transporting acetylene

It is probably illegal to transport an acetylene tank horizontally. It is where I live, at any rate. If you do, make sure to stand it up for at least 3 days prior to cracking the valve.

See:

GWE

I'm thinkin' it would be best to keep the acetylene upright....The acetylene is actually dissolved in acetone and there is some kind of filler material in there too. I think if you lay it down, you need to then let it sit upright for awhile before using, else you run the risk of getting acetone outta the valve and into your regulator.

I am sure someone here knows the specifics.....anyone ???

HTH

Jeff

I put the same question to my gas supplier. He said it was OK to transport an acetylene tank horizontally as long as the valve is closed (and cap installed) and you stand it vertically for 30 minutes prior to using it. His comment was that acetylene would mix with the acetone in the horizontal position, standing it up would allow them to separate. I've followed his advice for years and never had a problem. I don't know about the legality of it, though.

"John" wrote: (clip) I've followed his advice for years and never had a problem. I don't know about the legality of it, though. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I have never asked, but I have loaded and unloaded acetylene cylinders from a horizontal position, in the presence of, and with the assistance of my welding suppliers' staff, for years. I have never had a problem, and never heard a comment from them. You will hear of dire consequences, but I don't believe any of it.

The only part I DO believe is that the tank must stand upright for a while, so any liquid has a chance to drain away from the valve area. The reason I believe that is that it makes sense.

That's what I was taught. You don't want any liquid coming out, as the dissolved acetylene will then exist in open air. That's a recipe for boom.

Where do you live? Evidently not in the U.S. And, who told you 3 days?????

JTMcC.

My gas supplier knows the legalities. He told me that the tank MUST be standing up and secured. I had been taught that it was OK to lay them in a pickup bed as long as the valve end is at the tailgate and the cap is on, Stand them up for awhile before using is real good advice. What I do now is stand them up at the front corner of the box and secure them with two black rubber bungee cords. Once they are secured I can lean on the top of the tank all I want and it won't budge.

Washington State. 3 days is safe, isn't it?

GWE

I suspect the law that applies to comercial transport of tanks does not apply to a consumer.

You say it's illegal in Washington state, please post proof of that.

20 minutes is safe. If we waited 3 days to use a bottle that's been laying on it's side, there would never be a power plant, bridge, or pipeline completed in this country.

JTMcC.

He knows the rules that apply to his trucks, but they don't apply to the customer. His driver also has to have a CDL with hazardouse material endorsment, keep a log book, have the federal DOT number on each door, plackards,ect,ect,ect. The DOT Commercial Vehicle rules, regulations and laws to apply to the guy taking a bottle of acy. home from the welding supply. Apples and oranges.

JTMcC.

Funny. Maybe because in the USA you have guidelines. In Canada we have laws and my supplier REFUSES to let you take the battle home unless it is transported standing up, secured and outside of the cab of the truck.

- no laying down

- no rolling around or unsecured in any way.

- no in the trunk

- no in the cab

Here in Canada we cannot transport propane in these ways either and the person selling it is responsible under the law as well as the person doing the transporting.

Everytime I hear someone say that it's illegal, I ask for proof, so far I've never recieved any. I'm guessing people are repeating heresay, but who knows, I may actually see proof some day. Until then I don't buy it.

JTMcC.

I actually searched the RCW codes ("revised code of Washington"-- the laws) and didn't find anything specific. But I have been told for sure by 3 different gas suppliers that they will *not* sell bottles for transport inside a car, or lying down, and their reason is it's illegal in this state. So maybe it isn't, but you still have to get your bottle loaded outside your car and vertically, at least at the place you swap bottles.

GWE

Maybe it is a King county law. Over here in Kitsap County, I have never had any problem swapping bottles and transporting them laying down. But they will not load them for me.

I forget how long one should have an acetylene bottle vertical before using it, but think it is less than a day. Acetone flows pretty quickly, but I always seem to get tanks one day and not use them the same day.

Dan

Grant Erw>

| >>You say it's illegal in Washington state, please post proof of that. | >>JTMcC. | >

| >

| >

| > Everytime I hear someone say that it's illegal, I ask for proof, so far I've | > never recieved any. I'm guessing people are repeating heresay, but who | > knows, I may actually see proof some day. Until then I don't buy it. | | I actually searched the RCW codes ("revised code of Washington"-- the laws) and | didn't find anything specific. But I have been told for sure by 3 different gas | suppliers that they will *not* sell bottles for transport inside a car, or lying | down, and their reason is it's illegal in this state. So maybe it isn't, but you | still have to get your bottle loaded outside your car and vertically, at least | at the place you swap bottles. | | GWE

At my supplier in Everett, WA, the fellow working the dock takes the bottle out of my truck and puts the new one right back where the old one was, laying down among other stuff there to keep it from rolling. The cap is there to prevent valve damage, and the entire bottle is designed to take more of a beating that I in my pickup truck can normally be expected to deliver. When you see trucks driving around with the tanks stored vertically, that's because it's expected to be put into service right away, unlike us backyard burners who have a bit more time to take care of things. Then again, I do see assembled torch sets inside vans, so how that sits legally I don't know. I can't see that being an issue with the RCW or there would have been a law on the subject, and I can find nothing. As I think about it, this is likely a federal thing, since the government takes every excuse to get into your business, and transport of hazardous materials, even within the state lines, falls under the commerce clause only if you push the limits past the breaking point. If your dealer has their rules above and beyond the industrial norms, I'm sure their lawyers get paid more than most. I suspect that if there was a real issue, I would have to sign a release every time I get a tank stating that I have been properly trained, certified, yada, yada, yada.

I was told that you should never transport acetylene tanks on their side because it prevents the pressure relief valve from working correctly. If you tanks get too hot they can (more) easily explode if they are on their sides.

That's what I was told in my welding class, at least.

Besides, it would seem that driving on a rough road with the cylinder vertical also runs the risk of mixing up the contents, so it should be allowed to stand for a while before use anyway.

Wayne

Hi John:

How's things up for you nowadays?

I was informed by the local PrixAir distributor several years ago that the reason they won't load them *into* a car, vehicle, etc. was for safety reasons, being maybe leaking valves and gas. I tried to get them to load a set of oxy and acet in an old motorhome I was taking to a job site and they told me it was against their rules, but that I could do whatever I wanted with them, don't remember him saying against the law.

Take care and keep yur rod hot.........