100lb propane to air?

chopped · Dec 22, 2010

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 · Dec 22, 2010

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 · Dec 22, 2010

chopped said:
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 · Dec 22, 2010

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 · Dec 22, 2010

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 · Dec 22, 2010

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 · Dec 22, 2010

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 · Dec 23, 2010

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 · Dec 23, 2010

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.