Collecting gas from BOC depot for first time

[Lufbramatt]

OK, so have got a BOC account set up on the volkszone deal, finished rewiring my garage, got all my safety gear and workbench set up and am finally able to start welding this weekend. Last thing left to do is collect the gas bottle.

What's the process here? Do I just rock up and ask for a 20l bottle of Argoshield light? I guess I need to tell them the account number. Do I pay at the counter or does it just go on the account?

Do I need to get a key/lever type thing to open the valve? Or does that come attached to the bottle?

Have got a fire extinguisher in the car and a nice big strap to stop it rolling around.

This probably seems like a silly question but I hate turning up at these trade type places as a DIYer and people look at you like you're crazy...

 

[Wendelspanswick]

What are you going to use the fire extinguisher for?

Just go to the depot, ask for a bottle, they will ask for your account no, scan the neck of the bottle and leave you to load it.
No money changes hand.
You need to buy a bottle key.

 

[Lufbramatt]

According to the FAQ it's law to carry a fire extinguisher in the car if you're carrying a compressed gas bottle? I always have one in the garage anyway so thought it wouldn't hurt to chuck it in the car this morning.

 

[xmetal]

I printed off the sheet from BOC with the account number on and took that. It's best to ring them first to make sure they have the Y bottle in stock. You can either add it to the account or pay there and then. I just added it to the account. You will need to get a bottle key and you can do the same option as with the bottle. I just put the bottle in a space I'd made in the back of my Discovery so the bottle didn't roll around.

 

[Lufbramatt]

Thanks, seems pretty straight forward then. I was going to strap it vertically to the back of the passenger seat.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

You will need a bottle key, only a few quid.
I normally turn up, give my details, they bring out a bottle.

if I am in a car I jus place it on the floor behind the seats and away I go.
Oddly, if I am in the company van, thy will unload, load and refit the tamper seals to the brackets what hold it.
This is a H&S thing, apparently we can not be trusted to unload, load and secure a Y size bottle.

Oh yes I must not be tempted to buy.

Must not .

 

[Miggy89]

if collecting from boc supplier for 1st time they will have boc put you on to their system then scan code to your account you dont pay them directly you will get invoice from boc

 

[Jim Davey]

You can't trust the customer with cylinders, far too many customers bottle handling skills make me cringe. I've had customers turn up and just start rolling them off the 5' high bed of a tipper before I could stop them. The amount that try lifting them when there is a perfectly good trolley 3' away baffles me, and the number that are stumped by the operation of a seemingly simple device like a ratchet strap!? Then there's the ones that turn up with a huge flat bed and no straps or rope, so they try to pile flammable gas into the cab. Or the ones who trundle in and start helping themselves without getting the paperwork first...

Far safer to have the bottles handled by trained staff. We have to let the customers secure them in their own vehicles but we do give advice/help where needed.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

@Jim Davey
I know what you mean, you should see some of the things I have seen. I still cringe.

With our company bottles of inert gas we are not allowed to handle them. On the BOC system when we tell them who we are it flags up that we o not handle them and they need a tamper seal. nice and simple.

 

[BrokenBiker]

When I collected my first bottle they scanned it, gave me an invoice and off I went. Laid it down in the boot, wedged a tool bag against it to stop it rolling and left

 

[arther dailey]

When I collect mine its a case of checking it at boc counter,saying what you want ,they come out, you take old one out of van ,they scan and roll up full one,which I load, ratchet strap secure, and then back to counter for paperwork.
I always stand mine up, is it correct if laid down in a vehicle, lets say argo shield or equivalent ,should be stood for 6 hours before use ? or is that myth..
Arther

 

[xmetal]

When I collect mine its a case of checking it at boc counter,saying what you want ,they come out, you take old one out of van ,they scan and roll up full one,which I load, ratchet strap secure, and then back to counter for paperwork.
I always stand mine up, is it correct if laid down in a vehicle, lets say argo shield or equivalent ,should be stood for 6 hours before use ? or is that myth..
Arther

The argoshield bottle is fine being transported flat. I believe it's the acetylene bottles that should be vertical.

 

[arther dailey]

Thanks PDG, by the way could nt stop laughing when I read you comments about Harley FERGUSON etc in another post, hilarious and very true. great sence of humour,well I get it anyways.Arther

 

[Lufbramatt]

I think that's just for co2 where it's stored as a liquid. I guess it's just good practice to stop the valve getting knocked. Argon is stored as a gas. at 230bar if there's a leak it's going to come out whatever way up it is.

 

[arther dailey]

thankyou xmetal.

 

[eSCHEn]

Rock up in the car, handbrake it against the H2 cylinders - making sure I've got my best shades on and a tab in my gob because, well, that's what the cool kids look like isn't it?

Give the chap our special handshake, chat with the homies and then throw out the old Y and load in another. Both get scanned with the special barcode reader machine.

*Cough* err actually I drive up, wander in, let them know what I'm after, play with the super awesome dog, then within five mins I'm outside lifting the old Y out and the popping the new one in. Ratchet it down or wedge in place so it doesn't move about.

I pay for my bottle on the day. Usually over the phone to main place from the agent's office. I've tried getting better payment set up but they never seem to get it right.

All in all dead easy. Only complications are my hours make it difficult to hit them when they're open and they're super dour. Although now there's a dug to play with I don't care about that

 

[Charlie390]

Local guy at my BOC place told me I shouldn't be putting it in the back of my car for some such reason, he didn't elaborate or care much when I put It in anyway? Maybe it's to do with the compressed gas stickers you can see on vans sometimes

 

[Lufbramatt]

All sorted, was uneventful :-)

They had no issues with me sticking it in the back of my Passat. Just told me to keep the data sheet in the car.

 

[MoreWellie]

i don't like threads like this, now I am going to worry the next time I put a cylinder in the passenger footwell

when I was dealing with BOC it was easier to park across the road and carry the cylinders in and out, nobody ever said anything

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Local guy at my BOC place told me I shouldn't be putting it in the back of my car for some such reason, he didn't elaborate or care much when I put It in anyway? Maybe it's to do with the compressed gas stickers you can see on vans sometimes

Could also be because in the event of a sudden stop i.e. a crash, the bottle will turn into an Exocet missile hell bent on removing your head in its bid to escape through the windscreen.......

A local woman dog-owner used to have a blanket draped over the back seat to protect the upholstery, fair enough. But she had it anchored at each end of the rear parcel shelf by a rock the size of a football. She was genuinely astonished when I pointed out the potential - last time I saw her car the blanket was still in place but there wasn't a boulder to be seen.......