How to clean....

[Doug Crann]

....a tank that stored some sort of refrigerant?





Both the valves it has are frozen. Carefully pulled a plug it has...no pressure. Has a liquid of some sort in it....guessing it is not much. Sat in a neighbors yard for a year or so before I asked about it. Have an old trailer and a bunch of plate...gonna make a Reverse Flow out of it...

 

[Jason TQ]

 

[Q Junkie]

Be very careful of getting an open flame in contact with refrigerants. Many refrigerants will produce phosgene gas when burned. Phosgene is basically what they referred to as mustard gas in WWI. Believe me you will know it if you inhale it. Very bad stuff.
Make very sure that tank has ZERO refrigerant in it before getting an open flame near it.

 

[scrub puller]

Yair . . .

Cutting into ANY tank I always fill with water to reduce the volume of any explosive gas.

I had a friend severely injured while welding when he arced onto a four gallon gear lube drum he was using as a seat.

Cheers.

 

[yakdung]

I would not dismiss a stuck valve so quickly. I would try and use a Stillson wrench with a long metal pipe over the handle as a cheater bar and see if you can make it budge. I would also soak around the base of the valve with PB B'laster for a couple of days prior to trying to break it free. Good luck.

 

[Happy Hapgood]

That's an old refrigerant recovery tank and I would be more worried about the oil residue in it than refrigerant IF it has no pressure as you say. The oil will still contain trace refrigerant so as the other guys have said, it can produce phosgene gas when a torch heat is added and that stuff ain't nice.

Recommend you remove all the vales off the top and invert it to drain. Put it upright and flush it with water. Should be good to go after that.

 

[Rockinar]

Id fill it and drain it with water a couple times. Then have it FULL when you cut into it.

 

[sjportera]

You may well find the inside very corroded. Refrigerant has an affinity to absorb moisture and turn into an acid that eats away at the metal it contaminates. This from an old, retired, commercial a/c mechanic who has opened a few chiller machines that had allowed moisture to enter the machine, either through surrounding air or water and found a corroded mess inside.

 

[Doug Crann]

That's an old refrigerant recovery tank and I would be more worried about the oil residue in it than refrigerant IF it has no pressure as you say. The oil will still contain trace refrigerant so as the other guys have said, it can produce phosgene gas when a torch heat is added and that stuff ain't nice.

Recommend you remove all the vales off the top and invert it to drain. Put it upright and flush it with water. Should be good to go after that.

There is no pressure in it, I removed a plug from it a few days ago. I am on the fence about using it, we don't need a smoker this size. I have another 60 gallon tank as well. Ifor I use the 60 gallon tank I am going to build the cook chamber into a cabinet style. Main reason is I spent close to a week getting the cook chamber door to seal after it sprung on my other build...

 

[Q Junkie]

I would not discount using it as a smoker as long as you know what the issues are and how to avoid any hazards. Once the tank is properly evacuated of anything harmful it will make an awesome cooker. Toast is right, the liquid is probably oil/sludge and sjportera is also correct that it may be really corroded because of the acids that are created when water and refrigerant is mixed under pressure. Having said that, I would not hesitate to make a smoker out of it after a proper cleaning and a good burn out.

 

[Doug Crann]

Just pulled a couple plugs out of it. Stuck a flashlight in the one bung and peered in the other. It is dry. Other than some surface rust I don't see any bid flaky crap. Actually looks less crusty than the air compressor tank I used for my other one.

 

[Doug Crann]

When I rinse it out just use water? I know it is not a propane tank but read a few builds where propane tanks were used...memory is a bit fuzzy but I thought I seen dish detergent mentioned....

 

[Rockinar]

When I rinse it out just use water? I know it is not a propane tank but read a few builds where propane tanks were used...memory is a bit fuzzy but I thought I seen dish detergent mentioned....

That was the Aaron Franklin video. Filled it with water and dish soap to help reduce chance of explosion when he cut into it.

 

[yakdung]

I would dump a large bag of baking soda in it, and then fill with water. Rinse and repeat if necessary. Good luck.