Nitrous gone wrong!!!
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: Southern CA
That is scary,I had a bottle for a while in my Cobra,I left it in during the summer a few times not thinking of this,thank whoever I decided to leave it at home after a while and this never happened to me. Jesus this scares the **** out of me,I can not believe mine did not blow,black car in 105 heat in a parking lot ALL day. When I go back to the bottle it will stay home until used,or going the extra dollar and getting a tube.
This is an extremley rare incident. As long as you take the proper saftey measures (pressure relief valve/blow down tube etc.) you wouldn't have nothing to worry about. Another thing to take in account is that these are just pictures on the internet. There are no specifics about the incident. There could have been alot of unknown factors that led to this particular bottle failure. Things like an abused bottle, over filling, improper heater wiring, etc. You have a much better chance of getting killed by a drunk driver that getting killed by your nitrous bottle blowing up.
FWIW, what I've heard of the story is the cylinder was purchased used, and allegedly was previously installed on a truck that was in a fire. So the strength of the cylinder was certainly compromised that being the case. Still hard to fathom that the cylinder went before the burst disc, but then again DOT does specify any cylinder exposed to greater than 125F has to be removed from service. And every compressed gas cylinder has a pressure relief, with an exception to certain highly toxic and pyrophoric (ie ignites upon exposure to air) gases.
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Verdad Gallardo I also don't think a heater could've done it, since I'm pretty sure those warmers have self-regulating elements, and you'll kill the 12V battery long before you can heat the bottle to an overpressure level.
Closed ex-Sponsor Account
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,797
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From: Wichita Falls, TX
If the bottle was used, it could have had a torch applied to it, for heating the bottle, and or the burst disc exchanged for the wrong one. Those discs have different ratings for different bottles. This is also why if you see someone using a torch on a bottle leave the area quickly, and try to stay away from them.
Where is the bottle valve in the picture. The bottle exploded the way it is designed to do, but the valve threads look intact.
Where is the bottle valve in the picture. The bottle exploded the way it is designed to do, but the valve threads look intact.
Closed ex-Sponsor Account
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,797
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From: Wichita Falls, TX
A heater left on too long with a double disc installed can explode like this. Heaters usually use pressure to shut down, and if the bottle is closed while the heater is on, it just keeps adding heat some thing has to give.
It's the burst disc and only the disc at fault.... he could have double disc'd it which would possibly cause it but it was probably a malfunctioned disc or no disc at all....
Somethign like this happened a few years ago to someone who had his car in his garage... It blew his car apart, blew his garage door off the hinges, damaged his wife's SUV.... I mean it JACKED THIS GUY'S **** UP......
Bottle was probably already weak and disc might have malfunctioned...
bottom line, don't leave bottles in burning hot cars sitting in the sun, don't leave your heater on accidentally and buy a new bottle once every few years.....
Somethign like this happened a few years ago to someone who had his car in his garage... It blew his car apart, blew his garage door off the hinges, damaged his wife's SUV.... I mean it JACKED THIS GUY'S **** UP......
Bottle was probably already weak and disc might have malfunctioned...
bottom line, don't leave bottles in burning hot cars sitting in the sun, don't leave your heater on accidentally and buy a new bottle once every few years.....
crazy how fast bottles can heat up, i had one outside at the track for a little bit, put it in the car and it was at like 1300-1400psi just from sitting outside in the sun for a little while.
it could have had the heater left on with the bottle closed, or just baking in the sun
it could have had the heater left on with the bottle closed, or just baking in the sun
10 Second Club
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,034
Likes: 1
From: Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Everyone saying that they are going to put a blowdown tube on their cars now because of this you should know that that wont help a situation like this. That bottle split in half, not just blowing the N2O out of the burst disc.
