Facts You Need To Know About Oxygen Tank/Cylinder Regulators

Oxygen was discovered by a French chemist, Antoine Lavoisier, who was born on 26^th August 1743. He gave the name to Oxygen in 1778 and to hydrogen in 1783. Two third weight of the human body is oxygen and it is the third abundant element which forms about 21% of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Did you know?

·         Liquid oxygen is a beautiful pale blue at -183 degree C

·         At room temperature, oxygen is a colorless gas

·         The boiling point of oxygen is – 183 degree C while the melting point is -218 degree C

·         The symbol of Oxygen is O and its atomic number is 8

The Importance of oxygen cylinder regulator to prevent fire

There have been reports of oxygen cylinder regulators exploding during medical service, during equipment check and a few cases are reported by the fire department. The firefighter suffered burn injuries with extensive damage to property as well. 

Forensic analysis recognized that the cause for the explosion was a leakage in the oxygen cylinder regulator. The gas slowly weeps out of the damaged seal and ignites due to the friction caused by the flow of the gas. Use of improper seals/gaskets/washers on the regulators is the major cause of ignition and the damage causing fire.

There are two types of washers that are used to enhance the seal at the valve/regulator interface in oxygen cylinders. The two types are a metal bound sealing washer and the other common type is the plastic crush gasket suitable for single use, unlike the sealing washer that is designed for multiple uses. The crush gasket which is usually made of nylon (CGA 870) requires higher torque to seal the interface as compared to the elastomeric sealing washers. The cylinder regulator/valve connection is designed to be tightened by hand. Any additional torque causes the gasket to be deformed, which damages the cylinder valve and regulator.

A deformed cylinder valve seat lets the oxygen leak out. Oxygen itself is not flammable, but when it flows with a high velocity it produces enough friction to heat up the washer and ignite the crushed nylon gasket. Metallic seal washers are less prone to leaks, but are not leak proof.

Safety precautions when dealing with oxygen cylinders

It is always better to be safe than sorry. Take these precautions to prevent explosions that cause damage to life and property due to fires from oxygen cylinder regulators.

• Clear the outlet port of the valve by opening it a wee bit to let gas escape for a short time then attach the regulator to the cylinder
• It is mandatory to follow the instructions as given in the manufacturer’s manual when attaching the regulator to the oxygen cylinder
• Make sure you are using the sealing gasket as specified by the manufacturer
• Check the regulator for a clean sealing washer or new crush gasket which should be in good condition
• Inspect the regulator and CGA seal before you attach the regulator to the valve
• The gaskets, valves, regulator must be free from any contaminants like grease or oil, which literally add fuel to the fire
• Never use a wrench or any other hand tool to tighten the T-handle. It is designed to be tightened by hand only
• Verify that the regulator is attached properly and the gasket is in good condition. Open the valve slowly, if gas escapes shut it immediately

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