CO2 Call Checklist

Guide

CO2 Supplier Call Checklist

Use this 60-second script to confirm exchange vs refill, customer-owned policy, valve compatibility, wait time, and fees. It saves the classic “drive across town and get rejected” experience.

Open CO2 Directory Exchange Refill Supplier Wizard Tools
Tip: If you’re nervous on the phone, read it exactly. No one cares. You’re the customer.

The 60-second script (copy/paste)

Use this in order. It forces the supplier to answer the questions that matter.
Say this:
  1. “Do you do CO2 exchange, refill, or both?”
  2. “Do you accept customer-owned CO2 cylinders?”
  3. “Do you have requirements like in-date/hydro, specific valves (often CGA-320), or cylinder condition?”
  4. “Is it while-you-wait, or drop-off? What’s the typical turnaround?”
  5. “Any fees/deposits I should know about?”
Find exchange suppliers Find refill suppliers Accepts owned
If they sound confused, re-phrase: “I have a CO2 cylinder. Can you swap it or fill it?”

What the answers usually mean

“We only exchange”

You bring an empty cylinder and leave with a full one from their pool. Fast, common, and usually the lowest friction.

“We don’t fill customer-owned”

They may only refill their own cylinders, or they only exchange. Ask the follow-up: “Do you exchange customer-owned cylinders?”

“Drop it off”

Some refill locations do bulk fills on a schedule. Ask turnaround time and whether you can wait on-site.

“It has to be in-date / hydro tested”

Many industrial suppliers require cylinders within hydro date for refills. Exchange programs often bypass this because you’re swapping into their fleet.

CO2 101 Refill vs exchange cost

Common edge cases (so you don’t get “No” for the wrong reason)

When they say “we don’t do CO2”

  • Try: “Do you do beverage gas or welding gases?”
  • Try: “Do you exchange CO2 cylinders?”
  • Sometimes the person answering isn’t the gas person. Ask if someone else can confirm.

When you have a weird setup

  • SodaStream / adapters: you still usually refill/exchange a standard cylinder, then adapt.
  • Paintball: many shops fill smaller bottles, but won’t handle standard cylinders.
  • Aquarium: ask about exchange/refill first, then worry about gear compatibility.
Use-cases Tools
If you’re striking out, widen the net: switch to exchange and try different supplier categories.

Valve notes (quick sanity check)

For standard CO2 cylinders, CGA-320 is common. Paintball and specialty bottles may differ. If you’re not sure what you have, ask the supplier what they support before driving over.

Valve Checker FAQ Safety basics

After the call (what to log)

  • Service type: exchange / refill / paintball
  • Accepts customer-owned: yes/no/unknown
  • Turnaround: while-you-wait vs drop-off
  • Any requirements: hydro date, valve type, deposits, membership
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