# Liquid nitrogen tanks on the street

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquid-nitrogen-tanks-on-the-street/217622>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 7, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquid-nitrogen-tanks-on-the-street/217622 "2003-12-07T21:53:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sendhil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sendhil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sendhil)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquid-nitrogen-tanks-on-the-street/217622/1 "2003-12-07T21:53:18Z")

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In New York City, particularly in midtown Manhattan, one often sees big metal tanks of liquid nitrogen on the street.\_ I presume these have something to do with what’s going on under the street, as there are usually tubes going from the tanks to holes in the ground.

What are these for?

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquid-nitrogen-tanks-on-the-street/217622/2 "2003-12-07T22:22:59Z")

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Sometimes cables are pressurized with nitrogen gas to keep out moisture. After splicing, such cables must be purged and repressurized, and that’s what these tanks are for.

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**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liquid-nitrogen-tanks-on-the-street/217622/3 "2003-12-07T22:23:58Z")

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Ha! I wondered the same thing. See [Liquid nitrogen canisters on sidewalk](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=81227) for the answers I got to the question.