The Great Helium Hunt of 2021

[Marie13]

@tmassey walked me through how to handle fills with helium brought home from cave country.

 

[Jared0425]

Hopefully this will stabilize things. There needs to be a concentrated effort against balloons. The US is where balloons are the mainstay for stuff.

Helium: South Africa strikes new 'gold'

In a grassy plain in South Africa, once the world's largest gold producer, prospectors have stumbled upon a new treasure: helium.

phys.org

 

[Fires]

Hopefully this will stabilize things. There needs to be a concentrated effort against balloons. The US is where balloons are the mainstay for stuff.

Helium: South Africa strikes new 'gold'

In a grassy plain in South Africa, once the world's largest gold producer, prospectors have stumbled upon a new treasure: helium.

phys.org

I was reading about this earlier this week. Some good news for sure. One would hope we get it cheaper here, but I reckon most will be exported and we will still be charged a lot

 

[Invader]

@tmassey walked me through how to handle fills with helium brought home from cave country.

Marie, send me a PM please.

 

[Marie13]

2022 update:

West suburban dive shop owner told me last weekend he had recently checked into He cost as someone else had asked. Currently $700 for a T. Doesn’t include delivery related fees. We’re hoping the cost comes down by the spring.

 

[broncobowsher]

2022 update:

West suburban dive shop owner told me last weekend he had recently checked into He cost as someone else had asked. Currently $700 for a T. Doesn’t include delivery related fees. We’re hoping the cost comes down by the spring.

Sounds like price for Helium AND cylinder. Very easy to ask the question wrong, or the clerk answer the correct question wrong.

I've had this issue getting a simple propane tank refilled, were quoting me a price of a new tank and propane. Didn't know about the exchange of the old (empty). No, I'm not paying $75 for propane. I'm trying to do a Sunday evening BBQ out of gas quick exchange. They were offering me the outright bottle price. After some discussion, additional staff (supervisor, manager?) suddenly there was an exchange price. I still wonder how many people he ripped off selling exchange cylinders for outright bottle pricing.

 

[Marie13]

Sounds like price for Helium AND cylinder. Very easy to ask the question wrong, or the clerk answer the correct question wrong.

I've had this issue getting a simple propane tank refilled, were quoting me a price of a new tank and propane. Didn't know about the exchange of the old (empty). No, I'm not paying $75 for propane. I'm trying to do a Sunday evening BBQ out of gas quick exchange. They were offering me the outright bottle price. After some discussion, additional staff (supervisor, manager?) suddenly there was an exchange price. I still wonder how many people he ripped off selling exchange cylinders for outright bottle

Last year it was $600. I don’t think the shop owns the bottles but I could be wrong.

 

[Jimchris]

What grade are they selling for $700/bottle? Industrial for me last swap was $329 for a T (granted I own the cylinder) The price of UHP was nearly double that of industrial for 99.999 vs 99.998 %.

 

[Marie13]

Grade unknown, but probably UHP

 

[broncobowsher]

Good call on the grade. I don't even consider UHP. Industrial has a proven track record. I hope to have enough Helium to get through this year and next year. And probably regret not buying more this year.