Fire Extinguisher Co2

[JamesC]

My last word on this is DONT DICE WITH DEATH. High pressure cylinders should not be messed around with by unqualified people.

I'm afraid to say but gowing238 is correct in what he has said, if a little alarmist. CO2 cylinders are highly dangerous pieces of equipment and must be treated with extreme care. If the top is knocked off or regulator comes off they can quite easily kill and even go through brick walls. Fire extinguishers are more dangerous than aquarium and pub cylinders due to the fact that they use syphon tubes. These are incorporated into extinguishers to enable the release of CO2 as quickly as possible so to put out the fire. Because the syphon tube draws the CO2 from the bottom it means that liquid CO2 is expelled rather than gaseous CO2 in aquarium and pub cylinders.

All cylinders should be safely secured so they are not able to be knocked over. I have a 6.35KG pub bottle that is secured to the wall by a chain and also has protection around the regulator to prevent any accidental damage. I used to work in a lab for many years and have seen the damage that a gas bottle can do. Somebody I know of in the States used to get his CO2 cylinder refilled from a filling station. One day he went to get a refill and it was gone - including the bloke who was filling a cylinder at the time.

Just be careful folks

James

 

[George Farmer]

Sorry regrettably I am removing this thread, I dont want to get sued by anyone. I will keep the post to let people know if they ask, but in this litigious world I cant afford to risk it and thats crap I know but I can't. Sorry everyone

Sam

If you write a disclaimer at the start of the thread then you cannot be sued. "Do this at you own risk etc. etc.". Highlight the dangers.

Sure, pressurized CO2, in particular fire extinguishers are dangerous, if not treated with care and respect.

I agree with the statement, "High pressure cylinders should not be messed around with by unqualified people." They shouldn't be "messed around" with by qualified people either.

FYI I work with 3000psi nitrogen bottles used in fighter aircraft weapons systems...

Of course, I'm sorry for the losses of life experienced by folk via pressurized CO2 accidents. But those filling and working with them every day are inherently more at risk. They get complacent sometimes too. That's the biggest danger here - not the CO2.

Follow the steps ensuring safety pin is in etc. etc. then what we are doing with fire extinguishers is no more dangerous than pressurized CO2 with an "aquarium" cylinder.

As James says, be careful. Like you are mixing electricity and water and all the other risks this hobby presents.

Anyway, great thread, Sam. Sorry you felt you had to delete the OP. Feel free to re-instate it.

FYI I'm writing a step-by-step on this for PFK magazine. With plenty of warnings and a disclaimer, of course.

 

[Dave Spencer]

I have worked with high pressure cylinders in the RAF as well, and continue to do so in the power industry. I am not aware of any formal qualification that I require to continue working with them.

Highlighting the inherent dangers of using pressurised gas would make a sufficient disclaimer and cover your rear end, Sam. I rent CO2 cylinders from a welding shop without having to demonstrate any kind of competency or qualification in handling them, and the suppliers have not warned me of the hazards associated with pressurised cylinders.

Common sense and the subconscious risk assessments we carry out every time we do something is considered sufficient, otherwise none of us would have gas or electricity supplied to our homes. In this hobby we are all using 220V in close proximity to water like George mentions, and we don`t get electrocuted due to common sense, not because we are qualified electricians.

Perhaps if you reinstated it with a disclaimer, then gave a variety of people the opportunity to give their input and observations, such as James`, a definitive article could be written and pinned.

Thanks to Gowing for bringing this to the fore, but we shouldn`t get too alarmist.

Dave.

 

[JamesC]

Wooops, hope I didn't come over too alarmist - just my style of writing .

As already mentioned common sense is needed. I just wanted to tell people of the possible dangers as not everyone is fully aware of what a pressurised cylinder can do.


James

 

[JamesC]

This was posted on the Barr Report the other day - One of the dangers of planted tanks!. Not the first time I've heard this either.

James

 

[Themuleous]

Thanks for the comments, as you can see I've reinstated the thread along with a warning. Please advise if you think it is OK or not. Equally please also suggest any amendments that you think would be worthwhile re safety (or anything else for that matter ) and I'll amend the original post to reflect

James - you didn't particularly alarm me, (although the comment re it being liquid CO2 made me think) I was more worried about others. I'm happy to take the risk. As people say, if you're sensible you shouldn't have any problems.

Sam

 

[JamesC]

A note on securing the extinguisher so it is not possible for it to be accidently knocked over. If the regulator did get knocked off the extiguisher could take off like a rocket.

James

 

[Themuleous]

Cheers James, will add

 

[George Farmer]

Good stuff, Sam. Nice to see it back up. I'll edit the pinned thread on CO2 to include a link to this thread.

Thanks. It's folks like you that are a real credit to this forum.

 

[gt568]

Great guide, I got mine working last night, awesome.

 

[George Farmer]

Great guide, I got mine working last night, awesome.

Good to hear mate. Make the most out of your tank before the nipper takes away all your time and money. hahaha.

 

[gt568]

Great guide, I got mine working last night, awesome.

Good to hear mate. Make the most out of your tank before the nipper takes away all your time and money. hahaha.

Hmmm yes, it's 6 months away and it seems to be doing that already.

 

[George Farmer]

Welcome to my world, mate. It's all downhill from now... Worth it though.

 

[SuperColey1]

Just to add the disposable welding cannisters seem to have variable pressures!! The 2 x 390G I originally got showed a reading of 70bar and the of 3 x 600g I currently have the one I am using at present (the first) shows 60bar.

With these you screw the regulator on and if you do it slowly its like putting the pump on the inner tube too slowly. It releases very quickly. Does this higher pressure mean the are more dangerous? If so why are they delivered in a thin cardboard box with a couple of bits of bubble wrap between them?

Good guide Sam. I may be getting an adaptor next time to use with the fire extinguisher method if it will fit in my cabinet (height is an issue here. lol)

I'm also not using a solenoid at the moment although it is thre in case I need it. This is afterreading George say that his crypts seem to prefer the 24 hours.

Andy

 

[Themuleous]

Cheers Andy, wouldn't think 70 bar is any more dangerous then 60bar, as both are pretty dangerous to start with! Does seem a little odd, nothing to worry about thou I wouldn't think

Sam