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Who has a Nitrogen power tank?

2K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  amaclach 
#1 ·
I'm thinking about switching from CO2 to Nitrogen. Read many internets posts on why not, but I'm just really looking for the input of someone that has one - How many tire fills on average from a 10lbs/29 cu.ft tank?

What I don't like about Co2 is the frozen hose and regulators in our high humidity, the fact that I can't keep my daughter's pool floaties inflated (they leak out completely overnight when filled with Co2) and the moisture aspect.
But If I can't get say 8 or 10 tire fills from a tank, it makes no sense to switch.
 
#2 ·
make a one time switch to Nitrogen and tell us the results.
 
#7 ·
Get a compressor & the air is free.
Sure the compressor takes a little longer to air up with, but it doesn't run out, and how many times do you actually air up in a year on average? I'd probably air up around 100 times a year and my little ARB onboard single does all 4 in 10 minutes, which is when I take my flag down etc.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I think everyone is missing the most critical point here ..... you will get only a fraction of the number of tire "fills" with a tank filled with nitrogen gas than you will get with the same size tank filled with liquid CO2.

Your tank, when filled with nitrogen gas, contains less than 2.5 lbs. of gas. Every cubic inch of gas that you release from the tank results in a reduction of the tank pressure. Starting with an initial pressure of over 2,000 PSI, a reasonably-sized tank (~7" diameter X ~18" tall) will only contain about 30 cubic feet of gas, maybe enough for 5 reasonably-sized tires.

The same tank, when filled with liquid CO2, contains much greater weight of CO2 (around 10 lbs.). Liquid CO2 is much denser than gaseous nitrogen. When this liquid CO2 is allowed to expand into gaseous CO2, it has much greater total volume than the same tank filled only with nitrogen gas. CO2 liquefies at a relatively low pressure; the pressure in a tank of liquid CO2 is about 850 PSI at 70F. Here is the real key: the pressure in the tank will stay at 850 PSI until the last drop of liquid in the tank has vaporized.

The bottom line is you'll get a MUCH greater total volume of tire-filling gas out of a tank filed with liquid CO2 than you will get out of the same tank filed with nitrogen, something like a 4:1 or 5:1 ratio. 4 tires with nitrogen, 16-20 tires with CO2.

You can't liquefy nitrogen at any reasonable pressure, so it can never be remotely as practical as CO2 for use in portable systems.

That's why portable tire-filling systems intended to be capable of filling multiple tires use CO2, and not nitrogen or air.
 
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