how fast should a CO2 cylinder last?

angyles

angyles

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Nov 4, 2002
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I got my CO2 setup in about the 1st of may. it's a 10lb tank with a Sumo regulator setup. When the tank was new it registered about about 1750 PSI. alllllll this time it hasn't dropped at all, which I thought was interesting because of the rate I have it going. It's a 150G, and I have the bubbles going at a speed I can't really count. I dunno maybe 8-10 BPS in mineral oil?

so about a week ago I noticed it droped to the 500 PSI level., which is where the red starts. I glance at it about weekly usually. Since then, it's dropped visibly, daily. it's now at 250 PSI and at this rate will need refilled in a few days.

Is this normal? Is this like my gas guage in my care which depletes faster when it gets to the bottom of the tank? i'm not quite sure how it works! I sprayed it all down with soapy water and didn't find any leaks, and 4 months SEEMS reasonable to me. I'm just wanting verification :-)
 
BTW I meant 750 PSI NOT 1750 LOL

also, maybe the change of season explains why it wasn't going down. the house was consistently getting warmer and warmer, expanding the gas. Now that it's low, it's really low and there's no expanding that can affect that.
 
The CO2 in your tank is mostly in liquid form. The pressure of the gas phase is therefore pretty constant except for fluctuations induced by changes in temperature. If your room temp. is steady, your tank pressure will also be steady until the last of the liquid is converted to gas. Then the pressure will vary a lot more with temperature. Once you notice this happening, or you see the pressure drop - replace the tank. Especially if you have a single stage regulator, not replacing the tank at this point is leaving you open to "end of tank dump". What happens is the temp. in your room rises a bit, increasing the pressure. In a single stage regulator, this increase in pressure results in a similar increase in CO2 output (which can harm your livestock if it goes high enough). Two stage regulators are not immune to this, but they are resistant.
 
coach_z said:
so you went thorugh a 10# tank in about 3 months? that doesnt sound right....whip out the windex and start spraying until you find a leak....
Click to expand...

i don't know that seems pretty reasonable on a 150 gallon tank and how much he seems to be pumping in. i mean i used a 5# cylinder on my 30 gallon and went through it in like 4 months. btw i thought he said 4 months it lasted.
 
yes is was 4 months not 3, at a VERY high rate. And as I said, I did check for leaks. I think Squawk hit it on the head. Luckily this is a 2 stage regulator. At this point I'm monitoring it VERY closely and I think I'll take it in this afternoon/tomorrow because it's not worth squeezing that 1-2 extra days out of it.
 
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