AMURRAY
Well Known Member
I was surfing through the forums tonight a came across a post about nitrogen in aircraft tires. No I don't think you need to put nitrogen into GA aircraft tires. But I do think nitrogen has many uses. I do own a small nitrogen bottle. I couldn't tell you how many cubic feet is is but it is about 18 inches tall. Nitrogen is a dry and stable gas and has many uses. First of all the small bottle is very portable. I admit that I have hauled it out to the back yard to fill the tire in the wheel barrow. I do think it is necessary in jets. The tires go from freezing cold to to very hot in a split second. Not a good environment for moisture or an unstable gas. Get some moisture in a line, let say a static line. Disconnect it and blow it out with some nitrogen and it will dry it out in a big hurry. Also being a A&P it is indispensable for working on vapor cycle air conditionings. A great way to check for a leak in an AC system is to pump it up with nitrogen (200-300 PSI) and check for leaks with soapy water. You can't do that with shop air, plus the moisture would contaminate the system. The 2000 PSI bottle last a long time for me. I say I exchange it about every six months. It cost 12 bucks. Spruce and ATS advertise these expensive nitrogen rigs. They are not necessary. I bought the cheapest nitrogen regulator I could find and used a regular air hose quick disconnect on the regulator. I have a short air hose dedicated to nitrogen. It is easier for me to bring the nitrogen to the airplane than bringing the airplane to the shop air.
Aaron
Aaron