co2 life span

[stuvy]

once a co2 cylinder is filled how long is the life span of the compressed gas in the cylinder?

been offered some and just wandered if there was a time line like old petrol etc

also same goes for argon whilst im at it!

 

[Wozzaaah]

I would have thought it would last indefinitely.

 

[jugs]

Inert gas is.... inert

the only problem would be a leaky valve

 

[Delgado]

The life span of the gas is dictated by the cylinder, and they need to be fully emptied and hydraulically tested every 10 years.

 

[R Kraft]

The contents will not spoil.
Robert

 

[Chickenjohn]

CO2 is a stable gas while it is in the cylinder, it will keep indefinitely.

 

[stuvy]

I thought as much but had second thoughts as fire extinguishers need testing so was confuzzled!

would the same be said about argon seeing as its innert too?

 

[PTvor]

I'm pretty sure that with fire extinguishers, they're tested by weighing them to make sure the contents haven't leaked to the extent that they haven't enough left in them to deal with a fire. It's nothing to do with the contents degrading. They wouldn't normally be expected to leak. A safety and insurance requirement.

With a cylinder for welding you wouldn't expect it to leak at all over years and if it did, you'd only be wasting some money rather than risking life when something that was supposed to work didn't.

Petrol has some very reactive components that are set off with a spark easily. If you leave it too long in a container with air, the air oxidises the reactive bits and what's left won't ignite as easily, so engines using it are at least hard to start. It isn't the same thing as bottled gas at all.