CO2 Leak

Kegging
1

I seem to have a leak in my sytem but I am uable to determine where. I feel pretty confifent it is not the lid or connections on the regulator or distributor. Are poppets the likely source of the leak and is there some way to verify that without replacing them?? Thanks

2

Go to NB and buy a bottle of this

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/gas- ... ector.html

Poppets won’t leak if they are connected do you have any metal to metal connections in your gas lines?
You do have the plastic piece like this on your gas line hose to the regulator?

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/flar ... asher.html

One more thing would be the washer between your regulator and the tank.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/co2- ... asher.html

The gas leak detector will find the leak around the gauges and the small hole in the regulator I’ve had brand new ones that leaked around the threads.

One other thing to see where to find the source of the leak is to disconnect it from the keg then shut off the valve and see if the gauges drop over night mine will hold for a week.

3

Thanks for the reply. Let me provide a little more detail. I filled the CO2 and added a new keg and the CO2 was drained within a couple days. I changed all rubber gaskets on the lid, posts, beverage tube and CO2 tube.

I hooked everything back up and turned on the CO2 for the day. Being paranoid, and wanting to be sure I had beer for Christmas, I shut the valve on the bottom of the regulator for the night. The next day I opened the valve and I could hear the CO2 entering the tank. I repeated this the next day with the same result. My first thought was I must still have a leak if CO2 continues to go in after turning it off for a period of time. Now I am wondering if the CO2 is being absorbed and not lost?

4

If your beer was under/un-carbonate then when you put it back on gas, gas will rush into the keg.

An option to check the keg, get a 9-10 inch garden tractor inner tube. Place around the top of the keg and fill with air. Now you have a place to put water to check all the connections for leaks.

5

[quote=“Nighthawk”]If your beer was under/un-carbonate then when you put it back on gas, gas will rush into the keg.

An option to check the keg, get a 9-10 inch garden tractor inner tube. Place around the top of the keg and fill with air. Now you have a place to put water to check all the connections for leaks.[/quote]

That is a good idea!

Sounds like your leak is definitely in the keg, not the gas system, unless you are not carbonated at all.

Whenever I first fill a keg, I hit it with 20-30 psi of gas and I can hear the lid sealing. I normally don’t have kegerator space right away so I will store that way for a few weeks. I have a spray bottle of star san that I spray a lot on the top before I put it away, checking for leaks.

I have had a gas connection not fit tight and cause a leak before

6

Great post Chuck!

I’ve had problems with poppets (these rely on the spring force and proper alignment to seal - inherently unreliable as the o-ring wears) and pressure relief valves (again, spring loaded face sealing on an o-ring, is it wears the seal is questionable).

That gas leak detector is the shizz, definitely get that stuff. You can also get it at home depot in the plumbing section near the water heaters (at least at my store). Just daub it over any sealing surface on a pressurized keg (top of both posts, bottom of both posts, all around PRV, around lid). Big leaks will show up right away, and if you wait 10 minutes even the most minute leaks will create a field of tiny bubbles at the source of the leak.