Please get a dolly and straps to secure the cylinder so it can not fall. The cylinder is dangerous if neck is broken. Also be aware of need to avoid any petroleum products near oxygen fittings due to risk of spontaneous combustion. Wash hands and use clean gloves. Learn proper handling techniques. Do not strike sides of tank with metal tools. See the Mythbusters episode Air Cylinder Rocket on CZcams.
For the love of all that's holy please get some safety and handling training!!!! Your supplier will probably be happy to train you for free (or a short ride if you want to make friends). Gaseous oxygen isn't too hard to handle, but there are a few gotchas that can blow you to bits.
Dan, One word of CAUTION, Always keep the threads clean on all connections and NEVER allow ANY grease or oil to get onto the fittings! OIL or GREASE with Oxygen can cause an explosion or fire !
Heard an unconfirmed story involving a military fighter's oxygen system that was based on liquid oxygen for a larger storage capability. Many dewars (vacuum-walled tanks) of liquid N2 or O2 have vents to keep container pressure low. The vents emit cold gas that falls to the ground because it is heavier than ambient air. One ground crew member involved in refilling the system had cuffs on his trousers. Unaware that very cold gaseous oxygen had gathered in the cuffs during the operation and was surrounding him in an oxygen-rich cloud as it warmed up, he walked away for a smoke and had a terrible surprise when he tried to light up his cigarette. Glad that light GA A/C use bottled oxygen. Pure oxygen is no joke.
You really want 2 or 3 bottles cascaded together. By only using one bottle, after a fill or two, you can’t get a total fill up. By cascading one then another, the first bottle fills what it can, then you turn it off and top it with the other. You can get much more life out of that first bottle by using a system like that!
Remember to put the tank against a wall and chain it to the wall as a safety. I would look into buying a tank and if you do welding with oxygen see if that tank and gas is good for airplanes too. But I would check if your airfield is okay with the tank at the hanger
Good advice. Not difficult and not dangerous if reasonable caution is used. Do not turn on anything until all the connectors are properly snugged. We bought a hangar bottle for our turbo Mooney and love it. Cost much less than buying it from the jet center next door, which recently hit like $200 per fill. Our O2 tank in the t-hangar is good for 5-8 fill-ups, sometimes more if we don't let the plane 02 bottle get too low. That also maintains high pressure in in our hangar bottle for longer, so we get more 02 in the plane bottle.
I can only get about two fillups. But since this video, I got a on demand regulator from Mountain High and man, that makes my oxygen last about four times longer.
Not bad for a rookie. Just a few words of caution. Oil and oxygen equal explosion. Find some brass end wrenches and store them in a clean plastic bag. This will greatly reduce the chance of a spark which equals explosion. Also keep the fitting in a plastic bag and the ends of the hoses also. Seal with a rubber band. The last thing you need is to introduce any dirt into your oxygen system because replacement parts are expensive. You can buy an oxygen leak detector (Liquid in a squeeze bottle) to check the filler for leaks after filling. also keep your oily dirty fingers out of the oxygen bottle connector. Put the safety cap on the tank when not servicing and chain the tank to the wall in storage. Not ragging on you just trying to enlighten the public. Retired airline pilot and A&P mechanic. One last thing. Make sure your oxygen tank in the aircraft is within hydrostatic date. The reason it cost so much at an FBO is labor and the expense of keeping their equipment in good repair.
I totally agree with all of the CAUTION statements below. Clean hands, fittings and tools. I use alcohol to clean my hands and tools. Put the bottle on a cart and secure. You will eventually need an O2 booster to prevent leaving 500-800 psi in the bottle. ALSO, service the aircraft outside the hanger. There are many documented hanger fires! Good luck!
Learn everything you can about handling compressed gasses safely. As a glass worker for many years I handled liquid O2, compressed O2, as well as hydrogen, natural gas and propane as fuel gasses. I won't get into it all but when something goes wrong it can go sideways very quickly. Invest in a quality regulator for your big cylinder. A cart for it or a long supply hose so you can chain that cylinder to the wall. You can never be "Too Safe" when handling compressed flammable gasses. I'm not saying be afraid of the process but be as safe as possible. Well done Dan.
Dan, here is the difference between oxygen types-ABO and medical oxygen are identical, the only difference being ABO tanks are each tested for purity while medical oxygen tanks are tested in “one per batch”. The come from the same source and are bone dry. Welders oxygen can be contaminated with benzene and the tanks are not tested for purity. Also, purge the trans filler line from the big tank before making the final connection to your wing mounted fill port. This will insure only 100% oxygen is getting pumped into your airplane tank.
All oxygen tanks when filled are purged so the chance of being contaminated with benzene are nil. Welders oxygen is bone dry just like ABO. No special consideration is given to ABO filled tanks except this are purged twice. Welders oxygen and ABO tanks are filled from the same bulk tanks. I've been using welders oxygen for years no problems.
Dan, I have been transfilling my O2 for 43 years. Please take this video down and put up a new one warning your viewers to be extremely careful to keep oils away from the fittings and hoses. I use a dedicated 2.5 gallon ziplock bag to store my hose and wrench. Other comments: Never tighten the adapter to the main hose while attached to the aircraft. The 1/4” copper is fragile. Always transfill with the hangar door open for safety in case your cylinder with no dolly falls over, knocks off its valve and becomes a missile or worse. Fill slowly and monitor the temperature of the tank being filled. Tighten the tank fitting, finger tighten the aircraft fitting, purge the line with 100% O2, tighten the aircraft fitting then fill while initially listening for leaks. This is much easier with my 22 cu. ft. portable tank (do not open 2nd valve until no leaks are verified) than with my C421. Bigger airborne tanks are key at your source tank’s pressure depletes with usage. I use 2 tanks and rotate a low pressure and a higher pressure fill tank. I am ready to refill my low pressure tank because it is down to 700 psi. My high pressure tank (1500 psi today) will then become my low pressure tank. Know your system and your passenger needs. While I can easily make a 2 cannula, 7 hour round trip with 1000 psi in the aircraft, you might not! While this is a little off the filling subject, monitor your physiology by using 2 pulse oxymiters constantly. I now start O2 at 6000’ in daytime and for all night flights. O2 is cheap and I arrive safely and more rested!
Put the cyl on some kind of cart and chain it., if that tank falls over and the top gets knocked off that cyl will destroy that plane,car building and you as well.
it’s not that simple , you must purge the lines first before connecting the lines . That large bottle must be secured and not allowed to fall over . while a lot has been said about oils etc water or water vapor can be a issue also . so when you obtain your oxygen make sure it’s medical grade . welding oxygen can have moisture in it. I would be placing caps on all open pipe fittings when not in use . Your tools used must be clean spotlessly . Especially when using that type of wrench you were using. it’s a good practice that you wash your hands also before using the equipment. some times the cheap way ends up being the most expensive . the oxygen aircraft tank has to be refilled slowly as they can really heat up and when cooled give a much lower reading .
Caps are good - avoid contamination. Source tank will cool as its pressure drops, destination tank will heat as pressure rises. (The ideal gas law is PV=nRT, where P=pressure, V=volume, T=Temp, n= moles of gas (1 mole = 6x10^23 molecules), R=a constant depending on units used for the other parameters. This assumes no heat transfer from the system - adiabatic. ). Slow filling will allow destination tank heat to dissipate primarily by conduction to surrounding air and mounting bracket structure. Tank V values are roughly constant depending on the material (steel, kevlar, aluminum, etc.). The number of moles transferred is related to how many oxygen molecules are moved. Using before & after tank T values that are roughly constant by slow filling allows using pressure as a measure of the amount of oxygen loaded. Keeping heat low helps reduce any oxidation that could occur with materials or contaminants.
Once the pressure in the tank is reduced below your max pressure you will not be able to fill your tank all the way. I guess that is when you'll need to get a refill.
That's pretty cool. I'd have gone that route if I was building in O2 on the Sling - but I'm going with portable O2 concentrators. Amazing the tank is that inexpensive to rent.
When I was in High school, when they had shop classes. the metal shop knocked oover an O2 tank and broke the valve off, it took off like a missile, luckily didnt hit anyone. It did damage a couple of unreinforced block walls.
I was a Paramedic for 30 years. I used oxygen everyday. Compressed cylinders need static testing. PLEASE PLEASE get some training on the use of compressed cylinders. Never stand a cylinder upright with it being unsecured. A cylinder that falls over can injure, and kill people. A compressed cylinder can go through a masonry wall, it becomes a projectile. Never get oil or grease on your oxygen fitting, it can explode. When the psi in the cylinder is the same as the psi in the plane's cylinder neither cylinder will load or unload because they have become equal. You will need to refill your supply cylinder. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
A few people have re-emphasized the importance of filling the airplane's bottle slowly because the heat generated in the plane's bottle which results in less cubic feet of oxygen going into the bottle since the excess heat expands the oxygen in the bottle. In my early days of flight instructing I would work with the repair station mechanics helping out around the shop. In addition to filling aircraft bottles slowly, I was taught that after the aircraft's bottle was "full" to leave the supply bottle connected and wait around 30 minutes and then to re-check the plane's oxygen gauge (not the gauge on the supply bottle) to see if any more oxygen could be added as a result of the plane's bottle cooling off after the initial fill-up.
Man If I had a nickle for every time a pilot made a comment and poo pooed having to pay such exorbitant prices for oxygen I'd have Elon Musk money. This video while well made and thought out you missed a few key important thing I will share with you in the spirit of education, which is why i sometimes watch your accident videos. I'm a career A&P (and pilot) have 37 years under my belt keeping birds flying so I felt compelled to chime in when I saw your set up and heard the squeeeel of the oxygen going thru the lines into the onboard tank. Let me break down what you're paying for when a certified mechanic services your oxygen: 1) Shop time although some shops have a flat rate for O/2 service 2) as you have learned bottle rental, refills and such 3) cost of the equipment used for instance the regulator, any shop worth their weight in jet fuel has regulators calibrated yearly, lines replaced periodically, I'm sure you noticed a full bottle holds upwards of 2,500 psi when you first get it. Think of this cost as paying yourself (or putting away a few bucks)for a reserve on your engine overhaul. 4) probably the highest portion of all of the above is experience. I'll use your plane as an example. Your service port is in the wing just aft of your fuel tank. From what i heard you say you're familiar with welding so you know what happens to oxygen when it's lit, keep that in mind. That bottle as I mentioned has 2500 psi in it when it's fresh and you're using it to fill your tank so as you're filling you'll notice the bottle is getting colder, which means you're transferring energy via pressure to your bottle which will get hotter as it fills up. This is the important part so pay attention, hopefully your bottle has had a hydro-static inspection within the last 3 years (some are more some are less) this inspection may in your case fall at or close to an annual inspection or may not. Your A&P will look in the log for that and handle it accordingly. Going back to the temps of the bottles, with the service valve you are using there is no way to accurately gauge and control the amount of O/2 is going thru the line because you do not have a regulator installed. That particular gauge may have an orifice that slows down the pressure but without having full control of the amount and volume of pressure you are allowing to go in, you at the mercy of the orifice if installed at all so the next level of safety is YOU, twisting the big handheld knob on top of that big O/2 bottle. As most people who have never been there I'm sure you used(i hope) a little measured caution to service your tank. The faster you fill the more heat builds up in your tank and the danger is you can't put your hands on it like you can the tall bottle next to you so you do not have any idea on how much heat has been transferred. Thankfully most factory installed O/2 systems have a thermal relief which melts at a specific temperature and ports the O/2 overboard in case the bottle overheats, that however does not give any guarantees that the rushing O/2 will not ignite. The danger is that the regulator installed on the bottle installed in the plane may not be able to allow a huge influx of rushing air under pressure in and may fail. I saw a guy set a King Air on fire after his regulator failed in the airplane for not using a regulator. Total loss BTW. The fuel tank being in such close proximity to the servicing port makes me want to be overly cautious and double check the tightness of the little 7/16" nut you spun on the service port, that would be a bad place to spring a leak. The closeness of the big bottle to the airplane is also alarming, I'm sure of you think back at shops that have serviced your O/2 they had at least a 10' hose but I'm willing to bet more like 15'. This is for safety reasons as well. Also the fact the bottle was not on a wheeled cart is troubling because as you know those bottle are not light. I could go on and on but I applaud you for taking the initiative to save a few bucks to stick to mechanics for overcharging and trade those few bucks savings for the liability of doing it yourself. You da man.
J B thank you for the comment. As an A&P I don't care at all how much a pilot thinks is too much. Also one not is making sure no moisture get in to the system when servicing. That's why ABO is needed. Also I have a guy come in with an Empty O2 tank and I would not service it. As per AC 43-13-1B at zero you need to remove the bottle inspect clean and i would purge the system because any moisture will kill you. So Dan when we charge for a service we are keeping you safe and also we have a liability on our own license we need to protect as well.
@@danielhornung21 And I appreciate that. And good comments. I understand it's just not frivolous charges. The bigger issue for me has simply been availability-- very few places offer the service. And yes-- I had heard about the tanks to zero. I've always made sure not to go below 600.
Dan I think it goes without saying that when you buy anything from a specialty company they are going to charge you a premium price. DIY is usually the least expensive way to do things. You just have to get over uncharted waters of your mind. Confidence factor.
I want to check them out. Maybe in my travels I’ll be able to get into a brick and mortar store that stocks them so I can get a set made up with my prescription and the magnetic sunglasses…
Dan, excellent video and topic. Good job on figuring out how to refill your oxygen yourself. Thank you for sharing your experience and the process with us all. Safe skies my friend. 🤘🇺🇸🛩️
Scuba is 21% oxygen- normal air. Scuba nitrox is typically around 32% oxygen, richer blends can be available but counter-intuitive the richer it is the less deep you can use it before getting oxygen toxicity which = a bad day.
I like to slightly crack open the valve for just a second before tightening the fitting to purge out the line with the room air. You really should have a regulator with a high pressure gauge and a low pressure gauge to better control the flow. Flow should not be more than 300 psi on the low pressure gauge. I really worry about teaching the general public about refilling your own oxygen sense the regular person does not have the training or experience to do it safely. As they say, don’t try this at home.
I thought I did in the description. BUT-- Im pretty sure it was the other kind for the older models. Mine's a 1980. There's only two types of cessna adapters. Mines the smaller one.
Can the bottles be filled at an ambulance station if need be? they are using 99%....What about a scuba diving center? can they fill it up? Can you get bottles from goodwill store? Maybe trade some medical for aviation?
🛫📖🛬 Dan, Congrats on going DIY. I read a lot of comments here all of them great and well worth taking very seriously. I just want to reemphasize one thing that is so important and that is; PLEASE, always Purge that service line from your fill bottle to the aircraft port before you attach your fitting. GOD Bless 📖🛐✈️
Please get a dolly and straps to secure the cylinder so it can not fall. The cylinder is dangerous if neck is broken. Also be aware of need to avoid any petroleum products near oxygen fittings due to risk of spontaneous combustion. Wash hands and use clean gloves. Learn proper handling techniques. Do not strike sides of tank with metal tools. See the Mythbusters episode Air Cylinder Rocket on CZcams.
I’ve got it chained and dolly ordered
For the love of all that's holy please get some safety and handling training!!!! Your supplier will probably be happy to train you for free (or a short ride if you want to make friends). Gaseous oxygen isn't too hard to handle, but there are a few gotchas that can blow you to bits.
@@generaladventure9519 yeah like no petroleum products around it.
Dan, One word of CAUTION, Always keep the threads clean on all connections and NEVER allow ANY grease or oil to get onto the fittings! OIL or GREASE with Oxygen can cause an explosion or fire !
The instruction sheet in the video had these cautions, but may not have the same impact as the comments replying to this video.
@PhotoFusion Technologies, Inc. Hopefully, you meant oxygen+helium. Oxygen+hydrogen = combustion/explosion!
Heard an unconfirmed story involving a military fighter's oxygen system that was based on liquid oxygen for a larger storage capability. Many dewars (vacuum-walled tanks) of liquid N2 or O2 have vents to keep container pressure low. The vents emit cold gas that falls to the ground because it is heavier than ambient air. One ground crew member involved in refilling the system had cuffs on his trousers. Unaware that very cold gaseous oxygen had gathered in the cuffs during the operation and was surrounding him in an oxygen-rich cloud as it warmed up, he walked away for a smoke and had a terrible surprise when he tried to light up his cigarette. Glad that light GA A/C use bottled oxygen. Pure oxygen is no joke.
You really want 2 or 3 bottles cascaded together. By only using one bottle, after a fill or two, you can’t get a total fill up. By cascading one then another, the first bottle fills what it can, then you turn it off and top it with the other. You can get much more life out of that first bottle by using a system like that!
Remember to put the tank against a wall and chain it to the wall as a safety. I would look into buying a tank and if you do welding with oxygen see if that tank and gas is good for airplanes too. But I would check if your airfield is okay with the tank at the hanger
I did
Good advice. Not difficult and not dangerous if reasonable caution is used. Do not turn on anything until all the connectors are properly snugged.
We bought a hangar bottle for our turbo Mooney and love it. Cost much less than buying it from the jet center next door, which recently hit like $200 per fill. Our O2 tank in the t-hangar is good for 5-8 fill-ups, sometimes more if we don't let the plane 02 bottle get too low. That also maintains high pressure in in our hangar bottle for longer, so we get more 02 in the plane bottle.
I can only get about two fillups. But since this video, I got a on demand regulator from Mountain High and man, that makes my oxygen last about four times longer.
Not bad for a rookie. Just a few words of caution. Oil and oxygen equal explosion. Find some brass end wrenches and store them in a clean plastic bag. This will greatly reduce the chance of a spark which equals explosion. Also keep the fitting in a plastic bag and the ends of the hoses also. Seal with a rubber band. The last thing you need is to introduce any dirt into your oxygen system because replacement parts are expensive. You can buy an oxygen leak detector (Liquid in a squeeze bottle) to check the filler for leaks after filling. also keep your oily dirty fingers out of the oxygen bottle connector. Put the safety cap on the tank when not servicing and chain the tank to the wall in storage. Not ragging on you just trying to enlighten the public. Retired airline pilot and A&P mechanic. One last thing. Make sure your oxygen tank in the aircraft is within hydrostatic date. The reason it cost so much at an FBO is labor and the expense of keeping their equipment in good repair.
I totally agree with all of the CAUTION statements below. Clean hands, fittings and tools. I use alcohol to clean my hands and tools. Put the bottle on a cart and secure. You will eventually need an O2 booster to prevent leaving 500-800 psi in the bottle. ALSO, service the aircraft outside the hanger. There are many documented hanger fires! Good luck!
Learn everything you can about handling compressed gasses safely. As a glass worker for many years I handled liquid O2, compressed O2, as well as hydrogen, natural gas and propane as fuel gasses. I won't get into it all but when something goes wrong it can go sideways very quickly. Invest in a quality regulator for your big cylinder. A cart for it or a long supply hose so you can chain that cylinder to the wall. You can never be "Too Safe" when handling compressed flammable gasses. I'm not saying be afraid of the process but be as safe as possible.
Well done Dan.
I have a cart on order, I had not thought about a long hose, that makes sense. I’m gonna order that.
Dan, here is the difference between oxygen types-ABO and medical oxygen are identical, the only difference being ABO tanks are each tested for purity while medical oxygen tanks are tested in “one per batch”. The come from the same source and are bone dry. Welders oxygen can be contaminated with benzene and the tanks are not tested for purity. Also, purge the trans filler line from the big tank before making the final connection to your wing mounted fill port. This will insure only 100% oxygen is getting pumped into your airplane tank.
All oxygen tanks when filled are purged so the chance of being contaminated with benzene are nil. Welders oxygen is bone dry just like ABO. No special consideration is given to ABO filled tanks except this are purged twice. Welders oxygen and ABO tanks are filled from the same bulk tanks. I've been using welders oxygen for years no problems.
Dan, I have been transfilling my O2 for 43 years. Please take this video down and put up a new one warning your viewers to be extremely careful to keep oils away from the fittings and hoses. I use a dedicated 2.5 gallon ziplock bag to store my hose and wrench.
Other comments:
Never tighten the adapter to the main hose while attached to the aircraft. The 1/4” copper is fragile.
Always transfill with the hangar door open for safety in case your cylinder with no dolly falls over, knocks off its valve and becomes a missile or worse.
Fill slowly and monitor the temperature of the tank being filled.
Tighten the tank fitting, finger tighten the aircraft fitting, purge the line with 100% O2, tighten the aircraft fitting then fill while initially listening for leaks. This is much easier with my 22 cu. ft. portable tank (do not open 2nd valve until no leaks are verified) than with my C421.
Bigger airborne tanks are key at your source tank’s pressure depletes with usage. I use 2 tanks and rotate a low pressure and a higher pressure fill tank. I am ready to refill my low pressure tank because it is down to 700 psi. My high pressure tank (1500 psi today) will then become my low pressure tank.
Know your system and your passenger needs. While I can easily make a 2 cannula, 7 hour round trip with 1000 psi in the aircraft, you might not!
While this is a little off the filling subject, monitor your physiology by using 2 pulse oxymiters constantly. I now start O2 at 6000’ in daytime and for all night flights. O2 is cheap and I arrive safely and more rested!
Put the cyl on some kind of cart and chain it., if that tank falls over and the top gets knocked off that cyl will destroy that plane,car building and you as well.
I ordered a cart and it’s chained to the wall
So how many times can you refill from that one big tank? How long does the tank in the plane last?
it’s not that simple , you must purge the lines first before connecting the lines . That large bottle must be secured and not allowed to fall over . while a lot has been said about oils etc water or water vapor can be a issue also . so when you obtain your oxygen make sure it’s medical grade . welding oxygen can have moisture in it. I would be placing caps on all open pipe fittings when not in use . Your tools used must be clean spotlessly . Especially when using that type of wrench you were using. it’s a good practice that you wash your hands also before using the equipment. some times the cheap way ends up being the most expensive . the oxygen aircraft tank has to be refilled slowly as they can really heat up and when cooled give a much lower reading .
Caps are good - avoid contamination. Source tank will cool as its pressure drops, destination tank will heat as pressure rises. (The ideal gas law is PV=nRT, where P=pressure, V=volume, T=Temp, n= moles of gas (1 mole = 6x10^23 molecules), R=a constant depending on units used for the other parameters. This assumes no heat transfer from the system - adiabatic. ). Slow filling will allow destination tank heat to dissipate primarily by conduction to surrounding air and mounting bracket structure. Tank V values are roughly constant depending on the material (steel, kevlar, aluminum, etc.). The number of moles transferred is related to how many oxygen molecules are moved. Using before & after tank T values that are roughly constant by slow filling allows using pressure as a measure of the amount of oxygen loaded. Keeping heat low helps reduce any oxidation that could occur with materials or contaminants.
Welding oxygen and ABO come from the same bulk supply tank the difference is that ABO tank is purged twice before filling the welders tank only once.
Once the pressure in the tank is reduced below your max pressure you will not be able to fill your tank all the way. I guess that is when you'll need to get a refill.
That's pretty cool. I'd have gone that route if I was building in O2 on the Sling - but I'm going with portable O2 concentrators.
Amazing the tank is that inexpensive to rent.
Make or get a tank stand ASAP before dropping the tank to the ground. With wheels would be nice.
When I was in High school, when they had shop classes. the metal shop knocked oover an O2 tank and broke the valve off, it took off like a missile, luckily didnt hit anyone. It did damage a couple of unreinforced block walls.
@@wb6anp keep the cap on also.
On order. Meanwhile it’s chained
I was a Paramedic for 30 years. I used oxygen everyday. Compressed cylinders need static testing. PLEASE PLEASE get some training on the use of compressed cylinders. Never stand a cylinder upright with it being unsecured. A cylinder that falls over can injure, and kill people. A compressed cylinder can go through a masonry wall, it becomes a projectile. Never get oil or grease on your oxygen fitting, it can explode. When the psi in the cylinder is the same as the psi in the plane's cylinder neither cylinder will load or unload because they have become equal. You will need to refill your supply cylinder. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
You may need special placards for the vehicle transporting bottled Ox or other compressed games.
A few people have re-emphasized the importance of filling the airplane's bottle slowly because the heat generated in the plane's bottle which results in less cubic feet of oxygen going into the bottle since the excess heat expands the oxygen in the bottle. In my early days of flight instructing I would work with the repair station mechanics helping out around the shop. In addition to filling aircraft bottles slowly, I was taught that after the aircraft's bottle was "full" to leave the supply bottle connected and wait around 30 minutes and then to re-check the plane's oxygen gauge (not the gauge on the supply bottle) to see if any more oxygen could be added as a result of the plane's bottle cooling off after the initial fill-up.
Thanks, Dan
Merry Christmas.
🌟
🌲
Man If I had a nickle for every time a pilot made a comment and poo pooed having to pay such exorbitant prices for oxygen I'd have Elon Musk money. This video while well made and thought out you missed a few key important thing I will share with you in the spirit of education, which is why i sometimes watch your accident videos. I'm a career A&P (and pilot) have 37 years under my belt keeping birds flying so I felt compelled to chime in when I saw your set up and heard the squeeeel of the oxygen going thru the lines into the onboard tank. Let me break down what you're paying for when a certified mechanic services your oxygen: 1) Shop time although some shops have a flat rate for O/2 service 2) as you have learned bottle rental, refills and such 3) cost of the equipment used for instance the regulator, any shop worth their weight in jet fuel has regulators calibrated yearly, lines replaced periodically, I'm sure you noticed a full bottle holds upwards of 2,500 psi when you first get it. Think of this cost as paying yourself (or putting away a few bucks)for a reserve on your engine overhaul. 4) probably the highest portion of all of the above is experience. I'll use your plane as an example. Your service port is in the wing just aft of your fuel tank. From what i heard you say you're familiar with welding so you know what happens to oxygen when it's lit, keep that in mind. That bottle as I mentioned has 2500 psi in it when it's fresh and you're using it to fill your tank so as you're filling you'll notice the bottle is getting colder, which means you're transferring energy via pressure to your bottle which will get hotter as it fills up. This is the important part so pay attention, hopefully your bottle has had a hydro-static inspection within the last 3 years (some are more some are less) this inspection may in your case fall at or close to an annual inspection or may not. Your A&P will look in the log for that and handle it accordingly. Going back to the temps of the bottles, with the service valve you are using there is no way to accurately gauge and control the amount of O/2 is going thru the line because you do not have a regulator installed. That particular gauge may have an orifice that slows down the pressure but without having full control of the amount and volume of pressure you are allowing to go in, you at the mercy of the orifice if installed at all so the next level of safety is YOU, twisting the big handheld knob on top of that big O/2 bottle. As most people who have never been there I'm sure you used(i hope) a little measured caution to service your tank. The faster you fill the more heat builds up in your tank and the danger is you can't put your hands on it like you can the tall bottle next to you so you do not have any idea on how much heat has been transferred. Thankfully most factory installed O/2 systems have a thermal relief which melts at a specific temperature and ports the O/2 overboard in case the bottle overheats, that however does not give any guarantees that the rushing O/2 will not ignite. The danger is that the regulator installed on the bottle installed in the plane may not be able to allow a huge influx of rushing air under pressure in and may fail. I saw a guy set a King Air on fire after his regulator failed in the airplane for not using a regulator. Total loss BTW. The fuel tank being in such close proximity to the servicing port makes me want to be overly cautious and double check the tightness of the little 7/16" nut you spun on the service port, that would be a bad place to spring a leak. The closeness of the big bottle to the airplane is also alarming, I'm sure of you think back at shops that have serviced your O/2 they had at least a 10' hose but I'm willing to bet more like 15'. This is for safety reasons as well. Also the fact the bottle was not on a wheeled cart is troubling because as you know those bottle are not light. I could go on and on but I applaud you for taking the initiative to save a few bucks to stick to mechanics for overcharging and trade those few bucks savings for the liability of doing it yourself. You da man.
Good notes. I’ve ordered the dolly and someone mentioned getting long hose and leaving bottle chained to wall. So I’m going to go that route as well.
J B thank you for the comment. As an A&P I don't care at all how much a pilot thinks is too much. Also one not is making sure no moisture get in to the system when servicing. That's why ABO is needed. Also I have a guy come in with an Empty O2 tank and I would not service it. As per AC 43-13-1B at zero you need to remove the bottle inspect clean and i would purge the system because any moisture will kill you. So Dan when we charge for a service we are keeping you safe and also we have a liability on our own license we need to protect as well.
@@danielhornung21 And I appreciate that. And good comments. I understand it's just not frivolous charges. The bigger issue for me has simply been availability-- very few places offer the service. And yes-- I had heard about the tanks to zero. I've always made sure not to go below 600.
fuel gases often have left threaded connections.
Dan I think it goes without saying that when you buy anything from a specialty company they are going to charge you a premium price. DIY is usually the least expensive way to do things. You just have to get over uncharted waters of your mind. Confidence factor.
Exactly
GO to a scuba shop and get trained to charge those tanks. !!!!@
I want to check them out. Maybe in my travels I’ll be able to get into a brick and mortar store that stocks them so I can get a set made up with my prescription and the magnetic sunglasses…
Dan, excellent video and topic. Good job on figuring out how to refill your oxygen yourself. Thank you for sharing your experience and the process with us all. Safe skies my friend. 🤘🇺🇸🛩️
Thanks for the info! I have been wondering how I would handle that in my Navajo!
@Buildflygo takes his O2 bottles to scuba shops to get them refilled. Much cheaper than any FBO!
What is the difference between ABO and scuba air??
Scuba is 21% oxygen- normal air. Scuba nitrox is typically around 32% oxygen, richer blends can be available but counter-intuitive the richer it is the less deep you can use it before getting oxygen toxicity which = a bad day.
I like to slightly crack open the valve for just a second before tightening the fitting to purge out the line with the room air. You really should have a regulator with a high pressure gauge and a low pressure gauge to better control the flow. Flow should not be more than 300 psi on the low pressure gauge. I really worry about teaching the general public about refilling your own oxygen sense the regular person does not have the training or experience to do it safely. As they say, don’t try this at home.
Yes, people have died from connecting hoses wrong, spontaneous combustion, etc.
Dan. I'm flying a 1973 T210L. Can you post the specific adapters that you purchased in order to fill the 210.
I thought I did in the description. BUT-- Im pretty sure it was the other kind for the older models. Mine's a 1980. There's only two types of cessna adapters. Mines the smaller one.
What's the difference between avaition and medical oxygen?
I wonder if having portable tanks would be easier to fill then the aircraft attached ones?
Can the bottles be filled at an ambulance station if need be? they are using 99%....What about a scuba diving center? can they fill it up? Can you get bottles from goodwill store? Maybe trade some medical for aviation?
scuba diving bottles are filled only with compressed air, O2 are not used too often because special diving equipment and instruction are needed.
Just buy a bottle.
Love it!!
So $75/year to lease the cylinder. What does is cost to refill it?
About $40
@TakingOff wow that's great!
Great commercial.
🛫📖🛬
Dan,
Congrats on going DIY.
I read a lot of comments here all of them great and well worth taking very seriously.
I just want to reemphasize one thing that is so important and that is;
PLEASE, always Purge that service line from your fill bottle to the aircraft port before you attach your fitting.
GOD Bless
📖🛐✈️
Will do
What's the story on that Z32?
I was wondering the same thing.
Is that your white Nissan?
No, it’s the hangar owners. I sublease.