Acetylene tank, how to know if full?

Lockeset

I would like to install a hose bibb on the outside of my house, I have a perfect place in which the cold water pipe is dead ended in the basement near the exterior wall.

I was at a yard sale a few weeks ago and bought a small fire extinguisher sized acetylene tank for $5. The gentlemen said that it was empty and I would have to exchange it for a full tank, but when I brought it home and opened the valve the gauge said "Full".

So my question is if the tank is really full and the gentlemen was mistaken? Or if it is empty and the gauge isn't reading true? How would I know?

Second question, I assume I should take the gauge and hose all off before bringing it somewhere (plumbing supply house?) to be exchanged, correct?

Thurman

I cannot relate the two issues here: The cold water piping and the acetylene tank.
You could take the tank, minus anything that attaches to it, to a local welding supply house to have it weighed. They know the full/empty weight of most cylinders. Catch them on a good day and they just might do it for free. NOW: There are two local welding supply centers in my town. NEITHER one will swap, nor fill, those sized tanks at all. The both will send someone to the local Tractor Supply store to do an exchange. David

Lockeset

They are only related in the fact that I will need the acetylene tank in order to install the hose bibb.

the_man

I'm a bit confused too. You're gonna braze these pipes to add the bibb? Weld galv? Just go get a can of mapp and sweat the pipes

Lockeset

I was going to sweat the pipes with solder. I was told that mapp isn't optimal for 3/4" pipe so I picked up the acetylene tank for cheap to do the work. No good?

TheEplumber

acetylene is great for soldering as well as brazing. As a home owner, its more then you need. I've used it for 1/2 - 4" copper but you need an asortment of tips.

Bondo

Ayuh,... That is untrue...
mapp is more than enough for 3/4",... 'ell, propane will Easily do 3/4"...

Lockeset

So what do you suggest, not filling the acetylene tank- buy a mapp torch instead?

TheEplumber

If your bottle came with a tip, light it and see if you have gas (gauge says full?). If it lights use it. If it doesn't light- buy a mapp set. It will do any soldering job around your house
BTW- hows your soldering skills?

COLDIRON

Did the bottle have a gage regulator on it?? If it did and you opened it and it read full is there a little regulator on it that you have to turn to get the gas to come out.

secutanudu

Get a Mapp torch...I did a project recently and used it to solder a bunch of 1" connections.

__________________
Andrew

COLDIRON

You don't need mapp gas just one of those little solder sets will do it.

Homerepairguy

Till now I thought acetylene needed an oxygen tank to get real hot. Just for education sake, (I won't be buying one), does the flame from acetylene alone burn hotter than mapp?

Lockeset

Yes, there is the square shank that needs to be turned the open the tank, then a regulator and gauge. The gauge said full. Does that mean that the tank is full? If so, I'll save a lot of money by just using it to solder what I need. To go out now and buy all the MAPP equipment will cost quite a bit for a couple of joints.

Maintenance 6

Acetylene mixed with pure oxygen will burn at 5000 degrees plus. Enough to melt steel. An acetylene torch that uses atmopheric air as an oxydizer (like a plumber's Turbo Torch) will burn cooler, but still plenty hot enough to solder or braze. MAPP gas burns approximately equal in temperature to acetylene, but is contained and transported as a liquid, rather than a compressed gas like acetylene. If you have a good bottle and regulator and a decent torch, then use it. Just be careful. It doesn't take long to overheat a copper fitting with an acetylene torch.