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Portable Oxygen Bottle Refill

Had a friend who went to the local fire station in NorCal, put some cash in the boot and they filled his bottle for him. I haven't tried it, but it seems like a win-win scenario.

I have a Roll-Your-Own system using a medical bottle... When I take the bottle, I also take a special yoke adaptor which allows me to get O2 from non-medical fillers..
 
Ezburton said:
Had a friend who went to the local fire station in NorCal, put some cash in the boot and they filled his bottle for him. I haven't tried it, but it seems like a win-win scenario.

I have a Roll-Your-Own system using a medical bottle... When I take the bottle, I also take a special yoke adaptor which allows me to get O2 from non-medical fillers..
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That's unusual and I would never have thought of that. It's common for fire stations to be able to refill their SCBA cylinders, but that's compressed air, not oxygen. Being able to refill medical oxygen cylinders is a whole different level of certification, training, equipment, inspection, and bureaucracy since that technically makes them a drug manufacturer. And then selling oxygen refill service to the public...lots of exposure there, and on a Federal level, not just state. Interesting.
 
MacCool said:
That's unusual and I would never have thought of that. It's common for fire stations to be able to refill their SCBA cylinders, but that's compressed air, not oxygen. Being able to refill medical oxygen cylinders is a whole different level of certification, training, equipment, inspection, and bureaucracy since that technically makes them a drug manufacturer. And then selling oxygen refill service to the public...lots of exposure there, and on a Federal level, not just state. Interesting.
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Most fire departments provide ambulance service and this is typically their most used service. So not surprising that many refill their own medical O2 bottles to save $. I believe most folks getting an ambulance ride are given O2 as a precaution, so they go through a lot of it.

Don't believe that refilling O2 makes them a drug mfr. I can get medical O2 bottles filled at my local welding gas supplier. The law only requires that they see a valid Rx before dispensing. While O2 requires an Rx, don't believe that anyt gov't agency considers it a pharmaceutical product.
 
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MacCool said:
Being able to refill medical oxygen cylinders is a whole different level of certification, training, equipment, inspection, and bureaucracy since that technically makes them a drug manufacturer.
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If refilling medical bottles makes one a drug manufacturer, then I guess there are a bunch of drug manufacturers around the little airports in the Twin Cities. I have an “E” size medical cylinder that gets refilled via a transfill setup shared with another RV builder. When one of those big cylinders gets low, it gets swapped from a welding supply place for under $100 delivered. That will fill my E cylinder many times, and I get about 15 hours of O2 from it in the mid-teens using a medical O2 conserver from Drive medical.

Knock on wood so far - my plane hasn’t spontaneously combusted and the DEA hasn’t shown up yet.
 
MacCool said:
I've written prescriptions for oxygen for pilots several times over the years as a convenience. It was not something I promoted or charged for, but word gets around. A couple of things:
  • this will likely limit you to Medical Supply stores
  • not all medical supply places have the ability to fill oxygen cylinders
  • most medical supply places can only fill a cylinder with a CGA870 tank valve (there are adapters but the store might not have them)
  • some medical supply places will be uncomfortable filling an oxygen cylinder for cash instead of billing Medicare or an insurance company...others will be happy to provide a non-insurance discount. for cash to avoid the paperwork and 90 day payment delay
  • smaller locally-owned medical supply places are more likely than big chain-based ones
  • when being prescribed for non-medical aviation use, the wording of the prescription matters a lot, with some variation state-by-state. The doctor (usually) can't just write "for aviation use, use as directed". There's a specific verbiage that is usually required.
  • this can vary widely state-by-state, region-by-region, store-by-store
​
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In Canada there are several medical supply stores in every town. Its their bottles that are exchanged on an as needed bases. I pay the $10 cdn peso and submit for reimbursement. Its simple, cheap, effective and they do the tank inspections.
 
Dugaru said:
Refills

I faced largely the same problems until I discovered my local scuba store would fill mine cheaply ($10?). I use an O2D2 which stretches tanks for a looooong time, and haven’t been able to justify buying my own refill setup.
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I thought dive shops use compressed air only
 
MacCool said:
Do you not recognize the mutually contradiction in that statement?
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No. An item requiring an Rx is not the same as being a drug. I will avoid the political commentary on why, but various things require an Rx other than pharmaceuticals, O2 dispensed into a medical bottle (i.e. CGA 870) being one of those. Some duarable medical equipment as well. How else would a welding gas supplier be able to sell it without a pharmacy license and registered pharmacists working there. We breath O2 all day long and the average joe can buy pure O2 at a sporting goods store. How can we call that a pharmaceutical.
 
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lr172 said:
once you dive below a certain depth, they mix in various percentages of O2 and nitrogen with the air..
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Not to be too nitpicky but below recreational depths, helium is used to replace some of the nitrogen hence the term "trimix" (helium, oxygen and nitrogen). Higher concentrations of O2 can be toxic at depth which is why O2 concentrations are often lowered in the gas mix when you dive below recreational depths. There are all kinds of gas mixes used depending on the depth and duration of the dive.

I've been diving Nitrox (32-36% O2) for 25 years. It's great when doing multiple daily dives because it reduces buildup of nitrogen and shortens surface intervals. But, Nitrox is not meant for deeper dives (even deep recreational dives) and can be dangerous in higher concentrations.

As a side note, scuba regulators designed for high O2 concentrations (greater than say 40%) are built using different materials (e.g. brass or monel) than standard regulators.
 
lr172 said:
No. An item requiring an Rx is not the same as being a drug. I will avoid the political commentary on why, but various things require an Rx other than pharmaceuticals, O2 dispensed into a medical bottle (i.e. CGA 870) being one of those. Some duarable medical equipment as well. How else would a welding gas supplier be able to sell it without a pharmacy license and registered pharmacists working there. We breath O2 all day long and the average joe can buy pure O2 at a sporting goods store. How can we call that a pharmaceutical.
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Medical oxygen requires a prescription because it's classified as a drug. It's not classified as a drug because it requires a prescription. You seem a little confused about that.

The FDA regulates medical oxygen as a drug, period. This is because it has specific biochemical and physiological actions, a defined range of effective doses, and potential adverse effects. Because of this, it requires a prescription from a qualified healthcare professional and is regulated by the FDA. Furthermore, companies involved in transferring medical oxygen from one container to another (transfilling) must also register with the FDA. That's just the law, and it's easily verifiable via even the most rudimentary Google search. A transfiller can't (legally) give you medical oxygen without a prescription, and to do so, they have to be certified by the FDA to dispense medical oxygen. Again...Google is your friend. Make sure you distinguish between medical oxygen vs industrial oxygen.

Now, I grant you that it's a murky area with murky enforcement. This is largely because of the fact that there's medical oxygen and industrial oxygen. In both cases these days it's exactly the same gas with the only difference being in how the cylinder is filled and the FDA and insurance certification of the place doing the transfilling. That makes it easy to conflate the two and often results in getting your aviation O2 cylinders refilled at a SCUBA or welding shop with nothing more than a shrug of the shoulders. Personally, I have no problem with that, It's the same gas but not being used to treat any medical condition...the risk is extremely low. I get O2 cylinders filled at the hospital as a matter of convenience and cost (free) but would have no qualms about filling at a welding store or SCUBA shop (I have an account at the welding shop for argon, and am well-known at the SCUBA shop as a long-time diver).

As to the DEA showing up at the airport...oxygen, while it is a drug, has no addictive potential is not a dangerous drug as described in the Controlled Substances Act. Penalities for violation are civil not criminal. The DEA is not involved.
 
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Tankerpilot75 said:
We discussed this but he is a wealthy gentleman and was sued not long ago by someone seriously hurt while they were illegally on his property stealing. Of course he won the law suit but his legal costs weren’t cheap. His attorney has suggested he not loan tools nor help others with parts, supplies or assistance as he has done in the past. It’s just too easy to sue someone with deep pockets.

It’s situations like this that are causing a lot of people to rethink how they operate. I’m sure if I truly needed his help he would provide it but I’d rather not ask now that I know more of his reasoning.

But that takes me back to the original one of how to reasonably refill a small oxygen tank. It seems there aren’t many fbo’s with this capability and don’t want to get into this line of service.
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At $50 per refill you can buy 2 big tanks yourself and break even pretty quick. Share with other airport users just like you were accustomed to sharing your friends.
 
MacCool said:
Medical oxygen requires a prescription because it's classified as a drug. It's not classified as a drug because it requires a prescription. You seem a little confused about that.

The FDA regulates medical oxygen as a drug, period. This is because it has specific biochemical and physiological actions, a defined range of effective doses, and potential adverse effects. Because of this, it requires a prescription from a qualified healthcare professional and is regulated by the FDA. Furthermore, companies involved in transferring medical oxygen from one container to another (transfilling) must also register with the FDA. That's just the law, and it's easily verifiable via even the most rudimentary Google search. A transfiller can't (legally) give you medical oxygen without a prescription, and to do so, they have to be certified by the FDA to dispense medical oxygen. Again...Google is your friend. Make sure you distinguish between medical oxygen vs industrial oxygen.

Now, I grant you that it's a murky area with murky enforcement. This is largely because of the fact that there's medical oxygen and industrial oxygen. In both cases these days it's exactly the same gas with the only difference being in how the cylinder is filled and the FDA and insurance certification of the place doing the transfilling. That makes it easy to conflate the two and often results in getting your aviation O2 cylinders refilled at a SCUBA or welding shop with nothing more than a shrug of the shoulders. Personally, I have no problem with that, It's the same gas but not being used to treat any medical condition...the risk is extremely low. I get O2 cylinders filled at the hospital as a matter of convenience and cost (free) but would have no qualms about filling at a welding store or SCUBA shop (I have an account at the welding shop for argon, and am well-known at the SCUBA shop as a long-time diver).

As to the DEA showing up at the airport...oxygen, while it is a drug, has no addictive potential is not a dangerous drug as described in the Controlled Substances Act. Penalities for violation are civil not criminal. The DEA is not involved.
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Ok, i give. I have no experience with the fda or drug distribution. I still fail to understand how you call this a pharmaceutical drug, yet does not require a licensed pharmacist to dispense it. I thought the only retail avenue to purchase pharmaceutical drugs was vis a licensed pharmacist, there must be exceptions to these rules, but have never heard of pharmaceutical drugs that could be dispensed by a welding gas supplier,

I yield to your expertise on this.
 
The oxygen tanks logistics seems a bit complicated. On a rare occasion I need the O2 I'm using the Inogen G5 concentrator. There usually quite a few of them for sale at pilot friendly prices on craig's list. www.diabetesstore.com has many choices for canulas, tubing, Y splitters etc - no prescription needed. The G5 never needs a refill and the replacement sieve bed columns are cheap and last a really long time (probably many years).
 
Flyguysr5 said:
At $50 per refill you can buy 2 big tanks yourself and break even pretty quick. Share with other airport users just like you were accustomed to sharing your friends.
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I had ONE welding tank when I was based on the other coast. I gave the tank to friends that already had two tanks so they have three tanks and they service their own systems.
 
Oxygen purity levels.
I am about to install a Mountain High Oxygen set up in my RV-10 as I discussed in another thread.
Having run into a wall of resistance to get my medical tanks refilled and not wanting to invest in a second oxy welding tank for a cascading refill system,
I opted to purchase an older Invacare Oxygen concentrator and homefill compressor. After having the oxygen sieves repoured and reinstalled I wanted to know the purity level of the oxygen generated. To properly confirm the purity level, I purchased one of these and found the following.

The newly refurbished Oxygen concentrator filled a D bottle with 99.5% pure oxygen.
A half full medical tank tested 95% ?? WTH ?? The medical tank was serviced by a "Professional Health Care outfit"
My oxy welding tank came in at 96%
A second oxy welding tank showed the same at 96% purity.

It is my understanding that industrial grade oxygen purity standard for (welding, fabricating etc) is to be at 96%.
However, medical grade oxygen is supposed to be above 99% purity level.
So, do you really know what's in your bottle if you haven't measured it?

I suppose in practice, when o2 is required at altitudes, you would also check your O2 levels via a finger oxymeter and adjust flow as needed?
 
just about all oxygen comes from the same liquid oxygen sources these days. There’s no significant difference in “purity“ or concentration medical vs industrial.

www.aopa.org

Oxygen is oxygen

Oxygen is oxygen is oxygen. There is a lot of misinformation out there about medical oxygen versus aviator breathing oxygen versus industrial-grade welding oxygen, but the bottom line is that is all three are the same.
www.aopa.org
 
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There’s no significant difference in “purity“ or concentration medical vs industrial.
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I agree, not significant and probably of little or no consequence to the user in an airplane.
However, my test meter says 95% purity on my medical bottle, 96 on the oxy weld tank and 99.5% from my concentrator.
Oxygen is Oxygen is Oxygen
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I am not trying to disprove the above but clearly there is a purity difference from one to the other.
What is troubling to me is that a certified health care provider is filling medical oxygen tanks with 95% purity when it is supposed to be
99% plus. I was just curious enough to spend $200 on a piece of test equipment and provide some food for discussion.
BTW some applications for Oxygen require purity levels of 99.999% (semiconductor manufacturing, heat treating etc.
 
N427EF said:
I agree, not significant and probably of little or no consequence to the user in an airplane.
However, my test meter says 95% purity on my medical bottle, 96 on the oxy weld tank and 99.5% from my concentrator.

I am not trying to disprove the above but clearly there is a purity difference from one to the other.
What is troubling to me is that a certified health care provider is filling medical oxygen tanks with 95% purity when it is supposed to be
99% plus. I was just curious enough to spend $200 on a piece of test equipment and provide some food for discussion.
BTW some applications for Oxygen require purity levels of 99.999% (semiconductor manufacturing, heat treating etc.
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You can buy oxygen, reagent-grade oxygen, and high-purity oxygen, for whatever your requirements all. For our purposes, standard industrial oxygen is all we need, happens to be the cheapest, and does not require any FDA involvement.
 
wirejock said:
It would sure be interesting to see what the purity is on the O² coming out of the wall in a hospital room.
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What difference would it make? There is no specific “dose” of oxygen prescribed for any medical situation…the flow is adjusted as needed based on real-time pulse oximetry, or if critical, based on arterial blood gas testing. The end result is what matters and that is very easily measured.
 
Perplexity query result:
The allowable range of purity for oxygen used by hospitals for feeding patients is generally between 90% and 96% oxygen purity. This range is widely accepted for medical oxygen produced by pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants and meets the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for medical oxygen. The common specification is often given as 93% ± 3%, meaning oxygen purity can vary from 90% to 96% while still being considered safe and effective for patient care.
Higher purity medical oxygen, such as ≥99%, is typically reserved for specialized applications such as high-end medical equipment or specific ventilator cases, but for most patient oxygen therapy, the 90-96% range is sufficient and clinically effective. The focus in hospitals is on stable oxygen supply, concentration monitoring, and safety alarms rather than ultra-high purity.
In summary:
• Medical oxygen purity for patient feeding usually is 90%-96% (93% ± 3%) .
• Purity above 99% is mostly for specialized medical uses .
• The key is stable supply and monitoring, not just the highest purity .
This standard is recognized internationally and supported by pharmacopoeia and medical standards from China, Europe, WHO, and the US.

When medical oxygen is not pure oxygen (i.e., less than 100% purity), the mixture typically contains small amounts of other gases and impurities which are carefully controlled to ensure safety. These impurities commonly include:
• Nitrogen and Argon: These are inert gases naturally present in air and often constitute the bulk of the remainder of the mixture.
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Allowed in very low concentrations, generally less than 300 ppm (0.03%).
• Carbon Monoxide (CO): Allowed only in trace amounts, typically less than 5 ppm.
• Moisture (Water vapor): Must be minimal to prevent issues with equipment; usually controlled below 67 ppm.
• Trace amounts of other gases: Such as nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrocarbons, kept at very low levels per quality standards.
These impurities are present because hospital oxygen may be produced on-site by pressure swing adsorption (PSA) plants or supplied via pipelines mixing different oxygen grades. The impurities must be within strict limits defined by pharmacopoeias and health regulations to ensure patient safety and equipment reliability.
In summary, besides oxygen (O2), the mixture usually includes nitrogen, argon, very small amounts of CO2, CO, moisture, and trace gases, all tightly controlled .

The FAA-approved oxygen purity for aviation use is typically 99.5% pure oxygen, referred to as “Aviation Grade Oxygen.” This oxygen also has very low moisture content (less than 0.01%) to prevent freezing in oxygen delivery systems at high altitudes. The FAA recommends using this high-purity oxygen to ensure safety and proper functioning of oxygen systems during flight.
In summary:
• FAA approved oxygen purity: 99.5% oxygen purity.
• Low moisture content: less than 0.01% to prevent freezing.
• Aviation Grade Oxygen is preferred for pilots and passengers at altitude.
• This standard ensures reliable oxygen delivery in the aviation environment.
This requirement supports the specific needs for supplemental oxygen use in aircraft above certain altitudes as regulated in FAA 14 CFR § 91.211 .
 
The FAA’s regs on aviation oxygen are based on concepts almost 7 decades old. I would submit that they are currently irrelevant and would be shocked if they were actually enforced.
 
Good grief!

Did you know the Washington Monument was 554 feet 7 inches (169.046 meters) tall? If it was 550 feet tall, would you notice?

As I have stated before, the O2 that is blown in your nose or via mask is to supplement the oxygen that is already present in your cabin! Unless we are in an F-16, we do not need close to pure oxygen in our bottle. If it was 95% pure or 97% pure or XX% pure you are still going to measure its effect by the pulseox device on your finger not by the percent concentration of oxygen in the supply bottle. You will not notice what the concentration is! We do not need 99.5% oxygen concentration with the modern equipment we have available today unless we are at Angels 18 and above.....which I haven't tried yet! :ROFLMAO: At the altitudes we are most commonly going to fly that need supplemental oxygen (below 16K), we are not going to need 99.5%. Yeah, but my bottle is not going to last as long if it is only 97% oxygen. You are not going to notice! You will find out how long a filled bottle lasts by experience: you alone vs with passengers coupled with altitudes flown etc. It is interesting to know what percentage the oxygen we are getting is, but I would have saved that $200 for what percentage of 100LL is in my fuel tanks, not what O2 concentration is in my supply bottle. A ramp check is NOT going to include the concentration of O2 in your oxygen system. IMHO, of course but I do have a modicum of medical experience..............
 
MacCool said:
What difference would it make? There is no specific “dose” of oxygen prescribed for any medical situation…the flow is adjusted as needed based on real-time pulse oximetry, or if critical, based on arterial blood gas testing. The end result is what matters and that is very easily measured.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am aware how they administer. Several family members passed. 10 total. Two while on a vent. one had a double lung transplant so I am very familiar with how it works.
I was just curious. One of a gazillion thoughts. Lucky answered it. Moving on.
 
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Roadjunkie1 said:
Good grief!

Did you know the Washington Monument was 554 feet 7 inches (169.046 meters) tall? If it was 550 feet tall, would you notice?

As I have stated before, the O2 that is blown in your nose or via mask is to supplement the oxygen that is already present in your cabin! Unless we are in an F-16, we do not need close to pure oxygen in our bottle. If it was 95% pure or 97% pure or XX% pure you are still going to measure its effect by the pulseox device on your finger not by the percent concentration of oxygen in the supply bottle. You will not notice what the concentration is! We do not need 99.5% oxygen concentration with the modern equipment we have available today unless we are at Angels 18 and above.....which I haven't tried yet! :ROFLMAO: At the altitudes we are most commonly going to fly that need supplemental oxygen (below 16K), we are not going to need 99.5%. Yeah, but my bottle is not going to last as long if it is only 97% oxygen. You are not going to notice! You will find out how long a filled bottle lasts by experience: you alone vs with passengers coupled with altitudes flown etc. It is interesting to know what percentage the oxygen we are getting is, but I would have saved that $200 for what percentage of 100LL is in my fuel tanks, not what O2 concentration is in my supply bottle. A ramp check is NOT going to include the concentration of O2 in your oxygen system. IMHO, of course but I do have a modicum of medical experience..............
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Yes. if a given patient needs to have a higher oxygen saturation based on pulse oximetry (need a higher FIO2), they will just turn up the oxygen flow rate. If that still doesn’t get the O2 saturation to satisfactory levels, they’ll change the delivery method…from nasal cannula to simple mask to non-rebreather…same as in your airplane. If extreme, the medical folks will intubate and put you on a ventilator (not practical nor necessary for aviation use). The actual concentration (people here are calling it “purity”) of the oxygen is irrelevant to the process, both in aviation use and medical use.

ETA: I should say, irrelevant in the general contexts under discussion here
 
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9GT said:
How about buying one of those Invacare, or other manufacturer's, home fill oxygen tank stations? I found a used one on FB Marketplace that included 4 mini travel tanks for $500 recently.
www.oxygenplusconcentrators.com

Reconditioned Invacare HomeFill Oxygen Tank Filling station - compressor only -

Owner Manual This completely rebuilt Invacare Home fill 2 system compressor is for use with the Invacare 5 lpm and 10 lpm Platinum units and the Perfecto2 concentrators only. This purchase is for the Homefill 2 compressor ONLY ! This is just the compressor, it will not work without an Invacare...
www.oxygenplusconcentrators.com www.oxygenplusconcentrators.com
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I have both the Invacare compressor and oxygen concentrator and refill my two welding shop size bottles with that to 2000psi. Rent on these bottles is $175 or so a year. Then when I need to fill my aircraft bottle, I fill from the larger bottles. Works perfectly.
 
have both the Invacare compressor and oxygen concentrator and refill my two welding shop size bottles with that to 2000psi. Rent on these bottles is $175 or so a year. Then when I need to fill my aircraft bottle, I fill from the larger bottles. Works perfectly.
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Thank you Steve, that is precisely what I had in mind.

In fact, I may be of some competition to the $145 O2 refill by my local FBO and sell refills to my friends.:unsure:
 
N42AH said:
I have both the Invacare compressor and oxygen concentrator and refill my two welding shop size bottles with that to 2000psi. Rent on these bottles is $175 or so a year. Then when I need to fill my aircraft bottle, I fill from the larger bottles. Works perfectly.
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Thanks, Steve, setting a welding O2 regulator to the inlet pressure on that Invacare compressor would allow the welding bottle to continue to empty while topping off a Mountain High tank. A commercial air powered oxygen rated booster pump is $5000 the last I checked. It has greater volume, but pressure is still 2000psi. A valuable tip!

Edit: 9.2.25 I looked up booster prices and a portable suitcase made in china can now be purchased on eBay for $2500. Using 150psi shop air it boosts O2 to fill aviation tanks and do aircraft service. It will use input pressure down to 100 psi and can exceed 2000 psi output. Just for the booster pump it is $1700 w/o carry box adapters. Made in USA Haskell (IR) is several times more expensive. Service is only o-rings (a bunch). Makes me wonder when we will get a Ch-Lyclone IO360 for under $10000.
 
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Airgas sells “Aviator Breathing Grade Oxygen”. A fellow pilot at my home field has a setup sourced from Airgas and will fill my jumbo D tank for a reasonable fee. Using a Mountain High O2D2 setup provides almost 20hrs at 10,000’.

​

 
7QBKevin said:
Airgas sells “Aviator Breathing Grade Oxygen”. A fellow pilot at my home field has a setup sourced from Airgas and will fill my jumbo D tank for a reasonable fee. Using a Mountain High O2D2 setup provides almost 20hrs at 10,000’.

​

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Likewise, American Welding and Gas (AWG) has the certificates necessary to sell oxygen for aviation use. Call ahead to your local dealer....not all locations sell it I was told.
 
Now that I have solved the Oxygen refill challenge, I am running yet into another problem.
Hydro Static testing of oxygen bottles?
Living in the Bay Area and surrounded by airgas, welding suppliers, medical oxygen suppliers and Fire extinguisher refillers, one would expect somebody to be able to do a Hydrostatic test on a Aerox D size bottle.
Do those of you who have oxygen tanks just ignore this 5 year requirement or is there a secret code one must know to enter the world of elusive oxygen users and getting this test done??
I brought my D bottle to 2 different outfits who assured me they could do the hydro test but after weeks of just having the bottle sit around in a corner, I finally reclaimed it and brought it to another outfit across town. Much the same story there, I was promised a 2 week turn around and it has now been 6 weeks and the bottle is probably lost by now.
It's a though I brought in a toxic medium that one one wants to touch. Is it the Aviation style fittings on the bottle or some other thing that keeps these companies from touching my bottle?
Where do you get your bottles tested?
 
N427EF said:
Now that I have solved the Oxygen refill challenge, I am running yet into another problem.
Hydro Static testing of oxygen bottles?
Living in the Bay Area and surrounded by airgas, welding suppliers, medical oxygen suppliers and Fire extinguisher refillers, one would expect somebody to be able to do a Hydrostatic test on a Aerox D size bottle.
Do those of you who have oxygen tanks just ignore this 5 year requirement or is there a secret code one must know to enter the world of elusive oxygen users and getting this test done??
I brought my D bottle to 2 different outfits who assured me they could do the hydro test but after weeks of just having the bottle sit around in a corner, I finally reclaimed it and brought it to another outfit across town. Much the same story there, I was promised a 2 week turn around and it has now been 6 weeks and the bottle is probably lost by now.
It's a though I brought in a toxic medium that one one wants to touch. Is it the Aviation style fittings on the bottle or some other thing that keeps these companies from touching my bottle?
Where do you get your bottles tested?
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Ernest, there’s an outfit in Livermore that will do it. IIRC about $70/bottle. Unfortunately I forgot their name, but google ‘hydrostatic test’ and google will find it. They’re located about 1/2 mile south of I-580, just off (west) of Vasco road. They’re in an industrial complex, a bit hard to find. Their main business is hydro testing fire extinguishers, but they did my O2 tank.
Edit: Coast Fire Equipment, 5930 Las Positas Rd, Livermore CA
 
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As a backup, I use a doctor's script to get O² from a welding supply. It's a D size medical bottle so it requires the appropriate fitting. I did have to buy the bottle. Two actually. They get swapped. I just pay the refill. They deal with the testing.
I could do much cheaper with a transfer station, but this is easy.
 
N427EF said:
Now that I have solved the Oxygen refill challenge, I am running yet into another problem.
Hydro Static testing of oxygen bottles?
Living in the Bay Area and surrounded by airgas, welding suppliers, medical oxygen suppliers and Fire extinguisher refillers, one would expect somebody to be able to do a Hydrostatic test on a Aerox D size bottle.
Do those of you who have oxygen tanks just ignore this 5 year requirement or is there a secret code one must know to enter the world of elusive oxygen users and getting this test done??
I brought my D bottle to 2 different outfits who assured me they could do the hydro test but after weeks of just having the bottle sit around in a corner, I finally reclaimed it and brought it to another outfit across town. Much the same story there, I was promised a 2 week turn around and it has now been 6 weeks and the bottle is probably lost by now.
It's a though I brought in a toxic medium that one one wants to touch. Is it the Aviation style fittings on the bottle or some other thing that keeps these companies from touching my bottle?
Where do you get your bottles tested?
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That testing is somewhat specialized and the typical air gas suppliers send their tanks out in bulk every couple weeks to these specialists.
 
That testing is somewhat specialized and the typical air gas suppliers send their tanks out in bulk every couple weeks to these specialists.
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Apparently so. The air gas business owner who seems like a very nice guy told me that these "testing outfits" sort of string them along and get
done whenever it suits them.
 
N427EF said:
Apparently so. The air gas business owner who seems like a very nice guy told me that these "testing outfits" sort of string them along and get
done whenever it suits them.
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Our local SCUBA shop has the DOT certification to do hydrostatic testing. I've had SCUBA and paintball tanks tested there and it was cheap and efficient. I've never had to get an oxygen cylinder tested but that shop has the CGA 540 and 870 valve adapters. OTOH, the American Gas/Welding branch here has to send them off to some central AGW facility and I was told that there's no telling how long the tank will be gone.
 
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