# O2 Wrench



## Bosco836 (Mar 29, 2011)

Hi Everyone,

I was visiting another EMS service a few weeks ago and had the opportunity to look at some of their equipment.  While looking at their portable D O2 tanks, I noticed that they had black plastic valve attachments (that I later found out snapped in place) to allow the medic's to turn on/off the O2 without looking for a traditional O2 key. 

I inquired where they purchased these and who the manufacturer was, however, no one was able to provide me with any information.  After countless hours of searching Google, I have yet to find anything that is representative of what I saw.  

Does anyone have any idea where these things can be found or who makes them?

It seems like a simple invention that would hopefully help eliminate the perpetual problem of missing O2 keys.  

Best regards,


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## JPINFV (Mar 29, 2011)

I haven't heard of a plastic snap on wrench, but there's also this option for not needing an O2 wrench.


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## Bosco836 (Mar 29, 2011)

JPINFV said:


> I haven't heard of a plastic snap on wrench, but there's also this option for not needing an O2 wrench.



Yes.  I've seen those too, and have inquired about getting them from our O2 supplier; however, have been told that they currently don't offer them.  

These plastic modules snap on, as opposed to those which are (apparently) held in place by a pin that passes through a hole in the part of the tank that would normally be turned by the key. Unfortunately, our tanks (by our current supplier) lack the hole required for these toggles.


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## JPINFV (Mar 29, 2011)

If keeping tract of them is a huge problem, you could always just use zipties. One ziptie around the neck tight enough not to be able to pass the regulator, a second ziptie as a cord, and a third zip tie connecting the wrench to the cord.


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## Nerd13 (Mar 29, 2011)

JPINFV said:


> If keeping tract of them is a huge problem, you could always just use zipties. One ziptie around the neck tight enough not to be able to pass the regulator, a second ziptie as a cord, and a third zip tie connecting the wrench to the cord.



We have chains that do the same thing. They break all the time though. How well do the zip ties hold up to abuse?


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## Sasha (Mar 29, 2011)

I hate O2 keys, half the tops of our O2 bottles are so warped they destroy the key. It's a b to get them open.


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## exodus (Mar 30, 2011)

There should be a law that all O2 bottles should have the handle knob thingy


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## DesertMedic66 (Mar 30, 2011)

The fire department I used to work with had the metal key attached to the bottle like the pictures above. The ambulance company I work for does not have those. My knife has an O2 wrench in it (some people don't like it). I use it all the time. I have not seen a plastic wrench that stays attached to the valve.


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## medicdan (Mar 30, 2011)

I actually have an oxygen wrench on all of my keys (they work as something easy to grab), and I have a second I keep on me at work. The metal tabs on the tanks break off fairly easily/quickly, and wrenches, even if secured have an amazing ability to grow legs and disappear. 
As a manager for one service, and peon for another, I haven't found any golden way of keeping track of them.

Good Luck!


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## DrParasite (Mar 30, 2011)

my service attaches an oxygen wrench to every set of vehicle keys; each crew has two sets of keys; each keyset uses a cable with all the keys (all the keys for the particular truck, equipment room key, name tag, and METAL oxygen wrench) instead of a traditional keyring.  since we went to this system, we haven't had any problems with people borrowing wrenches, except when someone loses their keys.

my old volunteer agency took two round key rings, and went to home depot and bought a strong chain for like 12 cents.  one ring around one end of the chain placed around the T part of the regulator (but the ring was small enough to not come out without removing the entire T part), and the other around the oxygen wrench.  didn't have a problem losing them to the best of my knowledge.


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## Tigger (Mar 30, 2011)

We just use a hockey skate lace tied around the regulator, it's not going anywhere.


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## Bullets (Mar 30, 2011)

we use an actual wrench, i think 3/16ths, tied with a peice of rope


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## ffemt8978 (Mar 30, 2011)

A Leatherman or Gerber multi-tool works quite well for those times that you can't find the wrench.


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## mycrofft (Apr 2, 2011)

*Small Visegrip.*

PS: watch for sparks, that's why tank wrenches are aluminum, brass or plastic.

PPS: go to GOOGLE , search IMAGES for plastic oxygen wrenches handles or whatever. You can scan hunderds of images much faster than looking through lists.


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## JPINFV (Apr 2, 2011)

Nerd13 said:


> We have chains that do the same thing. They break all the time though. How well do the zip ties hold up to abuse?



I honestly don't know. The places I've seen it used were pretty low abuse, however I do wonder how much abuse oxygen tanks really need to take if people take care of them. I realize, however, that often is not the case in many systems.


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## Mooha182 (Apr 4, 2011)

Are you talking about the black pastic discs that sit ontop of the valve stem?


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## Scout (Apr 6, 2011)

Cylinder keys?   Built in regulators, 460L capacity, almost 1/2 the weight


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## Bosco836 (Apr 7, 2011)

Mooha182 said:


> Are you talking about the black pastic discs that sit ontop of the valve stem?



Yes! I believe so.  Do you have any info about what these are called/where to purchase them?


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## medicdan (Apr 7, 2011)

Bosco836 said:


> Yes! I believe so.  Do you have any info about what these are called/where to purchase them?


http://www.mooremedical.com/index.cfm?PG=CTL&CS=AMB&FN=ProductDetail&PID=4470


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## Mooha182 (Apr 8, 2011)

emt.dan said:


> http://www.mooremedical.com/index.cfm?PG=CTL&CS=AMB&FN=ProductDetail&PID=4470



We have some that at kind of like above but strictly plastic, but same idea.


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## Nerd13 (Apr 8, 2011)

JPINFV said:


> I honestly don't know. The places I've seen it used were pretty low abuse, however I do wonder how much abuse oxygen tanks really need to take if people take care of them. I realize, however, that often is not the case in many systems.



It's not that our tanks take abuse so much as the chains do. Our tanks hang on the side of our cot near the head so moving the head portion up or down frequently catches the chain and they break with very little resistance. We try to leave the wrenches right on top of the tank but sometimes it just doesn't work out.


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