Schinderhannes Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 I just came across an Invacare Oxygen concentrator and compressor that allows you to fill oxygen tanks at home. It is design for medical use, but I don't see why one couldn't use it to fill oxygen tank for aviation use. Maybe members working in the medical field familiar with similar equipment can shed some light on this. Having a hassle free way to refill oxygen tank, without renting big bottles and paying the $50 FBO charge sounds very appealing. What do I miss here? Thank you, Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruiser Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 "The IOH200 compressor consists of a multistage compressor, internal reservoir, control electronics with an integral oxygen concentration sensor, interlocking fill fitting, inlet fitting, and drive motor. The compressor operation is controlled by the electronics assembly. The motor/compressor is allowed to fill a cylinder only when the oxygen concentration of the inlet gas stream is greater than 90%. The motor/compressor fill operation is completed when the gas in a cylinder reaches the maximum fill pressure of 2000 PSI (13786 kPa)." from the owners manual. You would have to modify the connector to mate to your oxygen bottle but it sure sounds like it will fill the tank. Price: $3,580.00 MSRP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awful_Charlie Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 It costs me 70CHF a year to rent a big bottle, and the same for an exchange fill to 3000PSI. I get about a year out of a fill, and I'm not too careful about saving it (I'll typically have the flow higher than required). So for about 150USD a year on o2, it's gonna take me over 20 years to pay off that hardware. Nice idea, but I don't think the sums add up yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danb Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 One thing your missing ..it always cost me more than $50. They see me coming and off goes the cash register Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBill Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 I have an O2 welding tank at the hangar and I fill my smaller bottle from it. When it's 1/2 full, I get a full one for like $20. That makes the refills cost about $4-5. BILL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N201MKTurbo Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 I have a 180CF cylinder and a Haskill gas booster. I can fill my portable bottles to 2000 lbs with 400 lbs in the big cylinder. I bought it all on ebay except the cylinder and some fittings. I have about $800 in the whole setup. I can fill my bottles for about $2.00. I fill the big bottle about once a year for $25.00. Every five years I have to get it hydro tested for another $25.00. I don't have to hydro the portable bottles any more. I probably should take them in once in a while. The oxygen concentrator will not make pure oxygen. You will need to use more then normal to keep your spo2 where it needs to be. I was looking for one of those home compressors, but I could not find a good deal on one. Oxygen compressors are hard to come by. It is kind of dangerous. 2000 PSI oxygen will react violently with just about anything and once it gets going it won't stop until the oxygen is gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piloto Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 For O2 filling I go to a SCUBA dive shop that has Nitrox capability. Many shops here in Florida have it. Nitrox is a mix of nitrogen and oxygen that comes from two different tanks. Your tank will only be filled from the oxygen tank. I pay $17 for the fill. They fill it in a water tank to keep it cool and insure a full fill. José Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrBill Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I bought the large tank for the hangar on Craigslist for $25. I swap it for a full one at the local welding supplier.. Call around to find the lowest cost swap. Got the refill hose here: http://www.travel-air-us.com/id84.html BILL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryb Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I like the idea of a gas booster to get a full fill every time. I checked eBay. There are a lot and the price is all over the map from a low of $200 to several thousand. How do you know if a particular model is suitable? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PTK Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I don't understand the fascination of breathing welding oxygen to save a few bucks! Certified means just that. It's certified to a certain purity with no contaminants. It's very bad news and a very short story to experience an oxygen mishap. It costs money to maintain a facility capable of filling breathing oxygen tanks. I don't have any issues paying what it costs. Personally I can find other areas to save money than on what I put in my lungs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob_Belville Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I would go Bill H.'s route as I have a good friend with a big welding and fabricating operation and would gladly take care of me but my maintenance shop fills O2 tanks for his regular customers free. Hard to beat that price. I really like having O2. 6.5 hours in the air yesterday, almost half in IMC @ & 10,000, and I arrived about as fresh as this old body gets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisk Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I don't understand the fascination of breathing welding oxygen to save a few bucks! Certified means just that. It's certified to a certain purity with no contaminants. It's very bad news and a very short story to experience an oxygen mishap. It costs money to maintain a facility capable of filling breathing oxygen tanks. I don't have any issues paying what it costs. Personally I can find other areas to save money than what I put in my lungs. Personally, I use certified O2. The cost difference in the large sense is not significant. ($18 vs $30 for a 300 cf bottle) And yes I understand it comes out of the same "big" tank. Then they test it (moisture), which they don't do for welding O2. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonMuncy Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 Personally, I use certified O2. The cost difference in the large sense is not significant. ($18 vs $30 for a 300 cf bottle) And yes I understand it comes out of the same "big" tank. Then they test it (moisture), which they don't do for welding O2.What is your source for this information. Maybe at one time this may have been true, but I don't think it is true now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awful_Charlie Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I don't understand the fascination of breathing welding oxygen to save a few bucks! Certified means just that. It's certified to a certain purity with no contaminants. It's very bad news and a very short story to experience an oxygen mishap. It costs money to maintain a facility capable of filling breathing oxygen tanks. I don't have any issues paying what it costs. Personally I can find other areas to save money than what I put in my lungs. I agree. A 50litre bottle at 200 bar is three fills of the 115CuFt built in system from empty to max. pressure, and a couple of partial fills. That tends to last me a year/100 odd hours, in which time there will be say 1500+gallons of avgas, four oil changes and an annual (and 1500 bucks to Jepp ). Save 20 or 30 bucks on oxygen - sorry, that's not on my radar. Personally, I use certified O2. The cost difference in the large sense is not significant. ($18 vs $30 for a 300 cf bottle) And yes I understand it comes out of the same "big" tank. Then they test it (moisture), which they don't do for welding O2. Yep - I'm with you guys. If you find me in a smoking hole with suspected loss of control due hypoxia, at least the new owners of said smoking hole can possibly chase the purveyors of sub-standard aviators breathing oxygen (as can my nearest and dearest) What is your source for this information. Maybe at one time this may have been true, but I don't think it is true now. Have a look at the data sheets for AV vs. Medicinal from http://www.pangas.ch/international/web/lg/ch/likelgchpangasde.nsf/docbyalias/mul_we_gas_nav (sorry, it's in German, but I'm sure you can work it out, but just in case, Oxygen=Sauerstoff) - notice how AV has less than a tenth of the water in it. Water in your oxygen supply is not a great thing to have when up in the sub-zero temperature often found at the altitudes you need oxygen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marauder Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I don't understand the fascination of breathing welding oxygen to save a few bucks! Certified means just that. It's certified to a certain purity with no contaminants. It's very bad news and a very short story to experience an oxygen mishap. It costs money to maintain a facility capable of filling breathing oxygen tanks. I don't have any issues paying what it costs. Personally I can find other areas to save money than on what I put in my lungs. Peter -- let's take a trip up to one of my customers... You and I can watch them fill bottles. At the end of the day, let's talk again. BTW -- want more trivia. Ask me about what is in processed foods... "Welding" oxygen will be the least of your concerns. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N201MKTurbo Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I like the idea of a gas booster to get a full fill every time. I checked eBay. There are a lot and the price is all over the map from a low of $200 to several thousand. How do you know if a particular model is suitable?Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk There are quite a few models. Just make sure it will do the pressure you need with the air supply you have, and that it is compatible with oxygen. I have a single acting Haskell that will do 15000 PSI. With the supply cylinder at 500 PSI it takes about 1/2 hour to fill my 22 CF cylinder. If there is more pressure in the supply cylinder it will take less time. The one I have cost $600.00 on EBAY which was a very good deal. It took about $25 of fittings from the local Swagelok distributor to adapt it to the hoses I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N201MKTurbo Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 I don't understand the fascination of breathing welding oxygen to save a few bucks! Certified means just that. It's certified to a certain purity with no contaminants. It's very bad news and a very short story to experience an oxygen mishap. It costs money to maintain a facility capable of filling breathing oxygen tanks. I don't have any issues paying what it costs. Personally I can find other areas to save money than on what I put in my lungs. I have a cylinder that is labeled for welding oxygen. I own it and don't trade it out. I have to get it hydro tested every 5 years. I bought it directly from the cylinder shop, so it had been freshly overhauled when I got it. I don't let them fill it from the cascade, only the manifold. I always watch them fill it. You have to be there between 7:00 and noon on a weekday when they are running the manifold. I watch them connect it to the same pipe as the ABO bottles. (They fill quite a few for the Air Force) I asked the shop foreman once if they ever had a cylinder fail the moisture test. He said not in the 25 years he worked there. So I feel pretty safe with the oxygen I'm getting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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