Argon Tank Fill Question

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At what pressure would one refill an argon tank?I have a 250 (?330) tank with around 350 psi of Argon left.  I do have another 100 cf tank of argon ready to go, but I have the time to refill the big one today.  Would I let it drift down near zero before refill, or at what level should I take it in?I'm a hobby guy, so my lively hood doesn't depend on it.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:I usually wait until my tungsten turns black and burns back into the cup on a saturday afternoon during a three day weekend so i'm really screwed till tuesday, serious!  I hate being bi-polar it's awsomeMy Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys
Reply:Weldermike - Too Funny  .... but so true! Rick V 1 Airco Heliwelder 3A/DDR3 CTC 70/90 amp Stick/Tig Inverters in Parallel1 Lincoln MIG PAK 151 Oxy-Acet
Reply:At the tech school we use the argon until you see signs you are no longer getting gas coverage. At the house on a cylinder that big it would be a toss up. If I didn't have much to do, or if I had a spare, I'd probably do the same thing. If I knew I might need more for a project, or if I didn't have a spare, I'd just swap it at this point to be safe. I really wouldn't be loosing all that much gas. Assuming it's a 250 cf cylinder, there's maybe 35 cf of gas left at 350 psi. If it's a 330cf cylinder, then you have about 50 cf of gas left roughly. So say between 1-3 hrs of welding depending on how your reg is built and what your flow rate is..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:My thinking on this is if I am using gas at a pressure of say, 15 lbs, when the tank pressure is approximately 15 lbs then the arc will start to look differant and this is my que. Makes no sense to me to send back an almost empty tank to my supplier when it still has a usable quantity left.  I do have another tank on hand so I can complete the work thou.  Learned this the hard way!  Just my thoughts.  Best  Bob
Reply:Seems like a waste to fill now.  Plus I have a spare for just that reason. Thanks!TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum
Reply:Proper cylinder handling procedures often call for refilling compressed gas cylinders when there is some pressure still in them.  Reason:  Prevent atmospheric air from entering and contaminating the inside of an "empty" cylinder.     Let's say it is a nice warm day and you are working outdoors in the sun, happily welding away until it is clear that you aren't getting any more gas and are forced to stop.  You close the valve and disconnect the regulator and set up a spare cylinder so that you can continue working.   Several days pass and you decide to return the "empty" cylinder to the distributor to be refilled or exchanged.  The weather is rainy and cold.  Whatever amount of gas that remained in the cylinder is now cool and the internal pressure is lower than the ambient outside air.  You, or someone else, cracks the valve on the cylinder to "clear" it or see if it is still pressurized.  The faint hissing heard is not gas coming out under pressure - it is atmospheric air entering the cylinder because the ambient pressure is greater than the pressure inside the cylinder.    The gas inside the cylinder is now contaminated requiring a purge.Ok, the purge is part of standard refill procedure, but be aware that introduction of atmospheric air, which contains moisture along with oxygen and who knows what pollutants, into any cylinder can be problematic, especially for those cylinders that contain flammable gases.  Besides, you aren't really doing yourself any favors welding along until the arc starts to sputter and contaiminate a bead that must be ground out before continuing.- MondoMember, AWSLincoln ProMIG 140Lincoln AC TombstoneCraftsman Lathe 12 x 24 c1935Atlas MFC Horizontal MillCraftsman Commercial Lathe 12 x 36 c1970- - - I'll just keep on keepin' on.
Reply:I ALLWAYS have a spare that's full in reserve..I basically run mine dry..The regulator will read zero but it will still go maybe 1 hr more after that..I don't stop until the gas does..Then it's change out the tank..Run into the office..Get on the phone..Order a new tank and have it delivered ASAP.BAD BAD BAD to run out in the middle of a job...So that don't happen and I am the ONLY person in the shop that does the welding supply ordering!...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Kind of an interesting question with a few different possible answers.  I wonder what the suppliers answer/wishes would be.  Perhaps anyone dropping of/exchanging an argon tank soon could ask this question and let us all know.  Best  Bob
Reply:Originally Posted by rhuntKind of an interesting question with a few different possible answers.  I wonder what the suppliers answer/wishes would be.  Perhaps anyone dropping of/exchanging an argon tank soon could ask this question and let us all know.  Best  Bob
Reply:Originally Posted by MondoProper cylinder handling procedures often call for refilling compressed gas cylinders when there is some pressure still in them.  Reason:  Prevent atmospheric air from entering and contaminating the inside of an "empty" cylinder.     Let's say it is a nice warm day and you are working outdoors in the sun, happily welding away until it is clear that you aren't getting any more gas and are forced to stop.  You close the valve and disconnect the regulator and set up a spare cylinder so that you can continue working.   Several days pass and you decide to return the "empty" cylinder to the distributor to be refilled or exchanged.  The weather is rainy and cold.  Whatever amount of gas that remained in the cylinder is now cool and the internal pressure is lower than the ambient outside air.  You, or someone else, cracks the valve on the cylinder to "clear" it or see if it is still pressurized.  The faint hissing heard is not gas coming out under pressure - it is atmospheric air entering the cylinder because the ambient pressure is greater than the pressure inside the cylinder.    The gas inside the cylinder is now contaminated requiring a purge.Ok, the purge is part of standard refill procedure, but be aware that introduction of atmospheric air, which contains moisture along with oxygen and who knows what pollutants, into any cylinder can be problematic, especially for those cylinders that contain flammable gases.  Besides, you aren't really doing yourself any favors welding along until the arc starts to sputter and contaiminate a bead that must be ground out before continuing.- Mondo
Reply:I notice when the guage on my reg reads zero, I  still get the same sound when I spin the valve on the torch open and still have the same coverage for quite a while (I'm on a scratch start stick power source set up). Its very obvious when the coverage drops off. My marginally sh**ty welds suddenly get a lot worse. It starts like the puddle won't form cleanly like you are going over a contaminated pass. I learned that as it happened the first time.I own my bottles and my supplier fills them while I wait. I don't run them down empty to keep some pressure to avoid atmospheric contamination. I'm going to make a point to ask if they vacuum purge them before filling.Mike, unfortunately you are right about nobody giving a dam$ about the next guy, but I try to do everthing like we all did. It's a shame how little it takes to be considerate, but I'm not gonna let my family starve while the rest of the hyenas savage the carcass either.Last edited by jtcnj; 12-01-2012 at 08:14 PM.Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 and WP17. 75A AC is for pipe thawing!HH 140 - new addtion 9/2012.I didn't agree, but hoped for Hope and Change.I got change for myself and my family: for the worse.This is the reality of: Barackalypse Now. Again.
Reply:I have Argonne, CO2, Mig mix, Acetylene, Oxygen,  And extra Oxygen and acetylene.  A while back I ran out of Mig Mix so went  to CO2.  And I haven't had any major problems with running it. So I will refill the tank but go ahead and use CO2 until I need some really pretty welds.  I run them out.  Mac
Reply:I am a cheep bugger so If I have a project that I can do with my old AC stick welder by flopping it over a dozen times I will do that just to save my bottles so I plan my projects that way.  I had a small project two weeks ago and I ran out of gas with my mig just as I got the second piece of black pipe welded to a base weighing 45 pounds.  I had to weld uprights with Ts on top of EMT so I fired up my acetaline rig and did it that way and got the project done.
Reply:Proper cylinder handling procedures call for refilling compressed gas cylinders after a vacuum has been pulled on it. If I found that a supplier was not venting,vacuuming and filling I would find another supplier.