Yikes HELP! Acetylene tank is O2 contaminated

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Seems like tanks I got at an estate sale has O2 in the acetylene tank! Clearly not a good idea, any suggestions other than venting it all out?  Acetylene flame  burns brighter with oxydized flame with increasing volume  and pressure.  O2 is off. Any suggestion of how this can happen would be appreciatedThanksRed (still in one piece)Last edited by red pill; 10-04-2009 at 02:28 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by red pillSeems like tanks I got at an estate sale has O2 in the acetylene tank! Clearly not a good idea, any suggestions other than venting it all out?  Acetylene flame  burns brighter with oxydized flame with increasing volume  and pressure.  O2 is off. Any suggestion of how this can happen would be appreciatedThanksRed (still in one piece)
Reply:I wonder if your regulators and torch are sound? Call your local welding supplier and get their advice. They may be able to help. Certainly the local FD can offer help if it is not stable.  Any acetylene tank that acts funny needs definite attention.City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Mostly I'm hoping not to get blowed up by this full size commercial acetylene tank, Pressurized oxygenated acetylene is explosive and extremely unstable so I hear and I dont want to move it til its empty.  I have no idea what the solubility of oxygen in acetone is. At least its windy out.Red
Reply:Check to make sure your tip is good, some times a bad tip will cause the a to act funny when you first light it before turning on the OLast edited by gclamp; 10-04-2009 at 05:19 PM.Reason: finishLincoln Ranger 8                        Lincoln 175                          Drill pressLincoln 225 mig                            Plasma                              8 ft brake        52" jump shear
Reply:I would take it to the gas supplier so they can properly vent it and test it.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I can't really see a way that the O2 could get into the Acet tank easily. The tank valve threads are different (specifically to prevent this sort of thing), so a mistake filling seems very unlikely. The 2 gasses don't combine untill the torch, and at that point there shouldn't be any thing that is blocking the tip to cause it to back up.  The only thing that might work is if the torch was on and it was dropped in the dirt and the tip got completely blocked and jammed and someone ignored it for a while. Even with that the gas would still have to get past the reg and if the O2 pressure got to high you would have had an issue there first would have been my guess..I would just take it and swap it as others have suggested if you have concerns. I would think the issue is most likely in the torch tip myself. I'd switch tips or torches and see if that changes any thing myself..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:It sounds to me like a leak on the tortch and is pulling air in. I have seen this. Reversed threads makes it near impossible to put o2 in there unless it was rigged special to do this. One reason may be that someone needed o2 and didnt have a separate bottle. I would say having a bottle mixed is a very dangerous situation.WHAT DOES NOT KILL US, MAKES US STRONGER...http://www.myspace.com/painter22
Reply:The valve on your torch may be leaking through a little bit. I had one do it for a while till I fixed it.
Reply:Originally Posted by red pillSeems like tanks I got at an estate sale has O2 in the acetylene tank! Clearly not a good idea, any suggestions other than venting it all out?  Acetylene flame  burns brighter with oxydized flame with increasing volume  and pressure.  O2 is off. Any suggestion of how this can happen would be appreciatedThanksRed (still in one piece)
Reply:It is possible to get Oxygen into an acetylene cylinder.  The oxygen can flow back through the OA system to the acetylene cylinder.  But the acetylene cylinder would have to close to empty or at least less than the pressure of the O2 regulator.I can think of three possiblities.1- You have had a reverse flow of oxygen into the acylene cylinder.  Take to the LWs and exchange it, and tell them you suspect there might have be a reverse flow of oxygen in the cylinder.2- As some have suggested, your torch tip is taking in air.  It will need to be check out.3-Your torch has a leaking O2 valve.  You stated that the O2 was off, but did not mention if the oxygen cylinder was closed, or the O2 valve on the torch was closed.You can the troch with out having to relight the Acetylene.  Hook up the O2 hose only, close valve and put tip into water and see if any oxygen leaks out.If you need more details on test you torch send me PM and I can help.JimOAdoctorwww.regulatortorchrepair.com
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI can't really see a way that the O2 could get into the Acet tank easily. The tank valve threads are different (specifically to prevent this sort of thing), so a mistake filling seems very unlikely. The 2 gasses don't combine untill the torch, and at that point there shouldn't be any thing that is blocking the tip to cause it to back up.  The only thing that might work is if the torch was on and it was dropped in the dirt and the tip got completely blocked and jammed and someone ignored it for a while. Even with that the gas would still have to get past the reg and if the O2 pressure got to high you would have had an issue there first would have been my guess..I would just take it and swap it as others have suggested if you have concerns. I would think the issue is most likely in the torch tip myself. I'd switch tips or torches and see if that changes any thing myself.
Reply:Originally Posted by OAdoctorIt is possible to get Oxygen into an acetylene cylinder.  The oxygen can flow back through the OA system to the acetylene cylinder.  But the acetylene cylinder would have to close to empty or at least less than the pressure of the O2 regulator.I can think of three possiblities.1- You have had a reverse flow of oxygen into the acylene cylinder.  Take to the LWs and exchange it, and tell them you suspect there might have be a reverse flow of oxygen in the cylinder.2- As some have suggested, your torch tip is taking in air.  It will need to be check out.3-Your torch has a leaking O2 valve.  You stated that the O2 was off, but did not mention if the oxygen cylinder was closed, or the O2 valve on the torch was closed.You can the troch with out having to relight the Acetylene.  Hook up the O2 hose only, close valve and put tip into water and see if any oxygen leaks out.If you need more details on test you torch send me PM and I can help.Jim
Reply:You say you got it from an estate sale.  Are you sure it is acetylene.   There are and have been other gasses used in place of acetylene.  A lot use the same style tank.  You might have MAPP gas and not acetylene.
Reply:The only way to get O2 into the acetylene tank is to have the O2 pressure higher than the acetylene CYLINDER pressure, AND regulated pressure. Any acetylene line regulated pressure over the set pressure of the regulator will cause the regulator to close, and no reverse flow can take place.......obvious. There is another cause, besides your still alive. Pure O2 in any quantity in an acetylene cylinder is a given thermal event, no ignition source needed.
Reply:Originally Posted by BillyYou are only joking......right?
Reply:Trade it in................................................  ....................OOPs..!!!6"XX P5P8 6G
Reply:Originally Posted by William McCormick JrI don't think much oxygen would get into the acetylene tank. Ha-ha.
Reply:Originally Posted by OAdoctorIt is very difficult to get oxygen into an acetylene cylinder.  The user of the torch has to do serveral thing wrong to accomplish it. But it is most certainly possible to get oxygen into an acetylene cylinder while using a OA torch set-up.
Reply:Originally Posted by OAdoctorIt is very difficult to get oxygen into an acetylene cylinder.  The user of the torch has to do serveral thing wrong to accomplish it. But it is most certainly possible to get oxygen into an acetylene cylinder while using a OA torch set-up.