Helium

[Teller]

Anyone know where I can buy some Helium in Austin? Looking to buy from a gas supply shop not a dive shop.

 

[Wookie]

I googled Austin Welding equipment supply - compressed gas and came up with 10 gas houses, including Airgas, Praxair, precision, Air Products, Alamo, etc. How many do you need?

Most Airgas and Praxair stock 5.5 helium. Medical grade is too expensive and 5.5 is as pure as anything you breath in Houston. Not saying much, I know.

 

[paulw]

I know you are looking for a source other than Dive shop but if the supply shops don't have what you want give Mack a call at Oak Hill Scuba : Oak Hill Scuba - Your Personal Dive Shop

 

[Teller]

Yeah I know oak hill. I was looking for a better option to be able to blend at home. Praxair wants about $500 for a 300 cubic foot cylinder.

 

[cbrich]

The gas companies are going to require an account, and now days gas is very expensive for a new account. The last time I called Airgas; Aviator oxygen was $30, and HP (high purity) Helium was around $150 under my family's business account, and these are for the 300 cu.ft cylinders (T cylinders).

I would stay away from Balloon grade Helium. I have been told by an Airgas Rep, that they put Oxygen in Balloon grade Helium, but I don't know if this legit or not. There is also UHP (Ultra High Purity) which is about $100 more than HP. Airgas has many different grades of Helium, each with a cost associated with it.

Unless you have easy access to a prescription pad, getting medical grade oxygen is going to be out of the question, but then again you don't need it. Get the Aviator Breathing Oxygen grade.

Just took a look at Airgas, and now they have "Diving Grade." I am curious how this differs from the above with cylinder filling and testing procedures.

 

[Teller]

Praxair requiered a 100 acvount fee or a 400 dollar deposit. Its good for a year. I forgot to ask about the grade but they said its used for diving. Ill have to call back to clarify.

 

[cbrich]

They are selling you Diving Grade, which is what you want. I don't know how the Diving Grade compares to Balloon, HP, or UHP. The gas will have a cost to it, and the cylinder leasing too.

 

[paulw]

The gas companies are going to require an account, and now days gas is very expensive for a new account. The last time I called Airgas; Aviator oxygen was $30, and HP Helium was around $150 under my family's business account, and these are for the 300 cu.ft cylinders (T cylinders).

I checked around and my main gas vendor quoted me $130.00 but here is the issue, there is a "shortage" of helium and some suppliers like him are only selling it to their existing Helium customers which I am not so he wouldn't sell me one and the vendors that will sell what they have to anyone want $400.00 and up plus tank rental for a "T" cylinder. I have heard different stories about the "shortage" but the only one that matters is the one where suppliers really are limiting the usable supply to wholesalers and retailers, that is a fact. Wow from about .50 cents a cubic ft to $1.70 a cubic ft..that really sucks for the Trimix divers!

 

[cbrich]

Yeah I have heard of the shortage, but have not really looked into it.

 

[Wookie]

The gas companies are going to require an account, and now days gas is very expensive for a new account. The last time I called Airgas; Aviator oxygen was $30, and HP (high purity) Helium was around $150 under my family's business account, and these are for the 300 cu.ft cylinders (T cylinders).

I would stay away from Balloon grade Helium. I have been told by an Airgas Rep, that they put Oxygen in Balloon grade Helium, but I don't know if this legit or not. There is also UHP (Ultra High Purity) which is about $100 more than HP. Airgas has many different grades of Helium, each with a cost associated with it.

Unless you have easy access to a prescription pad, getting medical grade oxygen is going to be out of the question, but then again you don't need it. Get the Aviator Breathing Oxygen grade.

Just took a look at Airgas, and now they have "Diving Grade." I am curious how this differs from the above with cylinder filling and testing procedures.

Airgas also has "diving grade" Oxygen. They have filled exactly 1 cylinder of it, somewhere in Georgia. HP helium is 5.0, which if you're blending your own mixes is fine to use, it's like the difference between medical and ABO. If you are selling it, it is NOT breathing grade, where 5.5 is. On my Texas Airgas account, 5.5 helium is $95 per T. On my Key West account (yes, Airgas splits at Tallahassee) my 5.5 is $202 a T. If I needed a couple of pallets, I'd have it shipped.