How To Fill An Oxygen Bottle

  1. Determine which tank has the lowest pressure. You will start the oxygen transfer with this tank. If there are more than two tanks, note pressure in each. Fill your tank in succession starting with the tank with the lowest pressure.
  2. Connect hand grip nut from the oxygen cart to the top of your tank. Tighten by hand without forcing.
  3. Make sure the bleed valve and the transfer valve are both in the closed (in the full right hand/clockwise) position.
  4. Slowly open the valve to your tank.
  5. Slowly open the transfer valve (this is the valve on the line from the cart bottles).
  6. Slowly open the valve on the tank with the lowest pressure. You should hear the oxygen start to transfer. Allow the oxygen to transfer slowly. Rapid transfer will cause an undesired increase in your oxygen bottle temperature. This will reduce the final amount of oxygen pressure you will achieve after the bottle cools.
  7. When the pressure between your tank and the first supply tank has equalized (there is no more sound of oxygen transfer) shut off the valve to the tank with the lowest pressure.
  8. Mark the date and ending tank pressure on the tape located on the side of the first supply bottle.
  9. Slowly open the valve on the tank with the next highest pressure. Oxygen will begin to transfer. Monitor the pressure on your tank. When the desired pressure is reached, or when the pressure has equalized, shut off the valve to the supply bottle. Mark the date and ending tank pressure on the tape on the side of the supply bottle.
  10. If there are more than two supply tanks, continue in the same manner with each supply tank, ending with the tank containing the highest pressure. Be sure to mark the ending tank pressure on each bottle.
  11. When finished, verify all supply bottle valves are closed. Close the valve to your tank.
  12. Open the valve to the tank with the lowest pressure. This will bleed the high pressure air from the transfer line. Close the supply bottle valve.
  13. Close the transfer valve.
  14. Slowly open the bleed valve to release any pressure in the lines. Important – Failure to open the bleed valve and release the pressure in the lines may damage the o-rings at the connection to your bottle during disassembly.
  15. Remove the hand grip from your bottle.

Utah Soaring Oxygen Refills/Bottle Swaps

NOTE: You will want to check the source of the bottles first if you are not certain. Most medium sized bottles at all USA locations are from Linde Welding Gas & Equipment Center. Nephi has larger bottles obtained from Humphries (see below). Humphries normally has aviator oxygen in stock. The Linde locations may not. It is best to call first.

Linde (Previously Praxair) Bottle Fills/Swap

Tell the Linde service representative you are with the Utah Soaring Association.
Tell them how many bottles you will need to exchange.
The bottles we rent from Linde are “M” sized bottles

There are three locations that serve the Heber/Morgan/Logan sites. You can also check on pickup and delivery. It is typically pretty reasonable, but may be a question of timing and whether they service a location.

Pickup at Ogden:
1211 Gibson Ave
Ogden, UT 84404
801-621-6200

Pickup at Provo:
1211 South Industrial Parkway
Provo, UT 84606
801-374-2556

Pickup at Logan:
2005 North 600 West
Suite F
Logan, UT 84321
435-753-1111

I do not know if they carry aviators oxygen in “M” sized bottles at the Provo or Logan Location. Be sure to confirm prior to going to the location. The club has an account with Linde. They will send a bill to the club address. There is no need to do anything regarding payment when the bottles are swapped.

Humphries Bottle Fills/Swap

Humphries is used by the Nephi USA glider base. The bottles we get from them are larger (not “M” sized). They do not deliver, so for Humphries the bottles need to be taken to a location to swap. They usually have several of the large bottles of aviator oxygen in stock, but it might be good to call first. We have an account, so just make sure you tell them the bottles you are dropping off or picking up are for Utah Soaring Association.

Pickup at Spanish Fork: (the primary location we use for Nephi service):
1321 200 E
Spanish Fork, UT 84660
801-794-0334
Easy on and off from the Spanish Fork main street exit.

Humphries main office is in American Fork. Oxygen bottle swap is also available at this location:
Pickup at American Fork:
34 East Main Street
American Fork, UT 84003
801-756-3566