100lb propane to air?

[chopped]

I found this buy
Shop Outdoor Living : Grills & Outdoor Cooking : Grill Accessories : Worthington Cylinders at Lowes.com
I was wonering as someone said I could convert it to be a portable air tank. I assume the size would allow me to fill sevral tires as I would like to be able to do.
Has anyone done the conversion?
Thanks

 

[Craig Clayton]

I converted a 40 LBS aluminum propane tank to an air pig many many years ago,and I still use it to this day. You need to rise it with varsol etc as they us a harmless agent for smell in ( natural gas ) and I think they add it to propane ( mercaptan ). My cousin who worked as a propane installer said the tanks are safety valved to 350 PSI. If the tank looks poor do not use it.
Craig Clayton

 

[lostcause]

I found this buy
Shop Outdoor Living : Grills & Outdoor Cooking : Grill Accessories : Worthington Cylinders at Lowes.com
I was wonering as someone said I could convert it to be a portable air tank. I assume the size would allow me to fill sevral tires as I would like to be able to do.
Has anyone done the conversion?
Thanks

we used to have one floating around the shop made out of an old r134 tank. same principal, though i think i'd be leery of a propane bottle being reused that way, but if it's new i would think it's ok. the thing is, where's the cost savings? i just did a quick google and hit this:

Amazon.com: Wilmar W10005 5-Gallon Portable Air Tank: Home Improvement

there should be tons of these around for this price range, and they have the proper fittings already, and they also have a gauge and hose. i can see converting something else if you happen to have all the fittings & such lying around, but it doesn't seem to be a real practical diy project. i've avtually known a couple people who have picked these premade tanks up at lawn sales for $5 too.

edit: i just realized your post said 100lb. the page i looked at for lowe's doesn't have tanks that big, so i was thinking you were just going with a small one. i'm not familiar with the size or cost of a 100lb propane tank, but i'd think that you might have as much luck buying a broken compressor and salvaging the tank

 

[irvingj]

You might want to check on the suitability for use with air... my understanding is that the interiors of many gas tanks, since the gasses that go into them are "dry," are not painted. Certainly the case with the refrigerants I used to work with (12, 22, 504).

Since air almost always contains moisture, the unpainted interior of a tank, if it's steel, will begin to rust and weaken. BOOM... or, at least, that's what we were told.

Never personally heard of one blowing, but I sure wouldn't want to be anywhere near if it did!

Something to think about.

 

[Mace Canute]

I'd trust a propane tank to be a better pressure vessel than a "Made-in-China" air carry tank, any day of the week. I don't think any portable air tank is painted inside. I've only cut open one (to convert it to a gas tank) and it was bare metal on the inside. One site I did see had this to say about their product: "Exterior surfaces are painted with a coat of standard shop primer. Special interior and exterior coatings per customer specifications can be quoted." Sounds like they will coat the interior but only if the customer asks specifically for it to be done.

 

[chopped]

Yes sory the like was to the 100 tank. the link just seems to go to all the tanks My idea was the volume as opposed to the smaller tanks..sometimes the trailer has four flats and I ahve to air it up , its also 500 feet from the house

 

[Just Bill]

Hello

Worthington Cylinders 100 lb. Propane Cylinder
Item #: 28370 | Model #: 303953

$117.00

From the Lowes web site

Not a bad price for the size.
Ive never seen an air tank coated on the inside.
Never saw one that blow up but have seen some rust through and leak.
Propane tanks are built as well or better than Freon tanks due to the
Propane vapor pressure.
I think it will work for you

 

[crazyal]

I bet I have 4 or 5 old ones that you could have if you were close enough. They are older and don't have the guard around the valve. They were here when I bought the land. The old owner used them for lights for the hunting cabin. A couple of them still had some propane in them so I modified my BBQ so I could use it up.

They are much thicker steel than an air tank. I wouldn't think twice about filling one, even an old one unless it looked real bad as I doubt they rust on the inside like a tank on an air compressor.

 

[Scooby074]

Interesting idea no reason it wont work that i can think of. Bear in mind those large propane tanks are HEAVY.

What would the volume of the 100 lb tank be? 35 Gal by my calculations.

As a comparison, my air pig is about 10-11 gallons. That allows me to remove all the lug nuts on a typical car in 2 fills, but its also alot easier to handle. Just throwing it out for comparison purposes.

 

[oc3crwler]

check camper sales and propane retailers. A local camp grounds to me sells these new for $59 and $79. Not sure what the diffrence is.

 

[handirifle]

I would check craigslist or similar for an older air tank from a 30gal compressor would be a way better setup. Propane weighs about 4.2lbs per gallon, so a 100lb tank will hold 23 gallons.

thirty gal air tanks are VERY common and I've seen them actually free on CL, the highest is about $40. Plus you already have fittings, and many still have the wheels on them, at least in the pics.

 

[chopped]

Hello

Worthington Cylinders 100 lb. Propane Cylinder
Item #: 28370 | Model #: 303953

$117.00

From the Lowes web site
Ahhh thats why the link doesnt work the prces vary across the country that tank cost $93.45 here.They made me put in a zip code.

 

[SandburRanch]

If you decide to go with a used cylinder and want to check its' integrity it can be hydro tested with water, (hydro ) a grease gun and gauge. But for convenience I would think having the tire leaks repaired and a smaller tank would be my choice because of tank weight. I've made several from freon bottles and prefer them over thinner cheap purchased tanks.

And depending on your welding skills a larger cylinder can be made from multiple freon bottles.

 

[slowzuki]

Nope, they are designed to 240 or 250 psi depending on the standard the tank was built to. The have to be inspected and hydro tested on a timeline (every 5 years is it?), and they don't have much corrosion allowance in the tank design. I can't find the relief valve setting.

I converted a 40 LBS aluminum propane tank to an air pig many many years ago,and I still use it to this day. You need to rise it with varsol etc as they us a harmless agent for smell in ( natural gas ) and I think they add it to propane ( mercaptan ). My cousin who worked as a propane installer said the tanks are safety valved to 350 PSI. If the tank looks poor do not use it.
Craig Clayton

 

[orezok]

Volume

100#/4.11#/gal x 1.25 (80% max liquid fill)= 24 GAL.

 

[David Devuono]

Having just converted a air tank to a gas tank I second the no paint on inside. One reason I converted the tank was, got tired of going back and forth to aircompressor and just bought a longer air hose and some quick connects so found a better use for the air pig. You might be able to use it to top up 4 tires but I doubt you could fill two deflated tires on a truck. I would plan on putting tires on this tank

 

[rjmack]

i have 20# tank that i have been using for quite a few years. i have my compressor set to 110 psi.

if a 16" truck tire is right flat, it will put enough air in it to roll with the weight of a vehicle on it, but not fill it right up.

 

[Craig Clayton]

I will go with the 250 LBS rating and on the forklift tanks I removed or altered what I did not need. As the tanks are all out of date and as long as we do not get near the max it should be ok. If the rating is 250LBS what is the burst , x2, x3 .
Craig Clayton

 

[Craig Clayton]

I hunted down quickly propane cylinder pressure and there is a reference to 350 LBS, it is in the hose ratings
http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/PDF/CodesStandards/TIAErrataFI/TIA58-08-3.pdf
I did not spend too much time looking but the National Fire protection is the law.
Craig Clayton

 

[rjmack]

I will go with the 250 LBS rating and on the forklift tanks I removed or altered what I did not need. As the tanks are all out of date and as long as we do not get near the max it should be ok. If the rating is 250LBS what is the burst , x2, x3 .

you must have a pretty scary compressor to get 250 psi