# Recertify your bottles



## johnnielsen (Mar 15, 2019)

I exchanged some emails with Adam of Majestic Hydrotest 36, 4807 32 St SE Calgary regarding recertification of some my welding gas and oxy-acetylene bottles as I empty them.
He said that they charged $40 per bottle with same day or next day turnaround. I have no experience with the company but it sounds very promising.


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## Chicken lights (Mar 15, 2019)

How often should this be done?


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## johnnielsen (Mar 16, 2019)

Your bottles will have a certification date on them. They have to be recertified every 10 years.


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## Tom O (Mar 16, 2019)

I just take mine in and get a different bottle every time I bought mine so there is no contract.
That is one thing I want to make this year a water pump pressure tester.


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## johnnielsen (Mar 16, 2019)

I provided this info for those that have expired bottles and can't find a welding gas dealer who will recertify at a reasonable price.


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## Chicken lights (Mar 16, 2019)

johnnielsen said:


> Your bottles will have a certification date on them. They have to be recertified every 10 years.


I’ve had to do that with propane tanks before, good info on other tanks. Thanks


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## Bofobo (Mar 17, 2019)

Chicken lights said:


> I’ve had to do that with propane tanks before, good info on other tanks. Thanks


My pass for that was to take my old expired LP tanks (lovingly donated by people who just bought new ones) and exchange them for newly certified ones pre filled at the “tank exchange” at my local petrol station.


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## Janger (Mar 17, 2019)

How do you read the date on the bottle John? there's a lot of numbers and letters... 

BTW forum KMS tools seems to have the best prices on refills so far. Perhaps half what the other guys have charged.


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## Chicken lights (Mar 17, 2019)

Bofobo said:


> My pass for that was to take my old expired LP tanks (lovingly donated by people who just bought new ones) and exchange them for newly certified ones pre filled at the “tank exchange” at my local petrol station.


I do that on the 20 pounders like for a bbq. I’ve got I think a 2 or 5 pounder for my portable torches that I had to get recertified. Don’t ask me how much they are to buy new, but I don’t think they’re cheap. I got mine at a scrap yard for a few bucks


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## Dabbler (Mar 17, 2019)

Linde  charges $90 and Weldpro charges $70, but they take care of all the transportation.


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## johnnielsen (Mar 17, 2019)

I have never tried reading the  cert. info on my welding gas bottles but I seem to recall my propane bottles were pretty straight forward to interpret. I will google tonight for interest's sake.
I will post any site I find with good info on the subject. I know all but one of my bottles will require recertification when I empty them hence my interest in the subject.


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## johnnielsen (Mar 17, 2019)

Well that didn't take long.


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## Janger (Mar 17, 2019)

That's a good slide deck John. The pictures are frightening.


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## johnnielsen (Mar 18, 2019)

For sure. Can't imagine some of those bottles in service.


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## Tom Kitta (Mar 20, 2019)

Good info - I have an old 20 bottle that is now 20+ years old. To re-certify it would be 1/3 of the new cost. 

My big bottle is due next year - for that $40 is cheap (its huge 200 I think).


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## johnnielsen (Oct 31, 2019)

I took an acetylene (plumber size) bottle and a corresponding oxygen bottle to Majestic Hydrotest the other day. The recert pricing has changed.
All welding gas bottles except acetylene are $50.
Acetylene bottles start at $60 and go up from there depending on bottle size. Both Adam and Mark were very pleasant to deal with and my bottle turnaround was next day. I received a bottle certification document on each cylinder describing test parameters and bottle condition which they said should be presented to the refill people when the bottles were taken in for filling or exchange.


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## Tom O (Oct 31, 2019)

I have a Acetylene bottle like yours it’s probably 20 years old! 60 bucks sounds not bad.


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## Tom Kitta (Oct 31, 2019)

$50 does sound OK - good to know - I have to re-certify my large welding bottle and may get some other bottle for another gas. 

I am on the fence of getting acetylene set. Is it still so useful today as in its heydays - I am seeing a lot of torch sets go for peanuts on auction. With extra cost of two bottles as well as refill cost is it worth it? 

Also can I use any bottle for say oxygen - I have older 20ft welding bottle that housed argon - can I use it for say oxygen?


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## Tom O (Oct 31, 2019)

I’m not sure, I know if I go from argon to c02 they just swap them out mind you I have both now. I would think it works the same.
I’ve been watching Abom79’s videos on shaft buildup using oxy act spray welding it makes you go hmmm.


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## Janger (Oct 31, 2019)

Tom Kitta said:


> $50 does sound OK - good to know - I have to re-certify my large welding bottle and may get some other bottle for another gas.
> 
> I am on the fence of getting acetylene set. Is it still so useful today as in its heydays - I am seeing a lot of torch sets go for peanuts on auction. With extra cost of two bottles as well as refill cost is it worth it?
> 
> Also can I use any bottle for say oxygen - I have older 20ft welding bottle that housed argon - can I use it for say oxygen?



At KMS they only sell two bottle types. One type for all the gases - and another type for acetylene. Reading up on acetylene it is quite different to store and manage. I suspect you can reuse a bottle for a different kind of gas but avoiding contamination might be an issue. Wouldn't want oxygen in your argon and then try to weld with that. In practice maybe it is not practical???


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## Dabbler (Oct 31, 2019)

If you change gassses, the bottle has to be repainted (of course)  

--My supplier at Air Liquide (before they were bought)  indicated that something changes in the valve on Argon vs Oxygen, but I never learned what, or if he was BS'ng me.


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## Hruul (Nov 1, 2019)

Is it possible there is some sort of flame arresting apparatus in the valve if its oxygen versus an inert gas?


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## Dabbler (Nov 2, 2019)

My best guess is the valve seat material.  In an oxygen environment, some seats are more dangerous.  In the case of Noble gasses, that's not a consideration.

-just my best guess


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## Brent H (Nov 3, 2019)

The Oxygen valves will have a different thread size on the valve outlet and the valve itself is manufactured with some different components - typically viton o-rings, all lubrication will be oxygen safe like Christo-_Lube_ MCG111 and the parts will be all Oxygen safe cleaned so no grease is present.  Also I believe the oxygen valves are able to be back seated to prevent stem leakage- at least that was shop practice: acetylene just open enough for flow and the O2 was always wide open and back seated to prevent leaks.  The bottles have to be O2 cleaned as well after hydro/inspection before any use with O2.


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