Need old Nalgenes

[Diane Pinkers]

This is an odd request, but if anyone still has old Nalgene bottles, from before the BPA days, I would gladly purchase several.  I have a machine that uses it for a reservoir, and we need that specific old type to fit the lid.  The new ones just don’t thread properly.

$5? $7?

Thanks, folks.

[Iago Vazquez]

They are still for sale everywhere

https://www.nalgene.com/product/2179-0032/

https://www.rei.com/product/402049/nalgene-ultralite-wide-mouth-water-bottle-32-fl-oz

Nalgene HDPE Wide Mouth Water Bottle (1-Quart) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KA6AOU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Ys77zbBFBT8XN

[Diane Pinkers]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Thanks, Iago, we had been through this several years ago, and the newer ones apparently don’t have the same thread as the old ones from before the BPA scare.  I did order one from one of your links to verify that (this was maybe 3-5 years ago, but we’d had to solicit BPL before for this, because the several newer ones we purchased did not fit the cap that is connected to the machine.</p>
If in fact the newer white ones work, we are in like Flynn.  I know for a fact that the more clear bottles don’t work. If I can’t scrounge bottles after this, I’m going to have to spend $$$ on a new machine, and I’m trying to husband resources.

[Nick Smolinske]

Another option would be to try an MSR dromedary bag. Not sure if your machine could use a bladder, but if so it’s worth a shot.

[Bob K]

Have you contacted Nalgene? Maybe they have a warehouse full of BPA bottles they don’t know what to do with. Or maybe there’s something in the labware catalog that would fit…

[Greg Pehrson]

Hi Diane,

Is it only the milky white old HDPE Nalgenes that work for the machine or do the old smokey gray/clear hard plastic from before the BPA days work too?

I have a couple of the smokey gray ones with no lids (do you need the lids?) that are at least 10 years old, they don’t say BPA free anywhere and were from before that scare (I remember my wife buying new ones to replace them), that I’d be happy to send you for the cost of shipping alone, if they’d work for you.

It’s my understanding that the white HDPE ones never had BPA; it was just the harder plastic ones that did, so maybe they changed the threads to make that distinction?.

EDIT: just googled “how to tell if a nalgene is bpa free and found that the recycling number 7 (polycarbonate) is what Nalgene was using before making the switch to BPA free. Not all plastic number 7s have BPA(it’s the “other” category) but Nalgenes made after 2008 don’t have this number. Both of my bottles have the number 7. That still doesn’t tell us if they’d work for you though :)

[Diane Pinkers]

Hey, Greg, I’d be willing to give it a try, it can’t hurt. No, I don’t need the lids. The whole problem is finding a bottle that fits the lid that has the seal and the hoses running into and out of it. If the thing didn’t have to hold up to pressure, I’d just reverse engineer a new lid. Judging by the sound when the bottle fails, though, there’s a lot of pressure, and I don’t care to compromise the safety of my staff or patients.

I’ll pm you an address, will PayPal work?

[Greg Pehrson]

Sure, great. That makes sense–I just asked about the lids because I didn’t know if you needed to use the bottles as storage when disconnecting from the machine. I’ll ship them first and then let you know actual shipping.

Hope they work for you!

[Diane Pinkers]

Well, a good idea is kaput.  iago had pointed out that new HDPE Nalgene bottles were available, and I purchased one in the hope that my memory was wrong.  Unfortunately, the new REI model does not thread properly onto the connected lid.  I have another new one from a labware source coming, crossing my fingers that will work, but otherwise, your old Nalgenes gratefully given a new home!

[Danny Milks]

Diane

How many bottles are you looking to get, ideally?

[Matthew / BPL]

None of my business but I’m curious. What’s the machine do?

[Diane Pinkers]

Considering how fast we’ve blown through several bottles this week, I’d like to get as many as I can,  Danny. Provided they are the right type. I’m still holding out the hope that a new labs are sourced one might work, because the plastic is getting old and brittle, but and just isn’t holding up to pressure.

Matthew, this is a dental machine that runs my dental drill and dental scaler. The bottle is a reservoir for the water that is sprayed to keep the teeth from heating up from the vibration of the equipment. It’s an old beast, but works perfectly well, so there’s been no reason to replace it. But, the bottles are under pressure, and we’ve blown a few in just the past week.

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Diane

Do the old smokey grey ones fit? I have one, but I am in Oz.

Cheers

[Diane Pinkers]

We don’t know yet whether the old smokey grey ones fit.  Greg is sending me a couple that have no lids.  If I find that they do work, then sure, I’ll take a package from across the pond.  Let’s figure out if they work first, though.

[Iago Vazquez]

If the smokey grey work, we have one also that I can send.

[Matthew / BPL]

Interesting. Thanks for satisfying my curiousity. Good luck on the nalgenes!

[Greg Pehrson]

Utah and Darcy sent on an old white HDPE bottle. Scheduled to arrive Tues; the smokey ones should arrive Monday.

[David Thomas]

“just isn’t holding up to pressure.”

I know a lot of my older Nalgene have gotten brittle with time.  After twice having one develop a crack on a trip, I gave all of mine a good squeeze – something they would have withstood back in 1983 – and half of them audibly cracked so I tossed them.

If you wrapped them in duct tape or better yet, Gorilla Tape (especially if you keep the tape under tension as you wrap them), the resulting composite assembly would handle a lot more pressure.

Is there any way to adapt the machine?  To replace what is basically an old-style Nalgene lid (with two tubes into it?) with a new-style Nalgene lid?  There are folks on this site who build backpacking hot tubs, their own canister stoves and crazier stuff, so a water bottle lid adapted to a pressure tube and a discharge tube seems easy in comparison.

[David Thomas]

“I have another new one from a labware source coming”

Tested that yet?  That was a thought I had – maybe they haven’t changed the style of the laboratory ones.  Buying those 24 or 144 at a time was a lot cheaper than getting them at REI back in the day.

[Diane Pinkers]

I haven’t received the labware version yet, David, it seems to be coming by mule team rather than USPS.  I have hopes it can be the answer.

As for modifying a modern one, it *looks* like it should be a simple engineering feat.  The question is one of pressure.   I’ll post a picture tomorrow of what the inside of the lid looks like.  I don’t want to unscrew and screw the cap on any more often than I have to, as that seems to be a potential point of failure as we tighten it down.  It will be in use tomorrow, so I’ll get a chance to photograph it when the techs are adding more solution to the machine.  Also, I’ll be able to double check the pressure gauge while in use.  I’m a little leery of it, as the one failure I witnessed was pretty catastrophic (sounded like a gunshot), and it was fortunate that the cover was over the machine, otherwise it sounded like it would have sprayed plastic shards everywhere.  I’ve suggested to my tech the idea of reinforcing the bottle with duct tape, at least then it would probably be somewhat contained, and just lose pressure rather than exploding.

[Roger Caffin]

The old milky-white ones did go brittle after a while. I have a rectangular 1 L Nalge bottle with a large hole in the side.

Cheers

[JCH]

If the smokey grey work, we have one also that I can send.

I also have one, maybe two 8-10 year old smokey grey (hard) bottles I’d be happy to donate.  Let us know if they work.

[Kenneth Keating]

Another approach is replacing the top lid with a newer product that would be reliable, fit current bottles and not relying on +20 year old bottles.   See below for possible solutions.  The 53B threads would be able to fit numerous types of bottles.

53B Nalgene Filling/Venting Closure with Ports for 1/4″ ID Tubing

53B Topworks Flexible Systems for Nalgene Bottles.

 

[David Thomas]

Very nice find, Kenneth.

Another sources of pre-made adaptors might bemicro-brewing supply stores.

[Diane Pinkers]

Ok, BPL nation, we have confirmed that the smokey grey bottles do thread onto the old lid.  Please PM me with your requested remuneration (postage, a few bucks) and I’ll send the address.  I’m asking for PM’s because I’ve gotten numerous responses, and I want to make sure I treat each one individually.

David, here’s 2 photos of the lid that is the cause of the issue.

 

There’s what looks to be a Neoprene seal on the inside of the lid.  If that is just held in place by the nuts and compression, great.  If there’s any sort of adhesive in there, I can’t be sure of prying the original seal out intact.  If I’m reading the gauge correctly, it has to hold to about 100 psi.  That is what has worried me about just trying to re-engineer the thing.  If I don’t have it seal properly, I’m sunk.

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