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Remove all traces of bottled gas smell from bottle.

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Artisi

Mechanical
Jun 11, 2003
6,544
Hi
I am running an experiment using an old cooking gas bottle as a pressure accumulator on a domestic water system to reduce the surge of the pump constantly cutting in and out. So far is very successful with the exception of the residual gas smell in the bottle which ends up in the pumped water.
My Question is -- how can I / what do I need to do to rid the bottle of this residual smell. I have purged the bottle with copious amounts of air and water, this has made a small difference but not eliminated the problem completely. I would think that the "smell" in probably impregnated into or even bonded to the corrosive layer which the bottle surely has on its inside.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Naresuan University
Phitsanulok
Thailand
 
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Artisi,

I suspect the residual smell is due to the odorant used for the gas product that was in the cooking gas bottle. Likely that odorant was a type of mercaptan. I don't have experience with removing that odor so I can only suggest you search the internet for something like "neutralize mercaptan smell". There looks to be a number of ways you try but given the low threshold for people to detect the smell, you may not ever get rid of it completely.
 
Artisi, Try washing with bleach if it is relatively easy to try something simple which might work. Rinse it around, then fill fully to displace all vapor with water. best wishes, sshep
 
If there's a lawyer within a thousand km of you, it would be foolish to use a shell that once contained a toxic odorant in a potable water system.

Here in The Colonies, a couple hundred dollars will buy you a domestic water system that includes a pump, a jet point, a simple pressure controller, and a water accumulator complete with an internal bladder.

If you can't find a source for such water tanks, I strongly suggest that you have them fabricated locally from known clean materials.



Mike Halloran
NOT speaking for
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
 
Steam it out

<nbucska@pcperipherals DOT com> subj: eng-tips
read FAQ240-1032
 
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