Oxy-acc Life Span

[Paul in OKC]

I was gifted over the weekend a set of tanks and torch set! Problem is not known how long it has set. Is there a shelf life on this stuff? I figure I will take the tanks to where we get our shop stuf from and have them checked out, but thought I would ask.

 

[gaston]

I was gifted over the weekend a set of tanks and torch set! Problem is not known how long it has set. Is there a shelf life on this stuff? I figure I will take the tanks to where we get our shop stuf from and have them checked out, but thought I would ask.

Hi Paul.
If there is a "shelf life" I have never found it. I have a large set of bottles last filled in the 1990's and still burn just fine. Check the hoses for cracks and brittle, and any "o" rings in the torch may need replacement. that said, my setup is over 40 years old and works fine

 

[joshua43214]

No shelf life that I know of. I have not filled my tanks for well over a decade and they still work fine.

Do yourself a really big (I mean like life saving) favor.
Study up on safety for handling acetylene (not running the torch, but handling the tanks). It is seriously dangerous stuff.
Acetylene will self detonate if released above a certain pressure, and requires no containment to explode when ignited.
The place I fill my tanks has a wall with pictures of exploded cars from people doing things like putting the tank in the trunk.
The tanks are filled with a media that the liquid acetylene soaks into. In theory, this prevents the gas from escaping above the danger limit even if the valve is knocked off the tank. The tanks are safe enough around the shop with common sense, the big danger is during transportation. So do not store in a closet, a ventilated room is not needed, but the air should mix with outside/household air. I keep mine in the garage, but a basement would be just fine.
Fire code in most places also require that the tank be stored in such a manner that is stays vertical (usually chained to the wall). This is so that the valve can blow off during a fire and not create a missile out of the tank.

At a shop I worked in many years ago, we filled a trash bag about half full of acetylene, tied it to the fence out front, and lit it with a fuse while we ran for cover. Our shop was on the edge of downtown, and the explosion was so loud the whole area was crawling with cops a few minutes later. It sounded like a stick of dynamite going off.

 

[JimDawson]

No shelf life on the contents that I'm aware of. The tanks do have a certification life and need to be hydro tested every few years.

 

[Paul in OKC]

Yep, I know that standing the tanks is proper. I will have them in the garage, and will make a place in the corner where I can chain them up as well. Thanks for the input! A friend was telling me a story about a guy that put a small tank in his car and forgot about it. A few days later it exploded at his work parking lot. Damaged several cars besides totaling his own!

 

[Cobra]

As noted above, the certification on the tanks will expire. In most of the places I have lived in Canada, if you own the tanks, you take the tanks in to the depot and they just exchange for a filled tank.
They look after getting the hydrostatic certification done when needed.

 

[dfletch]

I have a set that had not been used in probably 15 years. A while back I needed to use it and the first thing a nose blew off the regulator. Replaced the hoses and the gas and oxy worked fine. Part way through my job the diaphragm in the oxy regulator blew. Replaced both with rebuilt set and finished the job. So it seems the gas survived ok but the equipment not so good. I would check the hoses or if they are really old replace them before use.

 

[RJSakowski]

Check the hoses carefully for checks and cracks. Most of the hardware can be disassembled and cleaned if necessary. Other than cleaning the tips, it may not be necessary. Regulators can sometimes stick. I have torches, hoses, and regulators pushing fifty years old and they are still functional.
The tanks will most likely be pressure tested before the supplier will refill them. At least in this neck of the woods, proof of ownership may be required for filling. Years ago, theft of rigs was common as was not returning leased tanks when the lease ran out. I own my tanks but the company exchanges them for filled tanks rather than refilling them so there is no way of tracing the ownership through the tank itself and they go by the original sales invoice.

 

[John Hasler]

You can transport acetylene tanks lying down but they need to stand up overnight before use so that the acetone will all settle back down into the media. Simplest rule is to just stand them up all the time. Oxygen tanks don't care.

As noted above, the certification on the tanks will expire. In most of the places I have lived in Canada, if you own the tanks, you take the tanks in to the depot and they just exchange for a filled tank.
They look after getting the hydrostatic certification done when needed.

Here in Wisconsin I also just exchange the tanks I "own". I get a bill every five years for hydrotesting.

 

[chips&more]

The tanks will be stamped identifying whether or not they are owned or rented. Rented tanks for some people are a big pain. Make sure you have the tanks secured to a wall or similar so the tanks cannot fall. You do not want the valve to get knocked off!!! When you are through using the regulators, I always unscrew the adjustment to relieve the pressure on the diaphragm…Good Luck, Dave.