Is my regulator faulty?

[linuxelf]

I've recently gotten into kegging. I'm on my second batch in my keg (and my second CO2 tank) The first tank emptied itself really quickly because I had a leak somewhere in the system. With this new tank, my procedure is to pressurize the keg, then I turn the tank off. The regulator stays off most of the time. I just turn it on when I'm pouring a pint, then turn it back off again. While I'm pouring, naturally, I hear gas escaping, but after the pour the gas stops as I would expect. I just noticed something tonight, though. When I open the regulator half way, I hear gas escaping. If I open it further, or close it more, the sound stops. This happens even when I close the shutoff valve to the keg. Does this sound normal? Do I have something wrong with my regulator? WhenI leave the regulator turned off, but still hooked to my keg, I have let it sit for a week at a time without losing any keg pressure. Is it safe to submerge the entire tank in my starsan bucket, gauges and all, to look for leaks? I've tried spraying soapy water on it, but didn't see any bubbles anywhere. The water runs off too quickly to really see anything, though.

[bub]

it'll be fine... drown that bitch
BUB

[Bugeater]

While I'm pouring, naturally, I hear gas escaping, but after the pour the gas stops as I would expect. I just noticed something tonight, though. When I open the regulator half way, I hear gas escaping. If I open it further, or close it more, the sound stops. This happens even when I close the shutoff valve to the keg. Does this sound normal? Do I have something wrong with my regulator?

Are you talking about the regulator or the gas valve? It is common for the gas valve to leak like that if it is not fully open or fully closed. Something about needing to bottom out again a gasket in either position. If it is fully open and you are still leaking gas, then there may be something wrong with the regulator. The first place to look is the coupling to the tank. Some regulators are designed with an O-ring embeded into a groove in the coupler. If that O-ring is missing or damaged you will have a leak. Other models will have an easily removeable disk gasket made of either fiber or plastic. Again check to see if this is missing or damaged. An even worse leak will happen if you put the disk gasket into the type that uses the O-ring. Learned that early in my kegging career.

In any case, submurging it for a short time shouldn't hurt it.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[brewsters millionths]

hi elf. if it can hold gas in it can keep water out, but the guage itself i would keep clear of the water as some of them have an opening to atmosphere which might not like it. if you have a leak the soapy water should find it as even if it appears to run off quickly there should be enough still hanging around to show some small bubbles or foaming around any leak. are you using washing up liquid rather than soap?

[linuxelf]

I've tried dishsoap and starsan. I don't think I'm leaking at the connector to the hoses or anything, because I can only hear the leak when the valve is halfway open, and I'd think it'd only get louder with the valve all the way open. But then, I could be completely off...

I have one of those plastic washers where the regulator connects to the tank. I don't know if that's where my leak was when I killed my first tank, but I figure it won't hurt just to make sure.

[brewsters millionths]

not being cheeky, but is it just the regulator allowing the pressure in to the tank side? does it stop after you've reached the pressure it is set for?

[linuxelf]

Well, I don't think it is. The keg seems to be at the pressure I've set the regulator to. When I dispense, I can hear it put more in, then it stops. But if I turn the valve halfway closed, I hear it pretty loud.

[brewsters millionths]

so, it's only when you dispense that it makes this noise to replenish the pressure loss? and it's louder if you close the valve halfway making the co2 squeeze through a smaller valve gap to replen.?