: I see a lot of posts recommending that an airsmith should be the only one to change the valve on a CO2 tank. It looks pretty simple? Doesn't it just unscrew off? Anyone have any advice? Do you use any teflon tape? It doesn't look that difficult to do yourself. Any info appreciated...There's a number of things you need to be aware of:
00) Wear your safety glasses.
0) Make sure the tank is completely empty--it may stop venting, but that doesn't mean that there's not dry ice in the bottom.
1) *Do not* heat the existing tank/valve combo to remove the broken valve--you will damage the tank.
2) You need a torque wrench--valves have to be put on at a specific ft/lbs.
3) Use the right loctite, do not use teflon tape.
4) Make sure that the threads on the bottle and the valve are not damaged--a minimum of 9 undamaged (no nicks) threads on each part.
5) *Do not* get loctite into the vent hole of the rupture disk.
6) Leave the tank and valve *24 hours* (not overnight) to cure.
I'm being purposefully vague here, because working with high-pressure gasses is dangerous, even something as small as a 7 oz CO2 tank. It *can* kill you.
All-in all, unless you are running a field, or are a mechanic or welder, the amount of tools and supplies you need really doesn't justify doing it yourself. I've been certified to airsmith, but I am not going to fool around with CO2 tanks until I get my field started--then the volume will outweigh the tools/supplies requirement.
Frankly, CO2 scares me *alot*, due to it's volatility w/temperature. Aluminum CO2 tanks (by far the most prevalent) are usually stamped at 1800psi, have 3k psi rupture disks, and have max pressure ratings of around 5k. Compare this with HPA tanks, which are generally max pressure rated at 3x their working pressure (e.g. a 3K tank can handle a max of 9K--and many manufacturers' products can handle 4-5x the rated working pressure). HPA is not nearly as volatile, so there is a much bigger safety margin built into equipment.
=RT=
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