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Help needed fast


Tsciant
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I need help.  Long time ch.  in cycle.   Suddenly cycle became much worse.   Ran out of o2.  Its Sunday.  Supply stores are closed. Won't help me.  Someone please tell me there is a way for me to obtain multiple tanks of o2 on a Sunday when everything is closed! Desperate.  Kip 8-9 all night last 3 nights.  Anyone ever had to find an emergency alternative source for o2????   Help.  I don't know if I can survive a night without it.  Barely can with it.  No sleep at all in 3 days.  

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I take it you're using welding O2?  It's true that most commercial O2 suppliers seem to be closed on Sundays.  However, I imagine that places like Harbor Freight and Tractor Supply, which both sell O2, are open Sundays.  Check the store locator at each site -- and make sure that they are selling filled oxygen tanks or can fill them for you.  If you're using medical O2 in smaller tanks, you might also have to buy a regulator that fits a welding tank (regulators from big medical O2 tanks, M and H sizes, will work on welding tanks).  I know Harbor Freight sells a regulator; don't know about Tractor Supply.

https://www.harborfreight.com/

https://www.tractorsupply.com/

There might be other similar places, those are the national, widespread ones I know about.

In a pinch, some people have talked about going to a local fire or EMT station, where they have O2 and have let at least some people use it.  And this is last last ditch -- some people get some relief from putting their heads in the freezer or up against a full-blast air-conditioning outlet and breathing deeply.

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I have only used medical o2 from medical supply stores.  Never occurred to me about commercial o2.  So it's safe and the same o2?   Thank you I will make calls immediately.  Do I tell them why I need it?   Do stores like this require a license or something?

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Many people use welding O2, maybe 15-20% of people with CH.  It's the same O2.  The tanks will be right on the shelves (in my experience).  I don't think you'll need to tell anyone anything about why you need it, but do not say it's for medical use.  Just for welding.  Highly unlikely anyone will ask you.  Remember that you'll need a CGA 540 regulator unless you already have large medical tanks.  Like I say, they sell a good one at Harbor Freight (comes with the barbed attachment for connecting the hose from your mask); don't know about Tractor Supply or other places, which will probably have regulators but which might not come with the barbed fitting.  You can buy an adapter with a barbed end.  Again -- if you ask about an adapter someplace, don't say it's because you want to attach the regulator to an oxygen mask.

Generally, the tanks they sell are small (20 cu ft).  Maybe they also sell larger ones.  These are sold by cubic foot, NOT by medical terminology (E tank, M tank, etc.).  A 20 cu ft tank might get you by today, but it's good for about 35 minutes at 15 lpm.  So you might want more than one.

Welding regulators don't have lpm settings.  So don't ask about that.  You just adjust it until your flow is right.  We can cover that if you get to it.

Here's the Harbor Freight regulator: https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?dir=asc&order=EAScore%2Cf%2CEAFeatured+Weight%2Cf%2CSale+Rank%2Cf&q=oxygen+regulator

This is what the regulator for small medical O2 tanks looks like. This WON'T work on any size welding tank: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Drive-Medical-18302GMN-CGA-870-Mini-Oxygen-Regulator-0-15-LPM-Barb-Outlet/33651373?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=2826&adid=22222222227022525791&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=69080698472&wl4=pla-135803090672&wl5=9021710&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=113489982&wl11=online&wl12=33651373&wl13=&veh=sem

 

 

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G'mornin tsciant!

I've been using welding oxygen for 8 years....welding ox and medical ox comes out of the same faucet, the only difference is that medical tanks are vacuumed prior to being filled while they just Crack the valve and do a "sniff" test on welding cylinders.

As CHf advised, DO NOT let them know that you intend to breathe it!!

Dallas Denny 

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I'm at harbor freight now.  Found the 20 cf tank and regulator with adapter.  Is there any thing I need to know as far as operating it?   Attach regulator to tank, attach adapter, attach tube to mask, turn knob on tank, turn spicket on regulator.  Simple as that?   Thanks for the help.  

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If you have a 540 reg on your existing tank, you can use that.  Connects in the same way.  Barbed fitting will be in the packaging.  Attach regulator to tank.  Be sure regulator is very tight (crap, should have told you to get a big wrench).  Attach mask hose to barbed fitting.  Open tank valve.  Turn the handle thingie on the front of the regulator.  I have the feeling, vague recollection, that you turn it clockwise to open and counterclockwise to close.  Will be pretty obvious to you.  As I said, that gauges are meaningless.  Open it to get the flow you want.  There's a very high potential flow rate (lpm) from these, so have a little caution.  Set it so the bag fills as you exhale and empties when you inhale.

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Are you sure the tank was full?  take the regulator off and just crack the valve on the tank for a second, should be high pressure escaping when you crack the valve...if not, the tank is empty.

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