Where to buy Aviator's Grade Oxygen (and possibly helium) in LA.

[coolfilmaker]

I was happy to find that the gas supply company I've used in the past, Air Source Industries in Long Beach, was willing to fill my oxygen cylinder for a price I could afford, $59 for 300cf. However they did leave a little to be desired. They don't do the 10% overfill, which is problematic since I don't have a boost pump yet.

Does anyone have a better supplier?

 

[rjack321]

So they are filling your 300cf cylinders to 2400? You're doing fabulous if that's the case, we can't get 300s of 2 up here at all. 250 is the best you will get.

Good luck finding someone anywhere to fill them to 2640. They fill by weight not by pressure and they are not going to just "give" you extra gas.

 

[coolfilmaker]

The invoice was for 307 SCF, but there are two small printed stickers on it that say 8510 liters which is 300.5 cubic feet, so they technically short changed me. The first technician said they adjust it based on the temperature, but maybe he didn't understand how their system worked, or didn't think I'd understand gases having weight.

 

[runsongas]

z factor correction for o2 is why a full fill of pure o2 on a nominally 300cf 2400psi cylinder will be charged more than the 300cf rate. if you want to just pay for 300cf even, you will get a cylinder back at 2250 psi or so.

 

[rjack321]

z factor correction for o2 is why a full fill of pure o2 on a nominally 300cf 2400psi cylinder will be charged more than the 300cf rate. if you want to just pay for 300cf even, you will get a cylinder back at 2250 psi or so.

My experience is that it could be anywhere from 2300 to 2375 around here for helium fills in a "300". There's no O2 in that size or pressure from any home brewing capable supplier around here that I know of. My welding shop is reselling Airgas O2 and helium. Airgas themselves wouldn't work with a private sale customer last I asked (many years ago)

The 3AA cylinder may or may not have a + on it but they aren't plus filling ever

 

[Still Kicking]

My experience is that it could be anywhere from 2300 to 2375 around here for helium fills in a "300". There's no O2 in that size or pressure from any home brewing capable supplier around here that I know of. My welding shop is reselling Airgas O2 and helium. Airgas themselves wouldn't work with a private sale customer last I asked (many years ago)

The 3AA cylinder may or may not have a + on it but they aren't plus filling ever

I took an out of hydro tank to Airgas in LA a few months ago and they traded for a full one (welding O2 @ 2400) even though I no longer have an active account. I can't remember the price but think it was much less than $59.

Are Airgas locations corporately owned or are they franchises that set their own prices and policies? I suspect the latter.

I also had good luck twith Praxair in the past.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

AirGas is a nationwide company. Try them.

 

[missionmtb]

LA guy here. Praxair, Linde, Airgas, Messer etc. used to help divers in these parts... but not anymore (in my experience). You're so close to having a workable gas setup, you just need more pressure it sounds like.

I was you 10 years ago, getting the top of the bottle at the LDS every friday when it came in. But nowadays you can get a USUN mini booster setup *new* for $1500 whips and all! This is pretty low on the irresponsible-expenditure scale for technical diving.

But if you're determined to be responsible, another thing you could do in the meantime is just sling a bigger bottle of oxygen at lower pressure. If you can sidemount a 40 at low pressure this'll get the job done and offset your pressure problem while you work it out.This makes me sad tho cuz boosters are sweet.

All of this is assuming you're running a rebreather and just need a little O. If you're open circuit then you got bigger problems haha.

Ultimately (if you have this thing bad enough) you're gonna end up with a masterline with a manifold and a big bauer anyway, so... If you have a significant other just tell 'em Winston made you:

“The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of (technical diving) consequences.”​

― Winston S. Churchill

 

[rjack321]

Are Airgas locations corporately owned or are they franchises that set their own prices and policies? I suspect the latter.

Every gas supplier I have ever been to makes up their own policies, rules, and regulations seemingly on a whim. If they are all the same corporate entity, they definitely don't have a single standard policy for anything

 

[greeniguana]

AirGas is a nationwide company. Try them.

Airgas was bought by Air Liquide. Global conglomerate. Linde bought Praxair. Global comglomerate. 99.9% of gas comes from one of these two companies.