximum refill flexibility it is best to not haved the aviator's sticker on the bottle and it is good to get an MD friend write you a prescription for oxygen, so you can get it at a medical supply place. As to why one needs a prescription for oxygen, I wish someone would inform me. Do people abuse oxygen? Is there any possible way to abuse this very natural and essential element?
 
docskj said:
I would caution against using any oxygen in your aircraft except "aviators breathing oxygen." I can't speak to the purity of welder's oxygen, but obviously medical grade oxygen is very pure. The problem with the use of either of these in an aircraft is their moisture content. Aviatior's oxygen is highly dried and has no appreciable moisture content. Medical grade oxygen has a significant moisture content that can cause freezing in the lines at altitude. This will block the line and ruin your day at altitude.

I just attended the high altitude physiology course at the FAA in Oklahoma City. I highly recommend this to all who fly at any altitude (It's also free). I have a new respect for hypoxia (even at low altitudes) and the insidious dangers of high altitude flight. The time spent in the altitude chamber at 25000 feet was a real eye opener. They teach you to recognize your own hypoxia symptoms (very different in different people). I watched a 20 year old pilot claim to the instructor that he could still fly though he was unable to put the plastic blocks in the cube (the toddler's toy). This was after only 3 minutes off oxygen.

Steve Johnson
RV9-A (Almost done)
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Steve - I agree whole-heartedly that everyone who is flying at altitude and with oxygen needs to try and take an airman's physiology course with a chamber ride. I get one every couple of years, and it is always an excellent review of my own hypoxia symptoms. The only thing about them is that the teaching material is getting a bit long in the tooth, and one example of that is the information ion the different "kinds" of oxygen (medical, aviators, welding, etc....). This was all true "back in the day", but with modern O2 production techniques, almost all of the oxygen that you are liable to find is produced to the identical standards - dry. It doesn't pay for the producers to have different lines, so they make it all the same. You can read a good deal about this in some Avweb articles on O2 systems and use, and I have confirmed this in conversations with folks here that deal with O2 production and supply.

Of course, what happens outside of the O2 plant with regards to cleanliness is important. I try not to fill my bottle in a greasy shop environment!

Paul
 
I'm going to set up a refill station at 52F

After checking some prices and considering everything including the "hassle factor" I'm going to just buy the stuff and set up refill station at the hanger. I figured it would pay back after about 40 refills or less. I also think it will encourage me to use the O2 more which is a good thing knowing it will be easy to refill when I get home. The local welding shop will refill the large supply bottle for $27 which should give me around 20 refills (estimate from Aerovox) vs filling the 13cuft bottle each time he wanted $20! I figure I can also supply the local guys for around $10 a fill (or lunch) until the system is paid for then about $5 (breakfast?) ought to cover all expenses :D
 
Should be set up in about a week to refill...

mikegraycmg said:
Let me know when you get it set up. I'll be one of your first customers.
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Aerox is shipping the refill stuff this week and I'll go grab the bottle in the next few days.. I'm in the far south east hanger at 52F. Cell is 972 746-5154

I'm usually around the hanger on the weekends and Friday which I have off. Of course I'm always looking for a reason to go out there and which then "forces" me to go for a ride to keep current :D
 
Ironflight said:
............Of course, what happens outside of the O2 plant with regards to cleanliness is important. I try not to fill my bottle in a greasy shop environment!

Paul
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As Paul mentions, be aware of petroleum products and other contaminants around pure O2. Very likely you'll get spontaneous combustion if you introduce pure O2 into oil contaminated tubing or bottle.
 
I thought I read somewhere (and naturally can't remember where) about single- vs. multi-bottle fill stations, and how more bottles = more efficient use of the oxygen therein. Can anyone remind me of whether that's true and refresh me on why?
 
Yes multi bottles are more efficient...

ScottK said:
I thought I read somewhere (and naturally can't remember where) about single- vs. multi-bottle fill stations, and how more bottles = more efficient use of the oxygen therein. Can anyone remind me of whether that's true and refresh me on why?
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As the bottle runs low the pressure drops so you can no longer fill the bottles to max psi. By using 2 bottles you always use the lower pres bottle first to partially fill then "top off" if you will with the higher pressure bottle. However unless you are doing quite a bit of refilling it's more econimically effecient to just top off your one bottle when it starts to get below say 1200-1500lbs. The cost to add a second bottle setup is about $300 additional so unless you are doing a lot of filling it really doesn't pay. I hope to be able to get the "welding" bottles at 2400lbs so this would offer quite a few refills before running low.
 
If you need an O2 refill in the DFW area...

Give me a call. I am now set-up to accomplish refills at the hanger. I had to invest a little more than I originally thought on bottles (I purchased 2) so for $15 I will give you a refill. Once I recoup a little bit of the investment I had to make I will drop the refill price accordingly basically then just to pay for the O2 itself. Hopefully this will make it more convenient for some folks (including myself), therefore you and I will be more likely to use it than before because it will be cheap and convenient. Note: I am not doing this as a "business" and this is a non-profit service only offered to the RV community and friends so use me at your own risk!
Walt
cell: 972 746-5154
 
Next time I'm headed your way, I'll bring my bottle! I used to fill at our Fire Station, but our medics got rid of the fill station and instead just have a small bottle exchange service....

Paul
 
Offer still available?

Walt,
In case we get up to your area any time soon, does your offer still stand? Just wanted to check since I need to get my Aerox system ready for service.

Thanks!
 
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Offer still good, shoot me an email when you'll be around and I'll try to arrange some time to meet.
 
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