Kathy

One more update! I decided to call around to welding supply companies after my previous post and I got lucky! I found a nearby dealer who said they are willing to deliver to a residential area for $19.00. They came the next day and picked up the leaking tank and gave me a new one that is working perfectly. What a relief. I will be using them from now on. I called my previous supplier and told him not to bother making the trip out here because I had found another supplier willing to deliver. Thank you all for all your helpful information! You really opened my eyes on the safety/dangers associated with acetylene tanks. Kathy

Just an update. I called the supplier and told him about the leaking tank. He said this happens all the time and wanted me to reattach the regulator/torch which would stop the leak and bring it back in. I told him I am too uncomfortable driving this tank anywhere in my car from all I learned here online, and he said he would come and get it tomorrow and bring me a replacement.

Thomas, I didn't mean to offend you. I truly did not know it was illegal to transport an acetylene tank in a car. I ended up calling Chemtrek's hotline for advice and the guy there told me to call my local fire department, which I did. The fire department said it should be fine sitting outside overnight until I can deal with it tomorrow. Thanks again.

I got the tank from a jewelry supply company, not a welding company, so they don't deliver or pick up. What happened is after turning the tank off and opening the hose to dispel all gas, the regular went down to zero as normal. But after about 30 minutes, it popped back up. So I again bled the hose, etc. It continued to happen so I removed the torch and reinstalled it, checking with soapy water for leaks. There were no leaks. I did this about 3 times, thinking maybe there was something wrong with the way I was connecting the torch. But after removing it the third time, I smelled the tank valve where the gas comes out and it was a very strong acetylene smell coming out of the tank. That is when I popped on it's plastic cap and put it outside. I know the supplier won't come pick it up, but I will call them in the morning to see what they want me to do about this. We do transport our tanks in our cars here in Georgia, and I've never heard it was against the law. I've been using acetylene for about 8 years (jewelry) and have never had a problem like this. Thank you for all your replies!

I realized yesterday that my acetylene tank (B size) was leaking, so I put the cap on it and set it outside. I'm now faced with the dilemma of having to drive a leaking tank in heavy traffic for about 45 minutes tomorrow to return it to where I purchased it. My question is this: Is it safe to open the valve and just let all the acetylene leak out (outdoors) before putting it in the car? I just got the tank last week so it's pretty full.