Ask HRC: Determining When Oxygen Cylinders Need Replacing

An ECRI Institute member recently asked for guidance on when oxygen cylinders should be considered empty.

The amount of gas in a cylinder can be assessed by looking at the pressure gauge attached to the top of the cylinder. A full cylinder will have about 1800 psi (pounds per square inch). ECRI Institute is not aware of any definitive standard or guideline that addresses the question of when a cylinder should be replaced or be considered empty, but common practice is to change an “In-Use” oxygen cylinder when the tank pressure gauge reaches 200 psi (i.e., 10% capacity remaining). A cylinder can certainly be used to a lower pressure, but replacing it at...